83 Trojan F-32
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I have been in 3-5 foot quartering seas in my boat and can imagine the stresses on the hull. I cannot imagine sawing away the middle of the transom. It would take a tremendous amount of bracing to wake up for the intact "DESIGN" of the hull. I do not think it would ever come close to the strength of the existing structure.
MY CURRENT FLEET
2003 KEY WEST 2020 WA
1978 14' ASHCRAFT SKIFF

2003 KEY WEST 2020 WA
1978 14' ASHCRAFT SKIFF

- prowlersfish
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- prowlersfish
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- Posts: 12728
- Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:56 pm
- Location: Lower Chesapeake Bay ,Va
It can be done and of course there needs to be reinforcement done to the transom . you just done cut it out . but like I said the hardest part is the first cut because after that you are committed , unless you find it easy taking a saw to your boat .
Boating is good for the soul
77/78 TROJAN F36 Conv.
6BTA Cummins diesels
Life is to short for a ugly boat
77/78 TROJAN F36 Conv.
6BTA Cummins diesels
Life is to short for a ugly boat

I dont see any problem with this , double up door jamb each side tied into the transom would offer more than enough support, I have seen boats i believe markley is one where the whole transom is cut out with a fold down door so i see little problem hereprowlersfish wrote:It can be done and of course there needs to be reinforcement done to the transom . you just done cut it out . but like I said the hardest part is the first cut because after that you are committed , unless you find it easy taking a saw to your boat .
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- ready123
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Let's think about this... if the top outside edges of the transom are spreading or flexing in due to water pressure on the hull sides how does this idea of yours work?9rock wrote:I dont see any problem with this , double up door jamb each side tied into the transom would offer more than enough support, I have seen boats i believe markley is one where the whole transom is cut out with a fold down door so i see little problem here 9
All you are doing is creating a thicker free standing edge... why can't those two door jams spread apart towards the outsides of the hull? What happens when wave pressure hits the lower transom and tries to push the boat forward... will the split transom top allow it to fold in towards the bow. As this repeats time after time is there a chance of failure?
Now if you said the top rail of the door had a substantial positive lock to the fixed side of the transom I would be less concerned about spread.
I'm not saying it can't be done... all I am saying is it needs to be done properly.
I consider your idea to be little improvement over doing nothing.
What would make me happy is if the top Transom rail opened and closed with a positive lock to fixed side of transom rails... the door below would need little reinforcement.
Michael
Rum is the reason Pirate's have never ruled the world
Done Dreamin'
1987 President 43' Twin Lehman 225SP Turbo
Highfield 310 Ally 15 HP Yamaha 2cycle
1978 F32 Sedan twin 318 Chry SOLD
Safe Cove Marina, Port Charlotte, FL
Rum is the reason Pirate's have never ruled the world
Done Dreamin'
1987 President 43' Twin Lehman 225SP Turbo
Highfield 310 Ally 15 HP Yamaha 2cycle
1978 F32 Sedan twin 318 Chry SOLD
Safe Cove Marina, Port Charlotte, FL
Forget the door you could not even have to have a door or a back for that matter cut it off at the deck height and go fishing if you don't mind you feet getting wet, the deck and stringers offer all the support neededready123 wrote:Let's think about this... if the top outside edges of the transom are spreading or flexing in due to water pressure on the hull sides how does this idea of yours work?9rock wrote:I dont see any problem with this , double up door jamb each side tied into the transom would offer more than enough support, I have seen boats i believe markley is one where the whole transom is cut out with a fold down door so i see little problem here 9
All you are doing is creating a thicker free standing edge... why can't those two door jams spread apart towards the outsides of the hull? What happens when wave pressure hits the lower transom and tries to push the boat forward... will the split transom top allow it to fold in towards the bow. As this repeats time after time is there a chance of failure?
Now if you said the top rail of the door had a substantial positive lock to the fixed side of the transom I would be less concerned about spread.
I'm not saying it can't be done... all I am saying is it needs to be done properly.
I consider your idea to be little improvement over doing nothing.
What would make me happy is if the top Transom rail opened and closed with a positive lock to fixed side of transom rails... the door below would need little reinforcement.
a doubled up 2x4 extended down to the bottom and glassed in would be more than enough strength to hold the corner the hardest part for me would be the fiberglass work since I have minimal experience in that
but the rest would be a breeze
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- ready123
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Now that I think about it you are right... just cut it out and go fishing 

Michael
Rum is the reason Pirate's have never ruled the world
Done Dreamin'
1987 President 43' Twin Lehman 225SP Turbo
Highfield 310 Ally 15 HP Yamaha 2cycle
1978 F32 Sedan twin 318 Chry SOLD
Safe Cove Marina, Port Charlotte, FL
Rum is the reason Pirate's have never ruled the world
Done Dreamin'
1987 President 43' Twin Lehman 225SP Turbo
Highfield 310 Ally 15 HP Yamaha 2cycle
1978 F32 Sedan twin 318 Chry SOLD
Safe Cove Marina, Port Charlotte, FL
- prowlersfish
- 2025 Gold Support
- Posts: 12728
- Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:56 pm
- Location: Lower Chesapeake Bay ,Va
I don't think they just cut it out , when they built that boat they designed it and built it that way , I don't think you need to be a engineer to design and do a transom door but you need a under standing of what forces will be at work . I would like to do mine But I can tell you I will send 10 % of the time doing the door and the rest reworking the transom support9rock wrote:ya about like this boatready123 wrote:Now that I think about it you are right... just cut it out and go fishing
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Boating is good for the soul
77/78 TROJAN F36 Conv.
6BTA Cummins diesels
Life is to short for a ugly boat
77/78 TROJAN F36 Conv.
6BTA Cummins diesels
Life is to short for a ugly boat

Its not my first rodeo here are some pics of my last project 42' cheapeake deadriseprowlersfish wrote:I don't think they just cut it out , when they built that boat they designed it and built it that way , I don't think you need to be a engineer to design and do a transom door but you need a under standing of what forces will be at work . I would like to do mine But I can tell you I will send 10 % of the time doing the door and the rest reworking the transom support9rock wrote:ya about like this boatready123 wrote:Now that I think about it you are right... just cut it out and go fishing
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the decks wheel house and transom was compleatly rotted out . the trasom was gone in the back , the boat was in the water at the time we had to have a sink deposit just to have it pulled , we paid 750 for the boat
with a running 3208 deisel . nobody ever thought this boat would see the water again , from start to finish me and my friends compleatly rebuit it in three months and been fishing on it for the last three years
I dont think I will have much problam putting a little door in






we put about 5k in it there was 3 of us two of us with carpentry expiereance and the third a mech, there were others that helped usfoofer b wrote:I'd say you are qualified to do a little transom door thingy!!
She looks great. Did you have to put much money into her? I bet with that huge, beamy back deck she is super for fishing.
none of us ever had done a project of this nature but I will say that I spent many many hours invesigating the how to's we just did not free wheel, its a great fishing boat
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