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Damp Transom Issues
So I recently bought a 1985 Spindrift 22, and I have been doing my best to fix up the leaks and get her in the water to sail. The boat is one of Jim Taylor's designs (he designed Starwinds and Precisions of similar lenghts.) Up until now, I hadn't encountered any major issues. Reseal the scuppers, some leaky through-bolts, and a couple of gel-coat repairs.
However, it has been raining several inches in upstate NY the past weeks. As I was taking things apart to look for leaks, I noticed that a section of the transom was soft and the paint was beginning to crack. I peeled a bit back and found soft, slightly rotted wood. I was surprised that . Nothing else appears to be damp higher up than the soft spot. Is it possible that capillary action could draw the water up from the leaky scuppers? There isn't any hardware nearby that is soft. The only thing that I can think of is a poorly sealed bumper guard.
The rotten spot is 1x1inch and there may be another small spot that size. I don't understand why the wood isn't cased in both sides of the fiberglass. Does it serve a less structural purpose? It appears to have a grain so it isn't plywood. I poked at the spots when I got the boat and they were dry. Unfortunately my excitement prevailed.
I don't know much about boats, so I am looking for any advise on what to do. I know that I need to release everything on the transom, but what else should I do? Get an estimate on a repair? Just sail her for the season? Is it no big deal because the board isn't inbetween fiberglass? Should I sell her as-is and buy a smaller boat?
Last edited by electricc0wb0y; 05-31-2009 at 01:39 PM.