The Zodiac Transom problem

[stevesales]

Strange to be back on the YBW forum - I sold my beloved Allied Princess in 2006 and haven't been here since. I'm now a freshwater Zodiac bobbler not a real sailor at all but the old Zodiac started taking on water and it's the usual bond failure between transom and the PVC 'flanges'. I've got the transom out and cleaned everything up (I found an extremely sharp 1" wood chisel removes the old goo perfectly and you can see when it's all gone because the scrapings turn black.)
I'm going to glue it all back together with Araldite 2022 which seems made for the job but the guy I bought the boat from several years ago says to put several stainless steel screws with big washers through the 'flanges' and into the transom as well once the goo's gone off.
Has anyone heard of or done this please?

 

[Salty John]

I don't know about the screws, I suppose it would help but it would look a bit messy.

I'd use 3M's 5200 to glue it. It comes in a tube, remains flexible (does the Araldite?) and has the most tenancious hold of any adhesive I've ever used.
I repaired a big gash in a Zodiac using 5200, the repair was still going strong two years later with no sign of deteriorating.
There's a picture of the repair on www.luvmetender.co.uk.

 

[stevesales]

I don't know about the screws, I suppose it would help but it would look a bit messy.

I'd use 3M's 5200 to glue it. It comes in a tube, remains flexible (does the Araldite?) and has the most tenancious hold of any adhesive I've ever used.
I repaired a big gash in a Zodiac using 5200, the repair was still going strong two years later with no sign of deteriorating.
There's a picture of the repair on www.luvmetender.co.uk.

Thanks for the info.. I've bought the Araldite now-the 5200 data sheet steers away from PVC which is notoriously difficult to glue(as Zodiac found out!).
I think I've used 5200 on the yacht and seem to remember it is one of the longest goos to remain on the fingers afterwards.
The rigid transom is bad design because of the twisting between the tubes and the transom as the boat rides along . I just don't know if screws and washers will cause more problems.
I think if neatly spaced they'd not look too bad.

 

[oldsaltoz]

I just don't know if screws and washers will cause more problems.
I think if neatly spaced they'd not look too bad.

I think I would avoid putting any screws into the transom without first sealing the holes.

 

[stevesales]

Yes indeed, I was going to use a stainless 'penny' washer with a nylon sealing washer between it and the screw head. Do you think they will add strength or act more to concentrate the stress and act as a nucleus for failure?

 

[oldsaltoz]

Unless the fixings were very close to each other I doubt they do much at all, placing close together would not be a pretty sight either.

If the glue is any good and applied properly she should hold.

 

[stevesales]

I think you may be right. While intuitively they clamp the bits together I'm not sure they would do much for the shear strength. I've glued one side with a lot of cursing and swearing (as usual not enough goo to do both sides) and it seems a ferocious product. Maybe leave it at that. Since the transom was only held in by air pressure from the tubes before it can't be worse.