As you may know I am in the process of rebuilding the wood casting deck on my boat. I am leaving on a trip tomorrow. I was considering buying a nice boat cover instead of sealing the wood. I bought thompsons water seal, but heard it is garbage. Also, i still need to seal my transom regardless. What is the best way to seal a transom in 24 hours? Thanks

You didn't use treated wood?

1 hour ago, 12poundbass said:

You didn't use treated wood?

 

No

I'm no expert, but I would've/would use treated material. It's made to get wet, and it'll last quite a while if taken care of. If you use some type of sealer you have to reapply every so often. 

2 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

I'm no expert, but I would've/would use treated material. It's made to get wet, and it'll last quite a while if taken care of. If you use some type of sealer you have to reapply every so often. 

 

Pressure treated wood will corrode aluminum. I'm not sure if it "wood" corrode aluminum through bed liner

Pressure treated wood will indeed eat the aluminum.  My friend and fellow BR member Kris documented his whole boat restoration which included fixing a ton of tiny pin holes in a 16 foot aluminum boat he turned into a great all electric reservoir rig.

 

Take your wood decking and paint it well with several coats of a decent paint.  I did that with the deck I rebuilt on the first boat I owned. My friend Kris actually used that composite wood or as he says "plastic wood" for all of the framing pieces.  It will last for a good time.

If you send me an email I will give you the location to read his whole article. Unfortunately the pictures have been removed due to the changes at photobucket. They require us to pay for third party hosting so all of the old photos are no longer available unless you pay their new ransom.

My email is fishnkamp@comcast.net

Marine grade plywood will not corrode aluminum. Wolmanized lumber maybe. I had a Tracker that was over 30 years old when I got rid of it and no problems and still the same marine plywood. 

 

There's a thread arguing this. I'm won't go down that road, just giving you my experience.

What you need to use in a boat for plywood is form plywood or marine plywood. Any lumber yard should have the form plywood. I used the form plywood for home made hang on tree stands, it last for ever. On a boat I would put a venal paint on it before I carpeted it.  

A good A/B or A/C 5 or 7 ply, plywood with exterior glue will work.  Seven ply is much better if you can find it.  The only difference between that and marine plywood is the marine plywood does not have voids in the inner layers that can hold water.  The stuff sign shops use is great also but you are probably looking at well over $100 a sheet for that.

You probably will not find the plywood you need at Home Depot.

 

Do not use pressure treated plywood, it's cheap junk and the chemicals will keep anything from staying on it.

As for sealing it, I use the same epoxy resin I use in my fiberglass.  That's the best stuff I've come across for sealing it.  Please note, you want exterior glue, not exterior plywood.  Exterior plywood is going to a wood like Red wood, cedar or other types of wood that don't rot.

+1 for the Marine plywood NOT pressure treated plywood.

Spar varnish

When I replaced the wood and carpet in my tracker I used epoxy resin from west marine.  They recommended it as the best means to seal and protect the wood.

i bought a boat cover nd will be using that instead of sealing it

The decking and transom is still going to be subject to moisture during normal use, and especially if stored outside, even with a cover.  I would paint it at a minimum.

 

I fiber glassed my transom (I'm re doing an aluminum also), and will most likely paint my decking.  My transom has to last as long as possible.  The decking is cheaper and easier to replace, but after the cost of the carpet that would need replaced when the unprotected decks rot, it just makes more sense to seal them.

 

Just something to consider.

 

TRF

Unless you mean you are just protecting it while your away, then sealing it up properly later, disregard my post