Home › Forum › Ask A Member › How to protect transom plywood? › Re: How to protect transom plywood?
My 2 cents: When installing any wood in a boat use a marine grade. There are all types of "marine" plywood. Marine fir is probably the most common but it isn’t what it used to be! So I treat all plywood with Smith’s Clear Penetrating Epoxy nicknamed CPES. It soaks into the wood deep. Thoroughly saturate the outside edges of the plywood, let it cure and then use your finish. I prefer Sapele but at about $100/sheet it scares people.
If you encapsulate your transom you are asking for trouble. Water can enter from the slightest crack/hole and can’t get out. At that point rot begins and goes wild. My personal preference is to treat with CPES then varnish. I don’t use polyurethanes when cosmetic appearance is important because they are more difficult to deal with later on.