Thread: The 1985 Skeeter SF-175 will need a transom repair

Originally Posted by Rojo

I need to add use a straight edge to see if your glass in the transom area is compressed or dished in. It yes you will need to use the proper core material to push it back out straight and level so your engine bracket sits flat.

I think it is just a little warped from being 40 years old with a weak transom trying to hold up a 40 years old 2-stroke 150hp outboard, and it doesn’t seem like it will be too terrible to straighten once I get the fiberglass cleaned up. Here is a picture with the smaller chunk of the 1.5” Coosa BW26 that you gave me wedged in between the inner and outer skin as well as in the horizontal brace for reference.

It looks right, you have enough room for a layer of 1708 on the inside and outside of the core. I cut that same core material for fixing the cross brace. You can glue it together with the epoxy, make 45 degree angle cuts on the seams, put the two outside pieces in first then the center. I don't know if you have enough for all that's planned.

You want to fix the knee braces and transverse brace first before the 1708 goes in. Just butter the core pieces of each in with thickened epoxy smoothing the outside level with a bondo spreader. Let that cure then add a tooth for bonding to.

Originally Posted by Rojo

It looks right, you have enough room for a layer of 1708 on the inside and outside of the core. I cut that same core material for fixing the cross brace. You can glue it together with the epoxy, make 45 degree angle cuts on the seams, put the two outside pieces in first then the center. I don't know if you have enough for all that's planned.

I'm starting to wonder the same thing about having enough core material as well. While I can already estimate how much transverse brace/horizontal bar that I'm going to need before I finish digging out that wood, the knee brace looks much bigger from the back side based on how much I dug out so far (and still need to dig) compared to what I see when I look from the bilge side. Next week when I can get back to this project, I may finally dig enough to find the stopping point for the knee braces and to figure out the plan for the knee braces and transverse brace to run past you.

I've just been busy with vacation that started before New Year's, kids going back to school and their' activities, going back to work, and chores around the house. While I did chip at it some (both figuratively and literally) for short stints here and there during the week and even an hour yesterday, I finally got a good few hours at it this afternoon. I still have a good bit to go, although I am seeing the end of some of the sections.



Since a lot of the work is just more labor intensive with dryer wood in some areas, it doesn't look like a whole lot in the bottom of my 8 gallon Shop Vac. I got tired of stepping on rotted wood and tracking it all over the garages and in the cars, so I started vacuuming after chipping or digging for a while. While I'm not getting much tracked into the house because we take our shoes off before we enter the house, it still helps for the dust that is on top of my shoes and falls down to the socks.

Progress is still being made, and that's what is important. As long as you are happy with that, that's what is important. Quality work really can't be rushed. As soon as Ms. Joyce and I find the house we want, the Dept. of the Navy gives me the Compensation for Camp Lejeune bad water, then I get to go through this, lower deck replacement as well as flotation foam, and maybe stringers depending on their condition. Meanwhile, it sets well covered in storage...we will continue to follow your progress though...Looking good so far.

I'm really surprised to see the lack of fiberglass in the corners where the transverse brace and knee braces intersect. That needs to be fixed. Once the replacement knee braces are epoxied in you need to let them set up fully then apply a tooth to the top. Same thing with the transverse brace. Once both are done, and if needed, thickened epoxy filler applied to level the braces with the inner skin. Then a layer of 1708 on the inside is needed insurance before the core goes in IMO.

I also find it interesting that the transverse brace could possibly be basically floating on top of the knee brace within the encapsulation of 1 sheet of fiberglass, although it is possible that I could have butchered up that fiberglass during all of the digging that I'm doing with power tools and hand tools.