Aerotec - transom tried to fall off!

rik_elliott · 15 August 2016, 12:25

Hi all

Long time no post!

We took the aerotec out yesterday, great day. Lovely flat water with barely a ripple. The boat was well loaded with 4 of us on board, but was only pootling about up a river so no wave jumping or even particularly any throttle on the engine.

I noticed that the outboard felt odd as we were going along, and too my surprise spotted half the transom had let go. See attached pic. I ticked the motor over to get us back to shore, worried that the engine would go for a swim at any moment.

Looks as though the glue just gave up. I know its an older aerotec, but since I fixed a pinhole in the deck a few years back its been absolutely perfect. I would hate for it to have to be binned. So, my question is.... can I fix it? Any tips for reattaching a transom? I would imagine I will need to reglue the other side too - if one side failed the other could be close behind. I saw on a search other people have reglued bits of transom, but probably not on so old a boat and not with it literally waving around.

My plan would be to use some 2 part glue and maybe some extra PVC to reinforce the joints. But I really need a sanity check - would any of you use a boat again after having a pretty major structural failure of this sort?

As a final insult, the transom popping off like this somehow pinged my girlfriends dad's new fishing rod out the boat which disappeared under the brine. D'oh.

jeffstevens763@g · 15 August 2016, 12:34

i would have a pro do it or a least get a price if its gone there rest will be suspect might not be economical.

cheers

Fenlander · 15 August 2016, 12:54

Have you noticed exactly the same has just happened to Firstrib's Aerotec... post #261 on his thread...

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/which-r...a-70291-9.html

Some folks have managed extensive complete transom re-glue repairs and I've undertaken spot repairs on an 18yr old Aerotec but my personal view is I'd get quotes for a trusted pro to do the whole transom and if that was uneconomic to you I'd replace the boat.

Also bear in mind now this has happened to the transom the floor to tube joints might not be far behind so perhaps budgeting that those may be required before too long would be sensible to get an overview of giving it say another 10yrs life.

rik_elliott · 15 August 2016, 13:22

fenlander - cheers, I hadn't seen that. He was in almost the same place as me (I was near Beaulieu/Lymington) , and had the same failure under almost identical 4 up conditions. spooky.

I'll see how much they quoted him for the repair. Thanks for pointing the post out.

Fenlander · 15 August 2016, 16:05

On Firstrib's thread Yabadabadoo mentioned £150+vat for a transom repair. If it could be done for a figure as low as that then it has to be worthwhile. In broad terms there must be about a £400-600 difference between a sound Aerotec of that age and one with the transom part detached so on economics alone it is worth doing at anything up to £250.

Yabadabadoo · 15 August 2016, 16:21

I really need to abbreviate my forum name..
The guys I spoke to seemed genuine and knew about the glue issue/had done a fair few in the past. They were clear that it didn't involve the floor, and said they'd need to see the boat before a proper quite. Certainly worth calling

psycho · 15 August 2016, 17:03

At least you have a decent van to chuck it in.....!

jeffstevens763@g · 15 August 2016, 19:58

I be been around Sib'S for 45 years and never seen anything as drastic as these two transom failures but one thing I pick up the boat will still get you home with a bit injenuity and carefully helming.

Cheers

jeffstevens763@g · 15 August 2016, 19:59

I be been around Sib'S for 45 years and never seen anything as drastic as these two transom failures but one thing I pick up the boat will still get you home with a bit injenuity and carefully helming.

Cheers

rik_elliott · 15 August 2016, 20:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by psycho

At least you have a decent van to chuck it in.....!

yup love my T4

psycho · 15 August 2016, 20:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by rik_elliott

yup love my T4

Same here, would sell the missus before my T4.......!

Poly · 16 August 2016, 15:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

i would have a pro do it or a least get a price if its gone there rest will be suspect might not be economical.

cheers

Interesting, I've never glued a transom back on in my life and my gut feel would be the same with it being a structural area, but the picture looks quite straightforward and doesn't need to air tight, it's a flat rigid surface and the rubber looks in good nick, so am I missing something?

Could it be reinforced with some strips screwed or bother through /into the wood?

jeffstevens763@g · 16 August 2016, 16:37

just me poly forth road bridge springs to mind never done anything like it myself but you have to strip back to good glue.how far ?

Poly · 16 August 2016, 19:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

just me poly forth road bridge springs to mind never done anything like it myself but you have to strip back to good glue.how far ?

Ah but they've realised that with good prep (cleaning back to bare metal) and quality two pack paints they can get 20 yr life out of the bridge coatings - and I suspect its the same for transom glue! I take your point about how far back to strip it - although it looks to me like the whole side is off so might be an obvious stopping point?

Fenlander · 16 August 2016, 20:53

I think the problem might be that if the transom to "tube moulding" glue has gone then the tube to "moulding" glue might also be weak. I think Office888 has advised previously all the sections are taken apart and properly glued as per how it was made. I'm sure he said it takes 10hrs to do properly.

office888 · 16 August 2016, 21:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

I think the problem might be that if the transom to "tube moulding" glue has gone then the tube to "moulding" glue might also be weak. I think Office888 has advised previously all the sections are taken apart and properly glued as per how it was made. I'm sure he said it takes 10hrs to do properly.

Including cleaning, yes, about a 10 hour job by a professional.

Peter_C on here rebonded his transom...I think he said it took him about 25-30 hr as a new guy?

It's not difficult, just really fiddly. It has a lot of "stages" to the gluing. It takes about 3 sessions to glue everything up.

69cmw · 16 August 2016, 21:44

Throw them in the bin and buy a newer one, there was a 2012 up for sale the other day for £800.

rik_elliott · 17 August 2016, 11:57

The whole side of the transom has separated from the tubes, I can fit my hand through the gap, so I really don't know how much I would trust a limited repair tbh. I will get a quote, but its looking like it will be uneconomical to repair sadly. It was a good boat until this.
So, I will probably be in the market for a SIB again soon if anyone spots anything

Xk59D · 17 August 2016, 14:34

Pm me if you want to sell it.

Cheers

simonafloat · 27 August 2016, 18:01

Wow, this post is food for thought next time I'm 20 miles out... needless to say I check all the seams on my aerotec very, very regularly!