Big crack in transom. Swim platform bracket

[awesomesteven]

I knew there was a crack there but I didn't know how bad it was.
12078
I know how to do fiberglass repairs but I don't really know how to go about this one. Should I just make a cabosil/resin mixture, fill in the crack then fiberglass? Or should I just cut the section out and fiberglass the crap out off it?

[Ptownkid]

That is certainly not just a fill repair...that needs some layers rebuilt.

[Salty87]

that's pretty nasty looking but definitely fixable. nice that it's behind the bracket so you won't have to mess with cosmetics too much. you'll need to access it from the inside and build up layers as ptown said. you'll also want to put some larger backing plates behind all 3 brackets before you're done.

is there really only 1 bolt hole on the top? that's not nearly enough...and it shows.

[awesomesteven]

is there really only 1 bolt hole on the top? that's not nearly enough...and it shows.
There were 2 bolts. You can see the bottom one right above the crack.

As for the backing plates- factory just did a shotty job. Did they really think those little squares would do the job? I was thinking of making backing plates with some marine ply flush with the transom and aluminum plates on top of that. What kind of sealant should I use for the bolts?

For a crack this large i would want to grind down 4 inches around the crack - both inside and the outside (gelcoat side) - but since this is so close to the corner I can't go that far. Any suggestions?

[Endo]

Drill at the end of the crack to (hopefully) prevent spreading. Then possibly plate under your Bracket to distribute weight if possible. Tough area to do without re gel coating. Difficult call.

[awesomesteven]

I just picked up some Doug Fir for the back brackets - I figure I can seal it with poly and it'll hold up pretty well.
(1x6x13 for $28! - If your near Charlotte and need some marine ply or Doug Fir go to Locust Lumber)

I think I am going to grind the section so it slops from the edge (right before the curve of the left side and bottom) to the cracked sections. Hopefully the new fiberglass and gel coating along with the Doug Fir and aluminum plate backing will be strong enough to never hav to do this again.

[Salty87]

are there any fiberglass repair shops nearby? see if they have some heavy woven roven or biaxial weaves of glass they would sell small pieces of. extend the layups into the vertical angle of the hull corner to help reinforce the repair. the bigger, the better and using that other plane will only help. same along the hull bottom if you can get in there. i'd over build the crap out of it and never look back.

[awesomesteven]

extend the layups into the vertical angle of the hull corner to help reinforce the repair.

same along the hull bottom if you can get in there. i'd over build the crap out of it and never look back.

Thanks Salty. That helps me visualize what I need to do - great suggestions. I don't know why I was thinking I couldn't go around the edges. I absolutely plan on over building this, haha. I can't even imagine putting all this work in only to have it sink!