Transom hole dilemma

[DEHusker]

Hi everyone. I have a small problem and I don’t really know exactly how to take care of it. When I bought my 2501 2.5 years ago I had a transom Mounted side scan transducer installed. This was installed by screwing in three stainless steel screws directly to the side of the plug drain hole. In the course of boating and beaching I managed to break off the original side scan transducer which was just plastic but the screws that held the bracket remained in place. When I had the transducer replaced they replaced it with a metal bracket and, like a dummy, I broke it off again in rough conditions. This did not break the bracket but merely bent it and sort of stripped the screws causing a very large leak into the bilge area. I now have to figure out what to do with the holes. I don’t think they’re going to be watertight even if I use 5200. Do I get rid of the transducer entirely because it’s a pain in the butt? Do I try to replace the screws with bigger screws Held in With 5200? Please help.

 

[MadGar]

Looking at your picture, I don't see how those screw holes caused anything to leak in your bilge as I'm sure the holes don't go all the way through the transom or they wouldn't have stripped out.. In any case, I would probably use a little epoxy and cabosil but others with more experience may have some easier thoughts (like something premixed). I personally would not use 5200 for that though, it would just make a bigger mess. Good luck

 

[DEHusker]

The screws go all the way through - the area around the drain plug is much thinner than the rest of the transom.

 

[grouperjim]

.............the area around the drain plug is much thinner than the rest of the transom.

That's because the thinner area is not cored, it's solid fiberglass. Moving away from that area where it is thicker is cored with several inches of wood encased in fiberglass.

If you don't want the transducer then counter sink and then patch the holes with some epoxy such as white Marine Tex. Use a toothpick to ensure you push out all the air. However, don't fill the hole completely with the epoxy. Leave it shy about a credit card thickness. Cover with blue painters tape on both sides of the hole to flatten/hold the epoxy in place as it cures.

Rough up the hardened epoxy and finish the repair with a dab of matching gelcoat. Progressively sand flat with small sanding block ending with 800 grit and then polish as desired.

 

[SBH2OMan]

If you don't want the transducer then counter sink and then patch the holes with some epoxy such as white Marine Tex. Use a toothpick to ensure you push out all the air. However, don't fill the hole completely with the epoxy. Leave it shy about a credit card thickness. Cover with blue painters tape on both sides of the hole to flatten/hold the epoxy in place as it cures.

Rough up the hardened epoxy and finish the repair with a dab of matching gelcoat. Progressively sand flat with small sanding block ending with 800 grit and then polish as desired.

Another thing I recently discovered that works incredibly well instead of blue painter's tape is a small piece of a clear plastic sheet cover (you probably have some laying around your office next to other ancient artifacts like rolls of fax paper).

The plastic lays flat, sticks just enough to allow for a perfectly flat and smooth cure, but peels right off after the epoxy cures.

If you need gel coat, get some pre-mixed in matching color from cecil marine Parker Boat Parts - Logos and Decals - Cecil Marine

 

[pelagic2530]

I agree with GrouperJim's assessment. If, however, your transducer was into the wooden core section, this becomes even more critical as each time water gets in there, you're exposing the core to water and rot is only a matter of time. A good way to check, if you can see the holes from the inside, is that there is usually a bit of thickness difference to the transom around the drain plug. The solid glass area is just a bit less thick than the cored section. Either way, this needs to get fixed. Overdrill the holes, making sure that any wood that comes out is dry. If you're just in the fiberglass area then no worries. Tape as described above and fill, I like the West System epoxy products but others are available that have their merits as well. The color-matched gelcoat is optional depending on how perfect you want to get with the repair, but you should use some kind of gelcoat in order to protect the epoxy plug.

Going forward, if you intend to continue to use the boat in the same way that damaged the transducer in the first place, you may want to look into a shoot-through-the-hull type of transducer, that is mounted completely inside the hull and actually shoots through the fiberglass. I don't think you'll be able to get one that supports the sidescan functions, but those are available in thru-hull mounts. Again, that may be better or worse depending on how you're using the boat.

 

[warthog5]

First thing I see is the X-Ducer looks to be in the wrong spot! Should be 8 in to the right of the drain plug