⛵️ I Found SERIOUS Rot in My Sailboat’s Transom - DIY Restoration

After cutting into the transom of my sailboat, I discovered extensive rot hiding deep inside the core. In this episode of my DIY sailboat restoration, I cut open the hull of my 1989 Liberty 458 to expose a completely wet transom core, hidden water damage, and failing marine plywood. What started as a simple project boat refit has turned into a full transom rebuild. 0:00 - Along the Way We . . . 1:38 - Remove Original Teak Interior Battens 5:53 - Free Plywood Bonded Around the Windows and Transom 13:10 - Remove Sailboat Floor Beams and Supports 16:58 - Repair Damaged Teak Trim with Epoxy 18:08 - Cut Fiberglass for a Proper 12:1 Scarf Joint 20:04 - Testing the Tigers Teeth Freedom Pro Blade Sharpening System 24:25 - Expose and Remove the Wet, Failing Plywood Core I’m not a professional boat builder — just an engineer and sailor restoring this old sailboat in my driveway with the goal of sailing around the world someday. If you enjoy real-world DIY boat restoration, fiberglass repair, structural rebuilds, and honest project boat content — you’re in the right place. 👍 Hit like if you’re rooting for Antidote 💬 Drop your tips for removing stubborn core 🔔 Subscribe to follow the full transom rebuild Shoutout to Tiger’s Teeth for sending over the Freedom Pro sharpening system! 🛠️ Being able to resharpen my oscillating blades and saw blades right in the shop is a game changer on a project like this — especially when cutting fiberglass all day. Check them out (and see the sharpeners I’m testing) here: 👉 https://tigersteethblades.com/collections/sharpeners Saving blades = saving money = more boat parts 😅⛵️ Let me know in the comments — do you sharpen your blades or replace them? Episode 66 – – – _For behind the scenes updates and other interesting tid-bits, check out the Patreon group. All new memberships will receive a pack of Living For Sail stickers along with a hand-written thank you from yours truly. All funds from Patreon go towards the production of these videos. Thank you to our loyal Patreon members!_ *http://patreon.com/LivingforSail* If you would like to support this project with a one time donation, I would be very grateful and you can do that easily with Paypal: _*https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/livingforsail_* *Sponsors of the channel that help me to do my very BEST work* _*https://www.akzonobel.com/_* *AkzoNobel* has been a leader in providing coatings to color and protect just about everything on this planet for over 200 years. Premium yacht coatings have been their specialty for over 140 years and we will be using an array of their top-shelf coating products on Antidote from the bottoms of the bilges, to the top-sides of the hull, the brightwork, and everything in between. The brands that we will be using include: _https://www.awlgrip.com/_ _https://www.interlux.com/_ _https://www.seahawkpaints.com/_ *SAVE 10% at Bolt Depot With this Link! - _http://boltdepot.com/lfs10_* *Bolt Depot* supplies the Antidote restoration project with all of the _*CORRECT_*grade 316 stainless steel fasteners that you _*CANNOT_* get at most local hardware stores. They are the family hardware store that has become the best online resource for everyday, and hard to find fasteners, shipped right to your door. _*https://www.pyiinc.com/_* *PYI Inc.* has been helping boaters get connected with innovative marine products since 1981. They produce the PSS dripless shaft seal in their on-site machine shop, and operate the only world-wide facility for the refurbishment of the MAX-Prop feathering propeller (They are the distributor for New Max-Props to North and South America and Asia). PYI did an incredible job restoring Antidote’s 35 year old 3-blade Classic to “better than new” condition. Catch the action here: _https://youtu.be/SxjWJyJLPxU_ _*Helpful Products in this Video:_ *Tools:* Marine De-Bond: _https://amzn.to/46ra0u7_ Cheap, yet effective, Oscillating Blades: _https://amzn.to/49RZs8z_ Moisture Meter (Skipper 5): _https://amzn.to/4pbqbCP_ *PPE:* You’re Going to Need a LOT of Gloves! I like these a lot: _https://amzn.to/4g3Eqpw_ 3M Half Mask Respirator: _https://amzn.to/4mg7IDz_ P100 Cartridges for Dust: _https://amzn.to/3SedqbV_ P100 Cartridges for Organic Vapors: _https://amzn.to/3Oeoyo3_ _*Recommended Playlists:_* Watch our journey from the very beginning! _https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtx2ax0GHEtCLfDXEnG7jgVKQyJm_p6LT_ _*Connect with me:_* Email: _livingforsail (at) gmail.com_ _*Affiliate Disclaimer:_* _I’ve provided some affiliate links in this video description that allow you to find some of the items mentioned in this video. If you decide to use the links, it supports the channel a bit at no extra cost to you. You, the viewer, are in no way obligated to use these links. Thank you for your support!_ YouTube Video URL: _https://youtu.be/YgKMXN2FlTw_ Video hashtags: #boatwork #Sailboatrefit #SailboatRestoration #DIYBoatRepair #TransomRepair #ProjectBoat