TRANSOM SHELF

[buster]

I don't know what it is called, but my airgator had a lip or shelf thingy that stuck out the rear from the top of the transom. It worked good at keeping water from coming in over the transom
when it slowed down. The Aircat 084, and flatheads Tomcat could benefit from such a feature.

I doubt we are the only ones that have had a problem with this.

I was wondering if anyone had ever considered adding one to their boats. If so, I'd like to hear anything you would care to share about it.

When my boat slows, or turns, I get so much water over the back that the weight of the water makes it impossible to plane out again so I have to go back to shore and pump it dry before trying another run.

Dave

[chuckitt]

Hey buster, a lot of airboats are built with this lip on the top off the transom. I have found that all the water from a wake that lands on top of the lip goes into the boat. We cut most of this lip off if the boat has a wake problem. The problem is too much weight at the rear of the boat and the transom is not tall enough. Most new hulls have a taller transom and a wider bottom so the boat don't set so deep in the water. That is why it is so important to keep everything as light as possible. A rounded transom at the bottom will also cause the boat to set down more in the back when slowing. I would try moving your rigg forward in the hull a couple of inches and see if that helps.
Thanks, Chuck

[buster]

Chuck,

I'm going to try sliding this all down
a ways so the advertising doesn't cut
off the RH side of my post.


















Actually, I already did move the rigging etc. forward a bit over two inches. I haven't tried it out yet because the water got too cold. I'll do a test run first thing in the spring, but I was thinking of putting some sort of "lip" on this winter yet while I've got the time.

If you notice the pic's, my hull has a kind of reversed lip built in to it. I can't figure what they were thinking, it seems to attract the water.

Also, I don't think you would call my hull "rounded",(see picture) so I don't think that is a problem, just to low of a transom, I guess.

Before I moved the rigging forward, it would draw about 6", now it only draws about 3". I hope this is enough to make the difference.

Thanks, Dave

[Duane Scarborough]

Dave,

I think that I understand what you mean. The Mini-Pro 116 hull has a lip like that.

I don't have great photos of it, but I think you can see enough of it here:







I've always thought that this lip was there to help keep a following wave / wake from getting into the boat, sorta' like you've descibed. Of course I may be wrong. It sure wouldn't be the first time.

Duane

Edit:

Here's a more extreme example, from SA.



Don't ask me about the aluminum foil.... I don't know why either.

[yamahaulerG1]

they do work some but like chuck said any water that lands on it will be in your boat,if its not long enough.i think that a self draining splash pan inside the transom is much better at keeping the water out. here is some pics of my hulls i dont have any closer ones but you can see the lip on the backs.they dont hold much water back but when i throtle up the trasom goes down and without it the water would come in.I have talked to my fiberglass repair man about puting a splash pan in the back but i prob wont do it

[chuckitt]

buster, if your boat only sets 3 inches in the water now, it is going to work a lot better. The way the top of your transom ramps up toward the front of the boat may help water slide up the ramp and into the boat. I would probably put a vertical pcs across it with a 2 inch lip toward the back. That change and the weight moved forward like you've done may take care of most of the water in the boat problem.
Duane, The small lip on your transom is just to give the transom more strength, not to keep water out. If built right, the boat want set to deep in the water and no water will come in.
Yamahauler, the wide lip on your hulls is too wide. All the wake that lands on top of the lip will go in the boat. If it is cut down to about 2.5 inches, most of the wake will miss the lip. There are many boats in Florida that are 12 ft long and have a 500 lb motor on them. They all take on water when slowing down unless you ease back into the throttle just enough to stay in front of the wake. A 500 lb motor on a 14 ft boat that is set up right will never take on water when stopping.
Thanks, Chuck

[yamahaulerG1]

i completly agree with you on that one i have already sank the red boat from pulling up to the bank and water came over the back i caught a few fish in the boat that day but i need to find a better way to fish without a pole

[buster]

Chuck,

I've been thinking I should make a similar mod. on that transom ever since I got the boat. Now that I have a 2nd opinion, it will be done before spring. I just hope I can come up with something that looks half-way decent, and doesn't weigh much.

Thanks, Dave

[Papee]

Just a thought but you could also raise the back at the transom. Lay a piece in across the back to make the transom higher then drill a hole in it to allow the water that splashes over it onto the tray to drain back out. Many outboard trays are made like this.

[buster]

Papee,

I will probably come up with something like that, but this thing is shaped so weird, that it may get a bit more complicated in order to get it to look right. I will definitely consider drainage when I do it.

Thanks, Dave

[Duane Scarborough]

Duane, The small lip on your transom is just to give the transom more strength, not to keep water out. If built right, the boat want set to deep in the water and no water will come in.
Thanks, Chuck

Yeah, I understand that it's primary purpose is to make the transom stronger.

But I also thought that it also had a second purpose in helping keep water from coming over the transom.

I guess that the height of the transom takes care of that.

Thanks for that insight !

O.K., I was wrong AGAIN.

Duane