wet transom?

[berth control]

I decided to re-bed some of the screws in my transom last night, they looked a little suspicious (one wasn't stainless and the others had clear silicone caulk around them). I pulled them out and it looked like moisture has been getting in there. They didn't drain water or anything, but I drilled them out a bit to put in bigger screws and the wood shavings were dark and a damp. How big of a deal is this, and is there anything I can do?? I assume no water running out of the holes is a good thing, but the shavings that came out have me concerned.:smt089

 

[sbw1]

It's a problem that needs to be fixed eventually. Left unchecked wet transoms will flex as you power up the outdrives which creates mechainical problems. My neighbor just had his boat repaired and it was pretty interesting how it was done. The outdrive and engine was removed and the transom was routed out in the rotted areas. New wood was glassed in and the engine and outdrive reinstalled. The repair was invisible from the outside because only the inside was worked on. You need to find out the extent of the moisture.