Re-fastening transom

[Will Clarke]

Hi,
We have a Beetle Cat that is leaking where the bottom planks meet the transom. We have gotten the old screws out, and are planning to insert some cotton caulking and re-fasten with larger screws in the same holes. The heads of the old screws were set way down - at least half the thickness of the planks, and I'm worried about there being enough wood left. Also, we chewed up the edges of the holes pretty good getting the screws out (they turned, but wouldn't back out, so we basically pried them out). Should we fill the holes and repair the damage with something (thickened epoxy?), or treat the wood in any way, before re-drilling and fastening? Finally, the boat is fastened with bronze, I assume we should stick with that? Thanks in advance for any help!
Will

[Art Read]

I'm sure the others here with more experience at repair and restoration will chime in, but first off, I'd suggest getting ahold of Woodenboat's "Frame, Stem & Keel Repair". It's available right through this site's homepage in the "online catalog". It'll be worth it for all the basic questions you're gonna have owning a nice, wooden Beetlecat over the years. While you're at it, their "Planking & Fastening" and "Painting & Varnishing" books would be a good investment as well.

As for your specific questions... Caulking between the planks and the transom is a good idea, BUT you need to be careful not to "overdo" it. You can't just stuff cotton into any gaping joints there and hope to keep the water out. In fact, you'd probably wind up doing even more damage. You want to repair the problem first by your refastening, then drive just enough cotton in afterwards to "tighten up" the joints. If there's any caulking in there now, Id reef it all out before attempting to close up the joints with your fasteners. Thickened epoxy is a well known "fix" for damaged fastening holes. Perhaps fitting some small dowels of the same wood as your planks and transom in with the epoxy would be a good idea too. Just remember to repair the transom edges and or frame surfaces that will "hold" those new screws as well as your planks. It would indeed be a good idea to treat any exposed wood that you can while you've got her opened up. If it's bare wood, (no paint or varnish) I'd suggest CPES followed by some good red lead primer. (Do a "search" here for CPES... Wonderful stuff, and red lead is still available from Geo. Kirby Paints in New Bedford, Mass.) Finally, YES! By all means, use silicon bronze, one size larger, for your replacement screws. Nothing else will last as long and worse, will create a galvanic corrosion problem with the rest of your fastenings. You'll also want to set them "deep" again, just like the builders originally did as well. Use wood plugs (bungs) or surfacing putty to fill 'em up later. Don't just cover them up with more epoxy or the next poor bastard who has to work on 'em will curse you. Good luck with it! Nice little boats! Post pictures... ;)

[ 04-29-2002, 02:21 PM: Message edited by: Art Read ]

[Ed Harrow]

Will, Don't know where you are, but if local to southern NE, you could visit IYRS in Newport. They restore lots of Beetles, and could offer you advice, tho Art's advice sounds good to me, and would be the approach that I'd take but, of course, we've not seen the boat, and the general condition of the transom.

[Hugh Paterson]

Will, sounds similar to the kind of damage I have
seen before, if the wood around the holes is sound, I would suggest epoxy thickened to a peanut butter consistancy using glue powder, the trick is to fill the whole depth of the hole. I have had some success with a medical syringe filled with this goop used to "inject" the gunge to the full depth of the hole starting at the back and pulling out as ya pump "Goo". Stick to the bronze.

Shuggie

[Art Read]

Ed brings up a good point. You're going to want to try to figure out WHY those joints opened up in the first place. If she's an old boat that has gone through a lot of seasons drying out in the winter and then swelling up again in the spring, refastening may indeed be all that's required. But have a GOOD look around at all the exposed wood in there while you've got her opened up. You're not going to want to hear it, but if you can find ANY soft or "punky" wood hidden in there, THAT'S why those screws let go in the first place and a little epoxy and bigger screws would be a very "temporary", at best, solution. If you've got rot, stop everything and get somebody who knows wooden boats inside out to come have a look. The IRYS would be a great first call to make. You on the Cape? Lot's of good wooden boat folks nearby...

[Will Clarke]

Thanks for all the good advice! We haven't seen any rot yet, but will look more carefully before proceeding.
Will

[Allen Foote]

1/2 a plank thickness is enough for the new screw heads to hold in. The size of screw to use depends upon the size that came out. The idea is to use the old screw holes as the "predrilled diameter" for the new screws. Remove all the caulking for at least 6" from the transum if not more, so that the plank ends move freely into place against the transum. Clamp or otherwise put the plank ends into place before you refasten. It doesn't hurt to bed those plank ends with a bit of polysulfide before running in the screws. Caulk "lightly" with cotton caulking,painting it with a lead based paint and then top off the painted strand with BoatLife or some other soft polysulfide.