transom knees on 87 starflite

[aaronmt]

ok some more questions for you experts on my 87 starflite i ll be adding the 10 inche setback soon my tansom is very solid as far as i can tell, and i like to keep it that way.since i have all the seets out and will be doing carpet as well can i add more bracing on the transom, how would i tie the knees inton the transom? Id sure like to see what others have done so any pics would be great , thanks Aaron

[Boston Predictor]

here is one way you could beef up the transom...
There are other ways as well. What I am going to do is add two 1/8'' strips of steel to the inside of the transom where the bolts are to distribute the stress from the engine better. I also have a metal plate on the transom. The previous owner told me it was called transom savers.
Show us some pics of your boat!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v694/checkmate414/Kneesbatterybox.jpg

[175checkmate]

The normal restriction that is faced when installing knees is the fuel tank. You still need to have room for it. So the knees have to be wide enough to get the tank to fit. What I did on mine, along with making the transom twice as thick is this. The knees fit flush to the transom,bottom of the splash well and the floor. You need to exstend as for forward as you can and still install the seat. Since there is no stringer to attach to, I boxed the rear to get more square inch of attachment to the hull. The knees are made out of 3/4 plywood glassed on both sides. I am also planning on running a transom mounting plate the spans the top mounting bolts for the motor. This spreads out the stress on the transom to a larger area. You can get them at Rickracers, bob's machine and a few others. They also come in different colors. They are made out aluminum.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/checkedout/21403knees2.jpg

[play2win]

That 1st pic is from my boat. Originally, the Enchanter knees were smaller - but I made the transom 1/4 thicker b/c I was going to a bigger engine. So, I tried to cover a higher surface area on the transom, and made it a little thicker. The two side pieces I made were for my dual battery set-up. Trust 175 checkmate's advise - he helped me with most of my project and is a great source.

[play2win]

Oh yeah, I pre-measured to make sure I could actually put a bigger tank in. It fit...barely.

[F150GT]

The real weak spot is at the top of your transome in the well, The strain should be better distributed farther to the outter edges instead of all the strain at the center mounting holes. I a'm working on some new supports for my freinds Starflight, when I get them done I'll shoot some pics.
F150GT

[BullittBen]

I see everyone talking about adding knees to most Checkmates. Did any Checkmates come with significant knees from the factory?

My 76 V-Mate II has huge knees that are over an inch thick with the glass on them. I'm starting to realize that they may not be original. I had already noticed that the fuel tank was only 12 - 15 gallons while the factory brochures show 21 gallons. I guess that may be a hint.

[BullittBen]

I don't know what I was smoking, but the knees on my boat are not as big as I thought. Here's a picture, but the question still stands....Are these factory? Notice how small the fuel tank is, there is definitely room for a larger one.
http://www.geocities.com/bullittben/knee1.JPG

[jrumon]

BullittBen... YES... they all have some type of knee... but YES, they can be BIGGER! In your photo... the bottom of the knee photo looks kinda scary and weak in the glass matting... You CAN add to the knees for better support and load distribution! I would at least consider ADDING additional resin & glass cloth to the existing stuff... it was not one of the better construction details at the factory (especially if you have bigger power)! Jim.

[BullittBen]

I noticed that they looked a little wimpy around the floor. I will definitely be adding some glass around the joints and maybe over the whole thing. They don't look like they were coated with a heavy layer either. I don't have much power, but I still want it strong.

[jrumon]

GOOD PLAN!!! http://www.checkmate-boats.com/graemlins/thumb.gif