marine plywood?

M

michael barnes

Active member
i need to replace the transom of my aluminum boat, need a total thickness of 1.5", and im not sure what i need. is okoume the "only" marines ply, or are there other cheaper options? what would be your estimate for shipping a 4x8x.75" sheet? can regular lumber yards order this, or is it a specialty thing? thanks, mike.
 
I would think that the marine building supply stores on the eastern shore would have it in stock or be able to get it pretty darn quick. Heck, you can probably find a boat yard with scraps that big.
 
Michael,
I would check with some of the boat yards in your area. There has to be someone close on that Eastern Seaboard. Might also check for a wholesale lumber yard. I get all our Marine Fir Ply (1/2" & 3/4") from a place here called Plywood Detroit. They are wholesale only but as a boat builder, I can buy there. There must be a place near you for that.
If you can't find anything, you could always run with a good exterior ply and just be sure to seal it and paint it. Many of the boat manufacturers (especially in a jon boat transom), never use marine ply. They use regular ply and it's high enough off the bottom of the boat that it's not an issue.............for a while anyhow.
This is a 14' jon boat (belonged to a buddy & I have the match to it)(from when we were field testing for Starcraft) and the transom rotted away. I removed it, glued two thickness of 3/4" together (waterproof adhesive or epoxy) and reinstalled new (embedded in 3M 5200) along with the blind holders and the butt end for the punt oar.
Holler with questions.
Lou

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thanks for the info, and thanks for always posting pics to show what your talking about, i really appreciate it. there are plenty of marinas and boatyards around, heck i even worked in one for 2 summers, about 1/4 mile down the road from me. the guy is real nice, but even as a friend, he charges top dollar, so i was wondering if an online source would be cheaper. thanks, mike.
i checked the starboard stuff, and to get the .5x48x72", enough for the 1.5x60 i need for the transom, is 240.00 without shipping, just to much for me right now.
 
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i need to replace the transom of my aluminum boat, need a total thickness of 1.5", and im not sure what i need. is okoume the "only" marines ply, or are there other cheaper options? what would be your estimate for shipping a 4x8x.75" sheet? can regular lumber yards order this, or is it a specialty thing? thanks, mike.
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For a transom build up like that I would use regular exterior plywood. Marine doug fir if you can find it for the right price would be great. There is also that stuff called MDO that would probably work too. No reason to go fancy for this use, the transon doesn't even touch the water. Seal it up well and put it on - it will last for years.
 
cheapest would be best, tod, so i like that idea. is there a difference between pressure treated and exterior wood? if not, is a couple coats of sealer and paint enough to protect it from the chemical reaction?
 
cheapest would be best, tod, so i like that idea. is there a difference between pressure treated and exterior wood? if not, is a couple coats of sealer and paint enough to protect it from the chemical reaction?
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Exterior plywood will be signified by an "X" on the name, for example "ACX" or "CDX", it uses the same glues as marine plywood, but the wood won't be as nice and will have more plugs and voids than marine plywood. It won't last as long, but plywood transoms generally last a long time. Pressure treated wood is treated with a mix of metal salts to slow rot. Pressure treated wood is usually wet when you buy it (and really shitty stuff in general), so you wouldn't want to seal in that moisture - it isn't meant to be sealed or be in contact with reactive metals, since it is corrosive. don't use pressure treated. Make your transom and paint it with several coats of marine paint, like Lou's FME or Parkers and put it on. Should eb fast and easy. Hopefully the old transom was in good enough shape to use as a template, that saves a lot fo work.

The same plywood that you use for the transom could work for seats too. Think about what pieces you need so you don't screw yourself by cutting the transom out and ruining the boards seat potential.
 
Todd is right, treated uses metal salts. metals that when they leach out of the wood can cause corrosion issues, again. Stay away from the stuff. as both Todd and I said earlier, put som angle or channel over the top to protect the plywood, etc.
 
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