# Crack along top of transom - Best way to fix?



## MikeChamp12 (May 17, 2021)

Discovered after taking the motor off? So it wasn’t visible with it on?


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

I didn't notice it, probably should have looked closer, but with such a new boat it never occurred to me to check it.

I just got it last week, this is the first time I've had the motor off of it.

I haven't titled it yet, so I suppose I could try to get the original owner to take it in and get it fixed. Unless it's no big deal then I could do it myself if all it needs is some epoxy.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I’d look into having it glassed to beef up the entire transom. It looks older than one year.


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## Sawyer Martin (Jan 30, 2019)

Definitely gonna need to rewrap that transom with some new glass. I wouldn't just grind & fill, as you suggested, as it's likely to happen again pretty quickly if you go that route. Somebody must have clobbered something while on plane or something to split that all the way across the top like that.


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## MikeChamp12 (May 17, 2021)

I’d sand it down until I see glass bonding to the core and then lay layers of new fiberglass in the area I sanded to fill in the low spots. Fair it sand it and paint it. I’d use polyester resin.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I’d look into having it glassed to beef up the entire transom. It looks older than one year.


I checked it was purchased in 6/20/20


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Sawyer Martin said:


> Definitely gonna need to rewrap that transom with some new glass. I wouldn't just grind & fill, as you suggested, as it's likely to happen again pretty quickly if you go that route. Somebody must have clobbered something while on plane or something to split that all the way across the top like that.


So are you saying the warranty wouldn't cover it then? Couldn't it possibly be failure in material or workmanship which caused it to begin with?


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## JIMMYZ750 (Feb 20, 2007)

Agree with Sawyer Mike and Smack above. Does not look like workmanship issue more like some kinda "trauma" to the transom. Would caution against any kind of fix until you know the extent of damage. Get a metal rod and explore sending it down through inside of transom to look for soft spots. If water got in it could be dry now but dryrot later. In any case really no real biggie even if you gotta cut out inner transom and replace compromised material and refiberglass over entire inner transom. Plenty of "how too's" on here to show you how. You can build back stronger than original. Also you are right on point about getting some kind of metal u shaped bracket to go over transom where the motor will hang, really just enough to cover inner transom where attachment points are. Good luck!


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

A properly built transom does not need a metal bracket. Those are used to cover up failures like this when the transoms fail. Cracks like this can happen when the motor is wrenched on too tight and smashes the core. People seem to use big wrenches to hold motors on when they don't thru bolt them. See pic above.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

The motor is only a small 9.9, it just has the hand tighteners. When i took the motor off I loosened it by hand, it was not on super tight at all, came off easy. But if it was too tight at some point it seems like it shouldn't be much of a serious issue if that's what caused it, I'm perfectly capable of fixing it myself. It doesn't have to be pretty either lol as long as it seals everything up and keeps the water out.

Gonna take a closer look at it tomorrow and try to get some better pics. Where can I find the "how to" info?


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Go to the "search community" block at the top of this page and enter "transom repair"...That should produce a bunch of threads on your topic... Good luck and post up what you find when you dig into that transom...


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

I can see a flat edge on that gel coat ,they must have ground it down to much , and regardless of owner they should repair that unless the can prove owner neglect!!! Other wise it will reflect poorly on there product and glass quality ....one year old with a 9.9 Give me a break 🙄

I dont think they glassed it correctly to start with .....it shouldn't be able to open up like that ...gelcoat was only thing holding it! Looks like....


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Silent Drifter said:


> I can see a flat edge on that gel coat ,they must have ground it down to much , and regardless of owner they should repair that unless the can prove owner neglect!!! Other wise it will reflect poorly on there product and glass quality ....one year old with a 9.9 Give me a break 🙄
> 
> I dont think they glassed it correctly to start with .....it shouldn't be able to open up like that ...gelcoat was only thing holding it! Looks like....


I agree with this...I don't have a lot of boat experience, but I've been riding surf boards, skim boards and SUPs for decades and it's all a similar construction with fiberglass boats. I've seen quality work and shoddy work, and to my eye it looks like it wasn't done very well to begin with. It indeed looks like the gelcoat was holding it together.

It's probably worth a shot taking it to Rabco, it hasn't been titled in my name yet so technically the guy I bought it from still owns it, if I can get him to meet me there with the boat they would have to honor the warranty and at least take a look at it.


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## 18lostmen (Dec 10, 2021)

Ouch. That’s rough. Not sure where you are located but there are some really skilled glass workers who can fix you up.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

I'm in St.Pete. The Rabco shop is close by so no big deal taking it there. I didn't pay a whole lot of money for this boat so it's not a big deal really, I'm not upset about it, I just want it fixed right before I start taking it out is all.

If Rabco refuses to fix it I suppose I could have it looked at elsewhere and get a quote, so if anyone has suggestions for places in my area I'm all ears. Or I could do it myself too, we'll see what happens I guess.


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## JC Designs (Apr 5, 2020)

Did you get this fixed?


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

Its only one year old dont matter who owns it!!! If they want stand behind their work thats pretty Bad on their part! And sends a message to other that might be interested in their boats ...stuff happens but only a reputable company like east cape will survive due to after sales service 👍 which in my book is as important or more so than the initial sale 👍😎


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Well we're gonna see if Rabco will stand behind their product. They have new owners now since this boat was built so this should be interesting. I just spoke with the guy I bought it from and he wants to help, so he's going to send in the pictures of the transom and the warranty sheet so we'll see how they respond. Hopefully they won't hesitate and just fix it.


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

If it's a wood transom, water may have gotten in and expanded it which caused that. Very common on Whalers. Seems off it would happen this quick though. I think I would want an entire new boat or new transom vs. putty just spread over it and painted. Prob wouldn't matter with a 9.9, but, still...


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## Sawyer Martin (Jan 30, 2019)

The good news is that even if Rabco won't step up & do the right thing (make the necessary repair), it really is a simple fix. Just need a day or two, some CSM, 1708, poly resin (or epoxy if you want to do it even better, although there's a good chance that boat was made with poly), hardener, fairing compound, & some basic tools to get it back to better than new.

As others have mentioned, lots of good tutorials & write-ups on here. Last year, my buddy & I tore down a 14' 7" skiff to the bare hull & did stringers/transom/false floor/decks/hull repair/etc. on it using information from threads on this forum. Invaluable tool for sure!


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

looks like expansion from rotten wood but don't see how that could be on a boat that new.


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## JC Designs (Apr 5, 2020)

skinny_fishing said:


> Well we're gonna see if Rabco will stand behind their product. They have new owners now since this boat was built so this should be interesting. I just spoke with the guy I bought it from and he wants to help, so he's going to send in the pictures of the transom and the warranty sheet so we'll see how they respond. Hopefully they won't hesitate and just fix it.


If not, let me know. I’ll do you right on a proper repair.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

I don't think there's wood in the transom, from what I could see through the crack it looked like a foam core but i could be wrong....I know they use a lot of composite materials there as well.

The boat was moored for awhile, so i suppose water seeping in is a possibility.



JC Designs said:


> If not, let me know. I’ll do you right on a proper repair.


Thanks, are you in the the bay area? It will help to have a backup plan for sure.


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## jonny (May 1, 2007)

I think the bond broke loose between the core and transom. That’s a big ass gap. Hopefully they don’t still use wood anymore. Hopefully they will handle it for you


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## jonny (May 1, 2007)

I just checked their website apparently it can be wood. A composite no wood build is a $795 up charge


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Ok, so if it's not wood, some water getting in shouldn't have caused the bond to fail right?


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

For what it's worth...if it were mine I wouldn't want whoever did the original work anywhere near it.. Find a good glass shop and get it done right - the first time... Good glass work should last for years and years... If this is only a year or two old it doesn't say anything good about whoever built it...


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

Exactly what i was just thinking infact before i got anyone to work on it,id tear every bit of it off that would come off by hand! Other wise they will just sand it down a lil and glass over that edge...

Id want anything that wasnt bonding to be removed !


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Anyone have an idea of what it would cost tho? I mean if it's not ridiculous I would pay someone to get it done right. I guess there is a pretty damn good chance that if I take it back to rabco they will just make it look nice and not really fix it.

Or I could do it myself....I don't think the entire transom needs to be torn apart.

Weather is shit right now, gonna be raining all day so i can't really look into it further, i need to get some more of the loose material out so i can get a better look at what's going on.


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## jonny (May 1, 2007)

Well to do it right you are looking at a potential $1200-1500 would be what most shops would charge most likely. So I would give them a chance to try and make it right. Bluewater Coosa is $500 a sheet, then add glass, bonding putty, resin, ect. Just the supplies can get up there pretty quickly. If you get lucky maybe the shop will have some spare Coosa so you won’t get hit with the full sheet cost. I do have a odd cut piece that you may be able get it done with. I can sell it to you if you want to DIY it. But I am 1.5 hours south of you.
With it most likely being a wood transom if they didn’t pay for the composite upgrade. I would be willing to bet the bond broke lose. Most likely from not precoating the wood in resin. The wood will suck up the resin leaving the bonding putty/glass starved. Making a weak bond see it all the time.


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

^^^^^^^^😳 American Dollars ? He should have foam board ,if so he just needs to clean the area up let it dry real good then put the skin back on shouldnt be more than 2-$300 i would think .....

He can buy a new hull for $2,600 geezzzz 😁


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## jonny (May 1, 2007)

Yeah it may not be foam core that’s a $700 up charge. If they won’t fix it for free. And since you are hanging just a 9.9. The cheap fix would be pour some epoxy in there clamp it up tight. And hope for the best and forget about till it’s time to really fix it.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Yikes. Guess I'll see if Rabco will fix it under warranty and see how good of a job they do. Then if it fails again I'll do it myself.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Ok, upon further inspection I really don't think it was as bad as I thought at first....The only place it is separating is at the very top of the transom, the front and back of it is rock solid. It almost looks like when they glassed over the top there was a bit of a gap and it wasn't filled in, so because of the empty gap the weight of the motor cracked it at the edge of the top of the transom. So I'm thinking there was never any bond to begin with, like an air bubble under the glass at the top of the transom. Also the crack itself looks bigger in the pics than it really is, here is a pic with measurement for clarity:










The rest of the top of the transom on both sides of the crack is rock solid, it's just between the flanged part of the transom where there is an issue.

I also took a small pry bar to open it up a bit and get some macro shots inside of it:



















Call me crazy, but i'm thinking if I fill in that gap with some quality high strength resin it should be fine. I mean I might be a more worried it there was more separation going on elsewhere in the transom but there isn't, it's just at the very top.

[edit] Also i just heard from the previous owner, he contacted rabco and sent them the pics that I posted at first here. They said they would look at the pics and get back to him so we'll see what if anything they want to do about it.

[edit 2] Just heard back form him, Rabco wants to take care of it and said it should take them two days to fix it.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

I was supposed to get it titled and registered tomorrow, now i'm wondering if I should hold off since the warranty is technically only good with the original owner and not transferable. I've been to their shop before looking at new boats so they would probaly recognize me and be like wtf is going on. I would hope that shouldn't make a difference, that they would want to make it right either way but you never know I guess.


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## MikeChamp12 (May 17, 2021)

Top of that transom looks like it’s only resin. I may be wrong but I don’t see any fiberglass.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

In the macro pics you can see the strands of fiberglass, looks like it to me anyway.

BTW, loving your boat build, I would love to have a project like that someday!


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## MikeChamp12 (May 17, 2021)

I appreciate that. I’m hoping the best turn out for your newly purchased boat.


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

Was that top edge trimmed to remove the ledge where the motor was mounted?


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Looks like it came that way from the factory, not sure how they went about doing it.

Kinda see what you mean tho, if that ledge was all the way across the transom it would be stronger at the top, and if they glassed the ledge first and then cut it down that could be what created the problem.


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## JC Designs (Apr 5, 2020)

There is a correct way to cap a transom so it don’t do this. Unfortunately… few do it correctly.


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

Yeah i think they ground it down at factory only the gelcoat.....

Ive always heard if the gelcoats to think it will crack because it cant flex 🤷 

Also gelcoat is only cosmetic it has near zero strength compared to the glass and resin its self ,but i may be wrong 😅


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

JC Designs said:


> Unfortunately… few do it correctly.


That's crazy. At least I didn't spend much on this boat ($4k for everything), I'd be pretty upset tho if I spent 15k+ on a hull for something like this to happen. I keep thinking my next next skiff will either be a project where i do everything so I know it's done right like MikeChamp12, or just pony up and get a HB skiff lol.


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## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

DuckNut said:


> A properly built transom does not need a metal bracket. Those are used to cover up failures like this when the transoms fail. Cracks like this can happen when the motor is wrenched on too tight and smashes the core. People seem to use big wrenches to hold motors on when they don't thru bolt them. See pic above.


So does that mean every hell's baby that left the factory with a metal bracket has a faulty or poorly built transom?


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Charles Hadley said:


> So does that mean every hell's baby that left the factory with a metal bracket has a faulty or poorly built transom?


I usually don't respond to people who do not know what they are talking about. But in your case - I like you.

That metal plate does not go over the transom. It is just a bar with their logo engraved on it. It is bolted to the transom and the motor clamp tightened against it instead of against the fiberglass.


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## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

Hey duck not challenging you but I have looked at quite a few picks of their transoms on recent skiffs as well as have 2 more john hb boats in my shop doing resto on right now that owners have had since new and they have large over the top into splash well stainless plates. As well on the pictures on their website for the Waterman there appears to be same plate on what I would think would have been a new build. With all the pics of hb boats on internet that have what you refer to as repair brackets hb boats have bad transoms
My original post was just a question wasn't being a dick I like you too don't be defensive it was just an observation I have seen in person.


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## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

Didn't notice any damage to transoms when these plates were pulled for top side repaint . Maybe just a precaution


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## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)




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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

@Charles Hadley no offense take bud.

The only time I have seen the slip overs is because of some sort of transom issues. If you have HB in the shop with the slip over then I do not have an answer - as that would be different than from their pics and it certainly could be precautionary. Post a pic from the rea of that skiff (like below).

Waterman









Guide









The one in the preowned section









The Waterman shows the plate on the front but no rear shot to see if it slips over on both sides. The used one and the Guide both show the plate and the piece I posted the picture of (above) on the front but the rear shots clearly show they do not go down the back. It appears that the cap has an overhang that would prevent a U shaped bracket from slipping over.

I could be wrong as I am not well schooled with all the "fixin's" on the boats today. So I'll have to rely on their supplied photos.


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## Hank (Jan 14, 2019)

The wrapped over the top transom plate thingys were a thing about 40-50 years ago on metal jon boats, some of which had an exposed plywood transom. They did give a good place to clamp the motor on and stiffened things up nicely.

On the old boat rebuilds I’ve done I like an aluminum plate on both sides of the new plywood, slathered in epoxy and a few through bolts. Good and strong and aluminum seems grippier for the clamps.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Yeah to be honest, I'd rather have a metal plate there for the clamps so they aren't cutting a hole in the fiberglass. Especially with a small skiff and motor, because since it's a light 9.9 I can take it off whenever, and I imagine doing that a bunch of times could wear on the fiberglass after awhile.


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

^^^^ If you dont want to bolt the motor, id atleast put a safety cable on it 👍 when i was a teenager 🙄 yes we are talking history 😁 i had a 9.9 jump off the stern thank God the fuel line held and i pulled it back up ..... clamps had worked their way loose i didnt know it till the tiller handle slid out my hand ....


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Oh geez that would not be good. Is it a better idea to bolt it on anyway? I mean the clamps seemed kinda flimsy to me to begin with, and after hearing that story now I'm paranoid lol.


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

If you wanted you only need two bolts 👍 or like i have a short safety cable.....id use nylin locks on the bolts if you go that route,But grease the nuts and bolt so it dont lock down for good it will still stay ,but you can back it off later ,other wise they like to lock down and you will have to snap the bolt to remove it in some cases 👍

You an also just use two standard nuts locked together similar to a big outboard .....instead of nylon locks, which ever you like 👍


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

skinny_fishing said:


> Oh geez that would not be good. Is it a better idea to bolt it on anyway? I mean the clamps seemed kinda flimsy to me to begin with, and after hearing that story now I'm paranoid lol.


Don't be. There are millions of those running around the world with no problems. But be safe, use a safety cable. You can also buy a lock to go over the handles on the factory bolts that will keep anyone from stealing your motor and keeps the bolts from backing loose. Just line up the handles when you tighten it down and put the lock over it. I like the bolt on idea better, but some motors don't give you that option, not sure about yours.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

I have one of those locks, it came with the boat when I bought it. Now that I've thought about it, being able to easily take the motor off and put it in my shed (I have a stand for it) is a good thing for when I'm not planning on using it for a period of time rather than letting it sit out in the elements. Idk, I might change my mind after awhile but for now I like having that option of removing it easily if I want to for whatever reason.

I was looking around for something to protect the transom and came across this: Transom Mounting Bracket

I can custom order what size I need and very reasonable price.


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

DuckNut said:


> @Charles Hadley no offense take bud.
> 
> 
> I could be wrong as I am not well schooled with all the "fixin's" on the boats today. So I'll have to rely on their supplied photos.


I have an '02 HB that has Aluminum all the way over. Came that way straight from Hal. Maybe the transom was ruined by Chris and he was hiding it with an aluminum plate.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

K3anderson said:


> I have an '02 HB that has Aluminum all the way over. Came that way straight from Hal. Maybe the transom was ruined by Chris and he was hiding it with an aluminum plate.
> View attachment 195191


Post a pic of the back side for reference. Thanks.


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

DuckNut said:


> Post a pic of the back side for reference. Thanks.


Weird, but, I don't have any pics of the back. I'll have to grab one at some point. I don't think it even goes to the back. I think it only covers 3/4 of the top width of the transom if that makes sense.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

K3anderson said:


> Weird, but, I don't have any pics of the back. I'll have to grab one at some point. I don't think it even goes to the back. I think it only covers 3/4 of the top width of the transom if that makes sense.


It does. I'll bet it look just like the ones on the pics above.

edit: If you look close you can see a radius at the rear left that is not present at the front left.


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

Here, I found one I forget what’s behind the JP


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

K3anderson said:


> Here, I found one I forget what’s behind the JP
> View attachment 195199


Thanks for the pic.

I'm not an expert with the HB brand but I do believe all of their models have an overhang from the cap. The jack plates have a small spacer to move it back to the outside of the overhang (just like in your pic). If the plate is mounted a tad lower the JP would fit against the hull missing the overhang.

I do not know why they use that big metal plate but my guess is that it is used if it has JP that plate helps spread the load even more than the metal bar. Which makes sense because there is more pressures applied to the transom wit the additional setback. Just my guess and nobody else's.


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

DuckNut said:


> Thanks for the pic.


I added the Jackplate 5 years ago. Prior to that the plate was there when delivered in Jan of 2003. I think the point is, it isn't there to hide anything. It is just to spread the force of tightening down the engine bolts across a wider area. When I built my other skiff last year I did the same thing just using aluminum straps I made like the newer ones. I thought it would reduce the chance of crushing the core I used in the transom. idk if it worked, but, it hasn't crushed it yet.


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## JC Designs (Apr 5, 2020)

It’s to spread the load on the HB boats ya’ll. I am pretty sure they were using 4 or 5lb core in the transoms back then and it will not withstand the clamping force. Honestly, even coosa bw26 will compress under the torque and use.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Dropped off the skiff at Rabco today. One of the builders came out to look at it and he said it was sanded down too far and that's why it cracked. Easy fix. I think someone earlier in the thread said the same thing, so whoever that was you win a prize!

(not really)


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## MikeChamp12 (May 17, 2021)

skinny_fishing said:


> Dropped off the skiff at Rabco today. One of the builders came out to look at it and he said it was sanded down too far and that's why it cracked. Easy fix. I think someone earlier in the thread said the same thing, so whoever that was you win a prize!
> 
> (not really)


What’s the fix? Add more gelcoat?


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Guess we'll see lol. I'm not gonna be there to micro manage so I'm viewing it as a surprise, whether it's pleasant, horrible or mediocre I'll find out soon enough


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

skinny_fishing said:


> Dropped off the skiff at Rabco today. One of the builders came out to look at it and he said it was sanded down too far and that's why it cracked. Easy fix. I think someone earlier in the thread said the same thing, so whoever that was you win a prize!
> 
> (not really)


Sounds like claiming a house foundation had too much weight on it and that is why it cracked down the middle...just add another layer of tile over the old tile that is popping up.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Don't really care at this point, it's maybe a $2k boat. If they fix it properly great, if not I'll fix it properly myself if and when it cracks again.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Just got it back today, looks like they did a good job but we'll see for sure how it holds up once the motor is on it. The guy that did the work seemed pretty confident in it. He also confirmed the void (air bubble) at the top of the transom and said he just cut the top off the void area and started over. So overall I'm happy they took it in and fixed it with no questions asked, and I didn't have to do it so it's a win for me assuming it holds up lol.


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## Sawyer Martin (Jan 30, 2019)

Why does it look like the skin is separating from the core still, in the second photo, left of the repaired area?


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

I looked closely at that, it's just the coating they used was thin in that area and chipped off a bit or never made it over the glass to begin with. It's a good couple of inches away from where the original crack was inside the flanged area, it's just cosmetic so I don't care about that.

[edit] What you see is not a crack, just a little bit of exposed fiberglass:


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## Sawyer Martin (Jan 30, 2019)

skinny_fishing said:


> I looked closely at that, it's just the coating they used was thin in that area and chipped off a bit or never made it over the glass to begin with. It's a good couple of inches away from where the original crack was inside the flanged area, it's just cosmetic so I don't care about that.
> 
> [edit] What you see is not a crack, just a little bit of exposed fiberglass:


Got it, I see now!


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## MikeChamp12 (May 17, 2021)

You should cover that exposed glass with gelcoat or paint. I hope you didn’t pay for that patch job.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

sorry but that is a horrible looking repair. not just that they left a crack which is completely unacceptable, it doesn't even look like they sanded it and didn't put the finish splatter coat on either.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Honestly, I don't care how it looks as long as it holds up. I didn't pay for it either.

And again it's not a crack, read above. I plan on covering it up with some epoxy paint or something, not a big deal.

Keep in mind this is a $2k skiff at best, I'm not trying to win any show awards lol. I'm just happy they offered to fix it up at no charge in a timely manner.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

I flipped over the skiff to get all the barnacles off, and once I got them all off I found more areas with small holes that turned out to be bigger voids, not huge about the size of a penny but still....I don't think this is a well made skiff at all, definitely got my money's worth lol. There's also a spot around the drain....The PO had silicone around the edges of it and I peeled it off, then it started leaking. Is the "sleeve" that goes in the drain hole for the plugs removable without damaging the drain hole? If so I'd like to take it out and inspect it, if not I guess I'll just seal it up around the edges again.

Also while getting all the barnacles off the scraper I used left marks all over the bottom, is it necessary to polish those out or will it be fine?

This is going to be a stop gap skiff for sure, keeping my eye out for something better in the meantime


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## MikeChamp12 (May 17, 2021)

Flex seal the whole thing


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

I already filled the voids with epoxy and gonna go over everything else with marine tex


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

Just made it back here to see the update. Absolute trash repair and boat builder. Just wow. From their website "At Rabco Boats, craftsmanship is what sets us apart . Leave behind the mass-produced, common boats of the world and enjoy the true skill of a unique quality boat builder." I hope the owner would lose his mind if he saw that repair go out the door.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Glad I didn't buy a new boat from them because I almost did!

Cool thing about this one tho is it's like a beater car, couldn't care less about dings and scratches it's gonna get used and abused


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## MikeChamp12 (May 17, 2021)

skinny_fishing said:


> Glad I didn't buy a new boat from them because I almost did!
> 
> Cool thing about this one tho is it's like a beater car, couldn't care less about dings and scratches it's gonna get used and abused


All my favorite boats were beaters. I had a 20 foot proline 1978 that was falling apart. I would run it in the glades and offshore 30 miles. I would stack 15 stone crab traps on it and never washed it.


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