Transom is 65% saturated and list

T

tiernanlaw@gmail.com

New member
All:
I have a 1982 27' Cabin Cruiser C-Dory. I have a 130 HP Honda four stroke and 9 HP Honda four stroke kicker. I have both batteries on the back aft starboard of the boat next to the transom. The boat sits at approximately a 5 degree starboard list. The trim tabs help when running but I lose directional control when I put in too much starboard nose down trim. I get about 14 knots at 4000 RPM. I was just told the transom and forward of it at least 5 feet is 65% saturated. I have been told I need to cut out the transom, dig out the saturated glass/wood, and rebuild the back half of the deck. $20,000 for starters. I already have to pull out (leaky) the center 4 (yes four!) 20+ gallon glassed in fuel tanks. I was also told to haul the boat down to Arizona for a couple of years and let it dry out (we live in Anchorage, Ak), or put it in a heated garage for a couple of winters to take care of the saturation. Any advise if this was your boat?
Bart (tiernanlaw@gmail.com)
 
Bart, WOW, sorry you got that kind of news, but better to get it now than than to be half way across PWS and have the transom, outboard and related attachments take a trip to the deep six. Now that would be a really bad day. So, if you are going to have to pay to get it fixed by someone else, (and I get that because I would have to,) that is a huge bundle. You have one of the few 27 C-Dory Cruise Ships and they are pretty rare, so it might be worth a good repair. Towing it to Arizona and leaving it for a couple of years would dry it out, but that will cost you half of the 20K, (transport both ways or down and back twice, and storage there for 2 years,) and it will only dry it out, not fix any rot that might be there as a result of the "moisture". You will want it done right, not cheap, but it would be worth it to get several maybe not even just three, and you are not only looking for the $$$$'s but the work quality. Get references, check out the shop, and the working staff not just a service writer.

If you have the tools, equipment, place to work, the time and talent there are several boats here that have had serious rebuilds of the same order. There are guys and gals here that are fully capable of doing that work and could, or can direct you to instruction sites, both here and other places to help -- if you are of a mind to do it yourself.

Best to you as you go forward with this. I am sure you will get more responses from folks who are much more capable than I am. But this will give you some food for thought in the mean time.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

IMGP6689.highlight.jpg
 
I had the same problem in ,my 2005 C-Dory 26' ProAngler
My transom and about 2'of hull were water soaked.
After shopping around I found a company on West Diamond by the shredding co. on 801 E. 82 Blvd, Suite C-1 called ASHBREEZ boat works. 907-529-1907

ashbreezboatworks.com

They do an excellent job. They run it with a father (Prof at UAA) and his son who was trained at Port Townson., Wash.

Mine was approx $21,000, It was a bunch of cash but you either bite the bullet or cut it up with a chin saw.

Give him a visit. Call him, first.


Jack in Alaska on the HIGH TIDEii
 
The Arizona trip is not any type of a Fix.. Even the heat there might not dry out the hull and transom fully.

You can do it and save well over half--probably 2/3 of the expense or let someone else do it. The issue is that the boat is 28 years old, and probably has been thru many freeze thaw cycles.

Or you might just do the transom, and keep using the boat as it is. I don't know if the 27 had a grid structure to support the transom, but you are running relatively low HP for that boat. I had a 130 on a 25, and thought it was underpowered. If the 14 knots and the 4000 RPM is max RPM, then you need a lower pitched prop to perform well. You can move the batteries to the port side, which will help some with the list. Also move any portable gear to the port side to balance. The new core will not solve the list issue.

I understand how disappointing this is, but it is not the "end of the World", or "Chainsaw time". The boat is very "fixable" and it took 28 years to get into this condition, Redo will give it another 30 years.
 
Stuff happens.

Just sold my 2004 32' Tiara Open with "moisture problems" in which I took a
multiple $K "survey adjustment" penalty.

The good news is it is sold and no longer my problem.

The lesson is older boats can, and usually do, develop problems that can be
overlooked or not noticed until a pro does an inspection.

Diligence is a missing word in the day-to-day life of many boat owners.

Aye.
 
I'm with everyone else - you must cut out the wet/rot materials and repair it properly. But, Arizona is a really nice trip in the winter time if you can swing it - especially up here where winter can wear on you.
 
Thanks all for the tips. I've finally decided to tear into (demo) it myself and have the experts rebuild it. I figure I cannot do any harm so long as I am careful about cutting into the hull. I plan on cutting a hole in the top, measuring the thickness of the deck, adjusting my cirular saw accordingly (with appropriate blade), and cutting within 4 to five inches of the sides of the back deck (house back to stern). After that, I figure I will have to "wing it" with a hammer, chisel, and whatever other tool required.
If anybody has any suggestions (or believes this is the wrong POA), I'm all ears....especially about specialty tools or things to pay attention to unique to the 27' CDory.
Thanks in advance,
Bart
 
I have a 27 also with an alum hull extension and a 225 honda and a 15hp kicker. Does your 27 have the long cabin with the head at the rear of the cabin? There were at least 4 versions of the 27 and they only made between 10 and 20 boats total. You have 4 fuel tanks you said and I only have 2 50s that run just behind the cabin from port to starboard. I have one big hold under the deck but some boats had 2 smaller ones, which do you have? would love to see pictures of the boat.

When I first got mine I have water getting in and sitting on the tanks and under the tanks. The side cabin wall had came loose from where it attached to the hull. You could not see it but the rain would seep thru and end up on the tanks. I could not remove the tanks but I did have to replace the rear wall of the cabin ( wood) and build a new one. I pulled the covers for the tank and the fill hoses and spent a week vacuuming out the water and soaked foam followed by a heat gun or vaccum in reverse blowing into the tank area for a week. I also have to under cut and re epoxy the deck above the tank where the port was for the fuel pick ups and site gages.

I have often wondered if I have any rot from that time but its been ten years and the boat is stored out side but under cover. Please take lots of photos of your project. think about adding a hull extension, not a offshore bracket and new motors. have fun.
 
Ask TyBoo or Da Nag for an album. They are number 2 and 3 on the "member list" in the header above.

Once you have your album, there will be a "add Photo" link on the first page of the album. Click on that, and then follow instructions. Be sure that any pop up blocker is off.

To transfer to the threads, click on the photo in your album , and then push "Control" on the MAC, (or right click on the windows?) and get image address (ends in jpeg). Raw photos will not upload. Although the site can compress the photo, if it is large as mine usually are, then you may want to compress the photos, to jpeg.

Place the photo address between the "" and "[/img/".

I use a MAC so Windows may be slightly different.
 
C-Wolfe":kjo0n5kj said:
Did you just put up your boat for sale?
Click to expand...

There is, or was one similar up her for sale....good question. It did disappear as a listing and the description was spot on. I'm not sure an old boat without power and needing a ton of work has very much value - even our beloved C-Dory boats. I know I wouldn't take it on as I'd rather be boating than working on one. It's a terrible spot to be in as an owner and I feel bad for him.
 
I also assume it is the same. I message to the one for sale here and it is sold. I would like that boat but have nowhere near the time to tackle that kind of project. It appear that he was in a similar position.
 
I saw the boat on a FB page and the new owner was looking into just how saturated it is....or even if it is. I think his next move is to drill a hole or pull a screw out somewhere to find out. I suspect he'll be joining this group in the near future....and be spending a lot of time at LFS buying stuff....like a moisture meter.

I looked at a 27 in Homer a few years ago, and it was a nice inboard boat, but the great running and recent 225 hp mill would only push it about 22 mph at full throttle. Something was not right about that....probably saturated as well, but you'd never know it by looking. I still almost bought it, because I don't think it would be that terrible to do and it had good bones.
 
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