Update:
Okay I am really back on the boat project. Three days of grinding
fiberglass over the Memorial Day weekend has me back to where I
started as far as the inner hull is concerned. All surfaces have
been cleared of my fiberglass attempts and are ready to be done
over. I intend on getting back on the transom before moving forward
with the bulkheads. Update:
Took me a full week of after work effort as well as a day and
a half over the weekend but the transom is finally cleaned of
all wood and the fiberglass has been ground per the Seacast Pourable
Transom instructions. After work tomorrow I will go back to Home
Depot and purchase plywood, two by twos, and screws to make the
forms for my new transom.
Update:
Forms are complete. I used large cardboard boxes to make templates
for each of the three sections of my Transom. I also elected to
remove the cap and wood inside the buttresses that attach to the
transom with the notion that the Seacast will flow into the fiberglass
housing making a strong floor-to-transom bond. Once the templates
were as close to perfect as possible, I transferred the shapes
to the ¾” ply and cut them out. They fit pretty damn
well even if I say so myself.
I intended to make the transom slightly beefier than the original
so I cut a bunch of spacers from the two by twos to the thickness
I wanted. The rest of the two by twos I cut to fit behind the
plywood as stiffeners. This was to keep the poured material from
bowing the plywood out and giving me a convex transom. Next I
screwed the forms, spacers, and stiffeners in place and glassed
the edges all the way round to make it as water (Or at least Seacast)
tight as possible. I then cut another piece of plywood to cover
the rear of the transom so that the poured material didn’t
just leak out the many holes in the rear fiberglass. This was
screwed to the transom making sure to get pressure around possible
leak points. I also put a piece of one inch hose through the stinger/buttresses
so that water could run to the center area for bilge removal.
Update:
I followed the mixing instructions and poured my two five gallon
buckets of sea cast into the forms. Per the instructions I tapped
the transom with a rubber mallet during the pouring process and
for several minutes afterwards in an attempt to limit air pockets.
I have to say that this stuff is heavy. It reminds me a lot of
a pink bucket of mud with about ten pounds of hair added to it.
I also have to say that it doesn’t go very far. Ten gallons
at about $500 dollars and I still need about four more inches.
(I think I have heard that somewhere before) I ordered another
bucket and will pour it as soon as it comes in.
Update:
Third bucket came in and it went in the forms. There was about
a gallon extra so I made a small square out of two by fours and
poured it into that. I may be able to use it someplace as flat
pieces instead of just letting it harden in the can. Tomorrow
I will remove the forms and see how it came out.
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All wood removed (Finally!)
Forms set in place
Forms "tabbed" in
Top view of forms where the seacast goes
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