Living For Sailvideo

Will This Transom Repair LAST? - Antidote's New Core Install

May 3, 2026 · 30 min · 11K views

What this video covers

A Liberty 458 owner repairs a rotten transom by replacing the original plywood core with Kusa Blue Water 26 panels.0:29 After removing the rotted wood, the owner grinds the inner fiberglass skin to bare glass using a 7-inch polisher and a Makita 9031 belt sander.2:36 Moisture meter readings reveal residual dampness in the upper transom, forcing a delay in the final fiberglass layup to allow for further drying.19:53 To install the new core, the owner cuts the Kusa panels into smaller, manageable "pucks" rather than attempting a vacuum-bagged installation.24:30 These panels are bonded to the transom using TotalBoat Thixo Pro, a pre-thickened epoxy dispensed via a caulking gun, which allows for precise application and prevents large batches of epoxy from overheating.26:45 The owner uses a bench-top sander to refine the fit of the individual pucks before bonding them in place.26:56

Watch on YouTube

Boats in this video

Liberty 458Their boat

More from Living For Sail

This Was Inside The Boat!? — Should I Put It Back?Sep 2026BACK to Work on ANTIDOTE! - How I Used 3D Printing to Fix My BoatAug 2026⛵️ I Tried Boiling Water Out of My Boat... It Actually Worked - sort of?!Jul 2026⛵️ This DIY Sailboat Repair Has To Work... Right?Jun 2026

From Living For Sail — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.

Report an issue