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I've completed my first trip to repair my 1964 Dorsett Catalina transom a couple weeks ago, and I have a progress update on my transom re-build project. It was a good trip and I learned a lot. I didn't get as much accomplished as I had hoped for, due to bad weather, friends coming by to visit (a good thing), and a lot of indecisionitis on my part (not to mention I'm almost 70 yrs old). I also confirmed that the damage includes the floor and stringers. I stayed for two weeks, and the weather most of the time was rainy, blustery, cold, with a day or two of partly sunny, windy, cool conditions.The trip there usually takes around 7 1/2 hours but I had to stop along the way and shop for a laser-level and a few other things, so I didn't arrive there until after dark. The following morning I went to the boat storage where I keep the boat stored indoors, hitched up to it and took it to my friend's cabin where I was staying. I unhitched it and decided to start work on it right away.
I decided that my first task would be to make sure the boat was level and straight on the trailer. I had been advised to do this by several people and I took their advice. I had bought a Bosch self-leveling laser unit that came with a mount that had a spring clamp on it for mounting. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out any way to make the mount work for the application I needed. So I had to build a simple transit that I could accurately turn 90 or 180 degrees to establish level, front to back, side to side. Once I had it mounted and screwed firmly to the floor in the "marked" center of the boat, I started taking measurements to see how level the boat was sitting on the trailer. The self-leveling laser puts out a red vertical line and a red horizontal line, like this +. The first measurement showed that the port side was 2" higher than the starboard side. I then swiveled the laser and checked the alignment from front to back. I aimed the laser at the very middle of the transom drain plug and checked where it indicated in relationship to the bow lifting eye, and there was about a 1" difference. I loosened the tie-down on the trailer winch and used a 6' wooden 4x4 fence post to shift the boat around on the trailer in the direction I thought it should go to level it. Then climb back into the boat and check for level, over and over again, until I thought it was in the right position. All the climbing in and out, all the effort it took to shift the boat, again and again, just about wore me out. But after a couple of hours, I thought I had it sitting level on the trailer, so I re-attached the tie-down and tightened the trailer winch. Hopefully it will stay in that position.
One of the consequences of working on your boat 300 miles from home is, each time you go you must pack and then unpack all your tools, both coming and going. I have to take about every tool I own, both power tools and hand tools as I never know what I'm going to need. It is very time consuming and a lot of work. So, after unloading all my tools, running extension cords and setting up a work area, I was ready to go to work. I wanted to start removing the transom plywood, but before I could do that I had to cut the floor back from the transom. I had decided to cut the floor back 18" from the transom, this way I could inspect the stringers and get to the bottom of the transom with no obstructions. I had to draw a line 18'' back from the transom leaving a 5" piece of the floor on each side to use as a guide to mark the floor level later on. Then I used a "stud finder" the kind used to find studs in a wall thru Sheetrock, and tried to locate the stringers thru the floor. No matter what I did I couldn't get an accurate reading and finally gave up, and went back to work cutting the floor. I had bought a new Makita Oscillating Multi-tool (OMT) and a set of different blades specially for this project. I had never used a OMT before and I was quite impressed with it, I should have bought one years ago. I selected an offset blade that was marked " wood or plastic" and started cutting the floor, being careful not to cut or plunge to deeply. It just zipped right along, leaving a thin, clean cut and I was done in no time. I had a bit of a hard time removing the floor piece because it was attached to the stringers and the cross-bracing in the sump area, but I finally got it out. All of it was badly rotted and falling apart, now I see why I couldn't get an accurate reading with the "stud finder". I used a shop vac to clean up all the debris, while doing that I checked the stringers and they were in bad shape too, very soft and partially rotted (Que Sara, Sara....).
I started the task of removing the plywood in the transom. To do this I had to lay on the floor of the boat and work under the splash well, using the oscillating multi-tool. The floor of the boat has marine bunk carpet on it that had gotten wet and stayed wet because of the rain ( it had rained during the night, and was still drizzling on and off), making it a very uncomfortable, cold place to work. I had a piece of dry carpet that I would put down to work on, after a while it also got wet. I started cutting the transom loose across the bottom. Somewhere along the way, someone had told me to cut into the wood side, not the fiberglass side. Now I know what they mean and was careful not to cut into the fiberglass. I placed the blade flat against the hull and cut into the plywood in the direction of the fiberglass shell located on the backside of the plywood. I took my time and was careful not to cut to deeply and damage the fiberglass shell. As I cut deeper into the plywood, I decided to stop cutting and place some 1/4'' wedges between the plywood and the fiberglass shell of the transom so I wouldn't cut into the fiberglass shell. It took quite a while to get the wedges in place. I had to carefully pry the plywood away from the fiberglass shell, then place the wedges between them. The plywood and the fiberglass shell had been laminated together with CSM and resin, and were difficult to separate. I used some prying tools I had brought and some larger wooden wedges here and there, tap it with a hammer here, tap it with a hammer there, pry against it overthere. I finally got it mostly loose, but it still had some stubborn spots that I could loosen as I cut. I placed the 1/4''wedges as low as I could between the plywood and the fiberglass shell.
I noticed the blade on the OMT marked "wood or plastic" had teeth that were gone, wore down almost completely. I didn't expect it to wear down that quickly, I had only made one cut across the floor, maybe 6'? I changed the blade to one marked "wood or metal". I continued cutting the bottom of the transom loose, I could tell when the blade had cut completely thru the plywood. After I finished the bottom, I started on the sides. The sides were a little tougher, they had 50 year old hardened fillets to cut through. They started making a lot of dust. I had to stop and unpack a new respirator I had ordered. Helmar had sent me a link of where to buy it. It has a fully enclosed face shield and a blower unit you wear on your waist, it blows constant air into the face shield.....pretty nice. I put the respirator on and started cutting the sides again. It took a while to cut the sides loose, I went slowly so I wouldn't damage the fiberglass. I tried changing from a blade to a rasp on the OMT and it worked fairly well, and I wasn't so concerned about damaging the fiberglass. I finally got the sides cut loose and pried the transom wood loose from all the remaining stubborn spots. I could now remove the transom wood. My plan was to lift it out out, straight up. I had uncapped / loosened about 6' of the top-cap on both sides of the boat, from the transom forward. I had hoped this would give me enough wiggle-room to lift the plywood out. This didn't work as well as I thought it would...........the problem was where the top of the sides met the transom, there wasn't enough ''give'' at the end of the sides where they turn the corner to form the transom. I finally got the plywood out this way, but only after quite an effort. I placed wedges at the sides to spread it open nearly to the point of cracking the fiberglass, then I used a crowbar to pry upward on the bottom of the plywood from the inside of the boat. There was a slight inward angle to the plywood and after I got it to move upward the stress lessened, and I could lift it out. It took all afternoon to accomplish. I checked the fiberglass shell that I had just removed the plywood from, there was a lot of wood and laminate still attached to it, but no damage. There is going to be a lot of grinding needed in this area. I had planned to install the new plywood this way, but now I'm not so sure. I'm looking for a ''plan B'', so if anybody has one..... I'll sure listen. I don't really want to uncap the top, but having to replace the transom, stringers and floor it may be the best option???
It kinda sounds like I did all this in an afternoon. I didn't, it took days. Some days after laying and working on the wet floor of the boat for a few hours, I'd get cold and call it a day. One of my old friends came and stayed a couple days, I didn't get much done those days. One day I had to run into Tucumcari, NM and buy a couple sheets of Marine Plywood and a sheet of door skin for making patterns, I left Tucumcari $265.00 lighter and another day gone. Time passes quickly and I didn't get near as much done as I hoped I would. On the last trip down here to remove the motor, assess the damage and take pictures, I also took down the cabin headliners and trim to take home and re-upholster. I needed to install them and re-route the wiring behind them, so I took the time and did it. For the headliners, trim, etc., I used Sunbrella Fabric in Royal Blue and Pacific Blue. They look much better than the old ones that were a pale lime green.
I didn't mention all of the things that I got done, but here's a list of what I wanted to accomplish this trip:
1. Level and adjust the boat on the trailer.
2. Remove the old transom plywood.
3. Grind and sand the fiberglass shell where the old plywood had been.
4. Make a (Popsicle stick style) pattern for new transom plywood.
5. Layout, cut, and sand the new transom plywood. (2 sheets)
6. Waterproof the new transom plywood using laminating resin.
7. Drill a hole pattern in the transom shell for clamping with screws.
8. Purchase laser level & marine plywood.
9. Treat the canopy w/ 303 Fabric Guard.
10. Install headliner & trim.
I know that I have a lot of work ahead of me............ but believe it or not, I'm actually looking forward to it. As stupid as it may sound, I can't wait to be covered in fiberglass dust. It means I'm making progress. I still have a thousand questions in a few areas I'm unsure of, but with the amount of knowledge on this forum I'm sure I'll get help with the answers.
Some things I still am thinking about are:
Under floor gas tanks ( if any body has some they are interested in selling, let me know .)
Under floor foam .
I'm headed back to work on my boat again on this upcoming Monday. I think I have all the tools and supplies I need. Its supposed to be good weather for the next 10 days, hopefully I'll get a little more accomplished this time around. Somewhere in time, when this repair is finished, I have plans of taking the boat to Lake Powell for a remote backcountry adventure. Soon I hope............
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