Transom repair

[djanke]

I am just starting repairing my first wood boat. I have a 1958 Thompson and it is in pretty good shape, but there is a long split in the transom, about 1/8" Do I just leave it as is and it will swell up, or does it require some kind of fix?

[Lew Barrett]

Picture please. You may want to spline it, depending. An eighth of an inch is a good bit of separation. A picture is best and will get you some fast and accurate responses. If there's no picture, can you tell us if it is along a plank seam or an actual "split" in one plank?