Transom - solid or cored?

[britinusa]

I'm about to install an extra step on the transom between the top step of the folding ladder and the top of the transom.

(I need to get the appropriate length bolts)

Anyone know the approximate thickness of the transom in that area and whether it's solid or cored?
(I need to know if I have to drill/cleanout/resin/redrill/countersink or just drill & countersink in order to estimate the time it will take.)

Thanks.

Paul

[Clay Greene]

It's not cored - the transom is part of the hull mold.  I believe the only cored parts of the boat are in the deck and the cabintop.  No idea as to the thickness.  I think you will have to drill to figure that out. 

[mregan]

It's only about 1/2" thick.   Mine seemed to be solid fiberglass, I've got an '86.

[Ron Hill]

Paul : I can confirm that the transom is sold fiberglass and about 1/2 inch thick.  Your transom might very just a little in the thickness.
 
Found this out when I replaced the bilge pump thru hulls.

A thought

[britinusa]

Thanks Guys! That'll give me extra time for other projects 

Paul

[britinusa]

The good news.

Over the weekend, in preparation for making and installing an extra step between the top of the swim ladder and the top of the transom, I had cut out the horizontal tube that connects the port and stbd pushpit rails. I also used white JBWeld to form a nice smooth end of the now open tubes.

Last night, we went down to the boat to mark up the transom for the new step. When I climbed over the transom without having to climb over that removed tube, it was a piece of cake! So I had the Admiral climb out of the cockpit and down the swim ladder - Easy! Climb back in - Easy! In fact, her head is just below the top of the bimini and she can easily step up onto the aft seat from the swim ladder.

No additional step required!
So this weekend I can concentrate on installing the new Garmin gWind Transducer, Instrument and NMEA 2000 network. (new thread)

Paul

[KWKloeber]

Over the weekend, in preparation for making and installing an extra step between the top of the swim ladder and the top of the transom, I had cut out the horizontal tube that connects the port and stbd pushpit rails. I also used white JBWeld to form a nice smooth end of the now open tubes.

Paul  how *rock solid* is the remaining halves?  I'm thinking of the same mod on my 30.  To retain strength underway, I was planning to turn the tube into a hinged gate using bimini fittings, with the *other* end held with a quick-release clevis pin.

Ken

[britinusa]

Our pushpit rails feel just fine as I (6' 180lb) climb up into the boat grabbing the rails.

Peggy (Admiral) noted that there is nothing to lean back on while sat at the helm except the swim ladder that is not 'fixed' in the up position so it gives a bit.

I was thinking of a cushion clipped to the uppermost step of the raised swim ladder

and adding a swim ladder latch similar to that on the C250


That would have the advantage of being able to lower the swim ladder if in the water.





Paul

[britinusa]

Ken, BTW, when I cut the tube out, I cut it pretty close to the welds in the vertical tubes. ie. I could not have cut out a longer piece of tube!

I'll take pics of the 'caps', they really work out well, no rough edges to rip bare legs climbing into the boat.

The cut out tube could easily have a bimini fitting at one end to attach to a hinge, and the other end could be cut to be close to the other tube and then filled with JB Weld, drilled out and pinned with a quick release pin in a hole drilled through the vertical tube.

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:)

Paul

Paul

[KWKloeber]

Ken, BTW, when I cut the tube out, I cut it pretty close to the welds in the vertical tubes. ie. I could not have cut out a longer piece of tube!

I'll take pics of the 'caps', they really work out well, no rough edges to rip bare legs climbing into the boat.

The cut out tube could easily have a bimini fitting at one end to attach to a hinge, and the other end could be cut to be close to the other tube and then filled with JB Weld, drilled out and pinned with a quick release pin in a hole drilled through the vertical tube.

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:)

Paul

Paul

Yes I planned to fabricate a latch.  I was thinking an outside female fork on a remaining (1"?) stub of the tubing, inside male on the tube (to make the hinge end), and basically the same set up on the other end for the clevis pin.  There's both inside and outside male fittings, but the inside ones are difficult to find.

If I cut it out completely, I'd grind it down and polish out the cut/weld.   I polished all the tubing and welds on my *back porch* that my stainless fabricator buddy and I made one afternoon.  Well my important contribution was actually to secure, open and hand him the beers, while he measured and cut up my old rail, and bent and welded up the new one rail, and then I polished it all out (back on the boat.)  He's truly amazing - he laid the alterations out in his head as he went - never a paper/pencil.

I att'd pix, and also of my added step/*swim platform*, which may be similar to what (I think you) had in mind?


Ken

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[britinusa]

I think the transom on the 34 may be a little taller. The distance from the top step of the swim ladder to the top of the transom appears slightly longer than in your pics.

There was basically no way that Peggy could step over the joining tube and down to the top of the swim ladder, hence the thought of adding an extra step.
But once the tube was removed it became a non-issue.

I'll take pics on Saturday, that's when we're going to do the new instrument work which includes a new layout of the instruments at the helm.

Paul

[KWKloeber]

Paul,

Could be.  I don't know what that distance is.  But I barely could climb over, and it wasn't pretty and actually dangerous.   Understand that my current *top step* was just air before I added that platform. 

Notice also that I added longer stand-offs because the bottom ladder steps actually sat underneath the transom, and getting aboard with a ladder is hard enough, no less with a negative angle ladder.   The positive angle makes it so much nicer.

Is yours straight?

[britinusa]

The bottom step of the swim ladder is below the waterline by a few inches.

That's a huge problem for getting back in the boat (I'm pretty flexible 66yrold, but it's a challenge to get a foot up to that bottom rung if in the water.

So, I'm installing a telescoping 4 step ladder on to the existing swim ladder.

May get that done this weekend too.

Paul

[Gary Brockman]

I bought a swim ladder extension two years ago that attaches to the bottom of our swim ladder that adds two steps below our swim ladder making it very easy to get out of the water. Here is the website. Notice that the example used is a Catalina.

http://www.clrmarine.com/Extend_Your_Step.html

Gary

[Stu Jackson]

Gary & Paul,

I have one of those, only a single step, works great.  No messin' with the transom required.