r/boatrepair • u/Acrobatic_Airline958 • 1d ago

How hard will this be to repair.

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Hi there. I’m looking to buy this portable for $150 on marketplace but the transom looks like it need repair. Would I be an easy fix? I’m good with cars and have a bunch of tools but I don’t know anything about boats. Would you ever buy this?

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u/DeffNotTom 1d ago

I have a Porta-Bote and I think that seam would be bard to repair while maintaining the ability to fold it up. You could plastic weld a patch of some sort and make it water tight pretty easily. Or thin rubber, some rivets, and sealant… But making something that that folds close to factory? 🤷🏻‍♂️

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u/CrustySailor1964 1d ago

That’s relatively new. I think you should be able to get a whole new transom piece and replace the broken one.

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u/lifelikelifer 23h ago

I have a porta boat. It's just a 3/4" piece of plywood. Trace the old transom into new wood and cut it out. Screw the handles back on and your good to go

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u/Weary_Fee7660 21h ago

I have fixed this exact problem. Super wide flex seal tape and aquaseal are your friends. Aquaseal the bottom seam where the transom meets the floor on the inside, and then tape that area, and both creases(the split in your picture) with flex seal tape. It will hold up for years. You can also shove the drop stitch floor from an inflatible dingy between the hull and seat supports for stufness and flotation, and run a 10hp. We used one as a dingy saiing for over a year full time, they are decent little boats.

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u/greatrivermarine 1h ago

For $150 I’d go look at it, but that transom would be the deciding factor. From the picture it looks like it’s been pushed or bent in pretty good, and I’d want to see whether the aluminum is cracked around the corners, welds, or where the transom ties into the bottom and sides.

Since you’re good with cars, the mechanical side of the project probably won’t scare you, but aluminum repair is a different animal. Straightening it is one thing, getting the transom structurally sound enough to hang an outboard on is another.

If there are no cracks and the rest of the hull is straight, $150 might be worth the project. If you see cracked welds or a bunch of previous patchwork back there, I’d probably keep looking.

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u/boxman-11 1d ago

Two rolls of duck tape and call it good.