Need help on transom repair.Have 69 Nautaline.Noticed small crack near outdrive. Once I peeled back the glass it exposed rot in the wood.What is the best way to repair this damage?I haven't exposed all of it right now,hoping it may not be to bad.

IF YOUR BOAT IS A 69 MODEL YOU WILL PROBABLY END UP REPLACING THE ENTIRE TRANSOM FROM THE INSIDE. YOUR ENGINE STRINGERS AND OTHER BOTTOM FRAMING ALSO NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.

KEEP US INFORMED.

Old houseboater told you right , the whole transom in 99 % of Nautalines rots, outdrive boats much worse. I imagine it is a 43 the stringers under the galley usually goes, you will notice the deck raised about an inch in front of the sink. The only thing you can do is start from the inside and see what the extent of the damage is. Good luck.

I just finsihed up a 73' 34 ft. Nautaline. The transom isn't too bad to do - it is a dirty job. Remove the engine(s) Set the circular saw so it just cuts through the plywood of the transom and not the outside skin! then make several pass up and down and back and forth - so you have a "checker board". Then pry out a few of the squares and use a wide chisel to "slick" the rest of the plywood from the inside surface of the outer transom skin. When finished wipe the surface with laquer thinner and lighty sand then useing epoxy and good plywood laminate the new transom pieces in place. You can use several 2x4's on edge and "all thread" rod to create a big clamp to to clamp the plywood to the transom skin - use the holes for the I/O mount to pass the all thread thru to clamp to the inside 2x4 clamp. Do this for each _layer_ of transom for yours it could be 3- 1/2 inch _layer_s or 4 - 1/2 inch _layer_s or 2 - 3/4 inch _layer_s. Glass the plywood inside with three _layer_s of 18 oz roving and epoxy. Use the outline in the transom to recut the holes for the I/O unit(s) and make sure you dry fit them before putting the engines in!! Stringers could be 2x?? material or _layer_s of plywood - the plywood is easier to fix in my opinion. Open the top of the stringer by setting the circular saw to just cut the glass on the top surface. Make a pass down each side and the fiberglass strip left between the cuts will pretty much peel off. Dig out the old rotton wood- (this is a real pain) and then clean the inside of the trough left with laquer thinner and sand. Fabricate new stringes and dry fit in the trough - you'll have to do a lot of grinding and feathering to make them fit - since the interior of the trough will have "lumps" inside that you have to fit over and around. Then using epoxy coat the new stingers and inside of the trough and insert the new wood and "CLAMP" every few inches and use cheek boards on the outside of the trough in sure good contact. Cover over the top of the repair with 6 inch wide fiberglass tape of 9 oz weight 3 _layer_s and epoxy- make sure you prep the outside of the trough with laquer thinner and sanding so it will bond. Good luck If you do the job yourself it will cost you about $500.00 in material

Pirate - You have commented several times in posts about rot problems in Nautalines. Are they more prone to rot than other boats of this vintage? If so, why is that and what preventative measures would you recommend to prevent or minimize the damage. Unlike Old Houseboater I can't afford a Pluckebaum at this point in my life. My 68 Nautaline appears to be solid with minor soft spots here and there that have been repaired. Stringers under the floor appear to be okay, but I didn't pull out the galley cabinets to check there. All along the starboard side there appears to be about a 1/2 drop in the deck along the outside wall. Remodeling houses this would not be unusual. Is this an indicator of a problem? Thanks for your help

Nautalines aren't too bad or the best either. I have seen many other light duty lake houseboats with rot problems. The problems are mostly caused by owner abuse and neglect and even dis-use of the boat. The best thing I can suggest is to keep her DRY. A dehumidifier is great insurance on keeping a boat up, look into your bilge OFTEN - if it is wet find out why and dry it up. As far as the 1/2 inch thing it is pretty normal. Without ribs the stringers flex up some relative to the chine log since the fiberglass skin is pretty thin and so is the outboard stringer. It is not uncommon in perfectly good Nautalines to see a 3/4 inch crown from the center to the side when sitting in the water and zero crown when set on a trailer.

Would a pressure treated plywood be best for repair or agood grade marine plywood? Also how far up do the engine stingers run thur the boat. Past the rear bulkhead?Haven't gotten that far yet, just trying to get a game plan.

MARINE PLY IS ALWAYS BEST BECAUSE IT HAS MORE PLYS AND NO VOIDS. IT ALSO BONDS TO FIBERGLASS MUCH BETTER.

THE BOND TO PRESSURE TREATED IS IFFY AT BEST DUE TO THE CHEMICALS USED FOR TREATMENT.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO USE MARINE I WOULD SUGGEST YOU USE EXTERIOR GRADE AS YOU WON'T HAVE THE BONDING PROBLEM.

FOR STRINGERS I WOULD USE SOLID WOOD, IF I COULD FIT IT IN PLACE. MUCH LESS WORK!