Here is another job that I enjoyed doing. This boat had a gas twin 4 cylinder engine with outdrives mounted to it. The owner wanted to put a single diesel with an outdrive unit on it. He asked if I could replace the rotten transom and also remove the single engine mounting block and install two mounting blocks for the new diesel motor. I said no problem, but that the whole compartment had to be reinforced with fiberglass, because the torque from the diesel was a lot more then the gas engines.

After the engine was installed the factory representative that sold the engine to the marina went for a test run on the boat. He asked the marina whom did the fiberglass work. He was very impressed with the fiberglass work and how clean it was and how solid it was when the boat was running. The mechanic that had to cut the opening in the transom for the outdrive couldn’t believe how strong & thick the transom was. He said other transom you can cut in minutes this one took a very long time due to the multiple layers of fiberglass.

When I replace a transom I put layers of fiberglass in between the layers of plywood. I keep the same thickness set from the factory. I use more fiberglass then plywood. The factory and other repair people will glue two 3/4" sheets of plywood together and then mount that to the transom. It’s quick and easy, but not that strong once you cut the transom. I’ve been doing transoms like this for over thirty-four years. I have never had one come back to me for rotting out, or falling apart.

Go thru the photos and you’ll see how I built the transom and how I fiberglass the wooden engine mounting blocks to the hull.