Installed Trim tabs. Noticed some moisture, HELP!

Hello boating family!

This year was amazing! Particularly after I installed some trim tabs on my 21’ Celebrity 208 SE 5.7L Cuddy cabin. I guess it’s worth noting I have Thru Hull exhaust here. Those tabs were well worth it!

She is winterized and put in climate controlled underground storage with damp-rid buckets for the off season now.


I digress, here’s my issue. When I was installing the trim tabs I noticed some of (not all) of the wood shavings on the bottom right side of the transom come out a little moist. No off color. The wood seemed very healthy but when I rubbed the shavings with my fingers I did notice the slightest of dampness. Again, this only occurred on the right side tab.

Its important.. I think.. to know that this rear back side of the boat is where a lot of moisture/water tends to end up while I’m out on the water. When out of the water, the boat has had a lot of rain/moisture make it through my cover and collect in that area too. I think this means it’s time for a new boat cover!

She’s an old vessel.. but I’d like to keep her in good shape as long as possible without breaking the bank. So complete transom replacements are probably out of the question. I’m wondering if I could tear up the carpet and re-seal/waterproof that section of the boat? Or maybe even a partial wood replacement? What do you guys think?

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. Cheers!

When out of the water, the boat has had a lot of rain/moisture make it through my cover and collect in that area too. I think this means it’s time for a new boat cover!

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Ayuh,...... Are you leavin' the plug outa the hull, so it can drain,..??

If not, ya should,....

bondo said:

Ayuh,...... Are you leavin' the plug outa the hull, so it can drain,..??

If not, ya should,....

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I am not. The drain plug takes a socket screw.. from now on I’m definitely going to pull that plug when the boat is out of water. I thought it wouldn’t matter because the water just sits in the bilge!

When I pull the boat out of underground dry storage next season, I plan to re-seal every bit of the hull as well as get a new boat cover.

I was considering having the carpet redone and adding some kind of silicone spray sealant to the deck before the new carpet is laid down.. although this would be expensive and my gut is telling me it’s probably not worth it.. any thoughts?

Chadbud said:

I am not. The drain plug takes a socket screw.. from now on I’m definitely going to pull that plug when the boat is out of water. I thought it wouldn’t matter because the water just sits in the bilge!

When I pull the boat out of underground dry storage next season, I plan to re-seal every bit of the hull as well as get a new boat cover.

I was considering having the carpet redone and adding some kind of silicone spray sealant to the deck before the new carpet is laid down.. although this would be expensive and my gut is telling me it’s probably not worth it.. any thoughts?

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Ayuh,..... That sounds like an Extremely slippery deck,....... I've never seen a sprayable silicone sealant,....

I'd worry more about sealing the bilge,.... Ya want everything but the bilge, to drain into the pumpable bilge,....

On many boats the transom and stringers are built with a material ( wood ? ) that I now refer to as ----" Playdonium "-----Water gets in and the destruction starts.-------Hard to stop it.