Leaking through Hull?

[Triple]

Father in law's boat is taking on water in central hull (bottom middle bung dropping 20L or so after half day out - Yalta 189 half cab) He has new bungs installed and insert resealed. Doesn't seem to be leaking around any of the trim tab holes or transducer etc but will be redoing it anyway, I have suggested it may be taking on water into the hull through these spots :o -
Front of keel
http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/892/img0083u.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/815/img0083u.jpg/)

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Bottom of transom
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/6634/img0085kd.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/img0085kd.jpg/)

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http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/6762/img0087ty.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/img0087ty.jpg/)

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Would a fair bit of water make it thru the glass and resin into the hull?
Could this just be flowcoated over?
Any ideas on price to repair?
Cheers.

[FishHunter]

That looks very nasty. Fill that same compartment with water and see where it comes out

[Triple]

Thats the next step.. Just wanted to ask the knowledge base on here first.
Is it better to use compressed air instead of water so the hull is not overweight on the trailer? (put a tire valve on a bung and rub carwash all over the spots to see where it bubbles?)
If we use water, do we use a coloured dye to make it easier to spot? what dye?

[chris69]

Id pour some metho down to see were its comeing and it should take the moisture with it,i can see in the pic a white patch of glass so that might be your spot,time for some epoxy and some Eglass 450double bias and some dynel for ware resitance on that keel.

[bigjimg]

I will bet you that is exactly where it is coming through,no question.That is disgraceful.Jim

[Qlder1]

Wow with that sort of damage what does the leg look like?? Looks like he towed it a few miles to the boat ramp without the trailer ;D;D;D

[cormorant]

You can never tell with a leak until you find it.

Dumb question first - is it salt water. Seen a mate chase a leak for ages only to finally realise it was fresh water that when jumping on the plane would drain out of front part of the hull as it was coming in the anchor well with rain.

Most hulls are never airtight so compressed air won't work. You could use low pressure air high volume and run around plugging all places it excapes and get 2psi but I don't like your chances.

No need for a dye to start with as you will see the damp spot.

Park it on concrete , pull anything out of the bilge compartments. Have a good look in there as with it sunny outside you can often see cracks and where there may be holes depending on how thick the lay up is.

Chock the wheels . I drop the towball to the ground and put in a small amount of water - under 50-100l and see if you find your leak. Jack up and put on the the jockey wheel and see if you leak is at the back - may be more than one. Careful as depending on the balance of the trailer it may try and tip up.

If no sucess you could try a little more water .

Lots of places boats can leak.

Some leaks only leak in and don't really leak out so no guarantees.

No real way to dry it out either apart from sun and air.

As for the exposed fibre - fair chance that is your leak. If you can get to the inside at that spot shine a spotlight from the inside out at ninght and you will see just how thin it is and probably where your leak is.

The exposed fibre needs to be ground back clean and layed up again and then flow coated. If it if doing to be run up banks or whatever think of putting a keel guard or mask it up and add a few extra layers of flowcoat or epoxy. Get it done right first time.

Very hard from photos to see just how bad the scar is and teh scale of it.

[Fed]

Best way I've found to find leaks is to tilt the boat up, get the inside of the hull completely bone dry at the back then go & put it in the water.
Then get a very good torch and crawl around under the splashwell looking at the inside of the transom and the floor to find where it's coming from.

[finga]

Here's a good thread about finding leaks in boat hulls.
I near peed myself laughing reading it again :)
http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?107155-Where-s-the-water-coming-from&highlight=leaking+hull

Oh. At the end is a gismo I made up for testing for leaks.
Worked really well too.

It's hard to believe it was near 5 years ago when we did that.
Some characters were about then. Even Kerry made an appearance in that thread

[Tangles]

I admit seeing those pics, a small chip in the new boat pales into the 'ah well' category... hope you find the leak, but what did your father in law do to get down to the fibreglass like that?

mike

[Triple]

Well, He states the rear one is from launching it onto rocks at a ramp that was being repaired but not yet finished :-X. The keel looks to be from years of beaching it on gravel but he is adamant that he doesn't do that ::)

[Tangles]

Triple,

father inlaws are never wrong and of course he doesnt beach it on gravel, i think you know that from your posts;D ...so where does he launch from? he's not beaching on ramps :D

[Qlder1]

Maybe he's using this method of towing to the ramp...:D:D

http://www.toughboats.com/video.cfm?fullscreen=1&filename=Toughboats_BubbaCRevLegal

[Triple]

And it is salt water..

[Roughasguts]

Is there a trailer for that boat....Or does it get dragged everywhere.;D;D

Bit of a mess:o

Cheers.

[johncar]

Is there a trailer for that boat....Or does it get dragged everywhere.;D;D

Bit of a mess:o

Cheers.

I thought you were Roughasguts!! I would be expecting leaks if I keep grinding through the hull like that..sort of makes me laugh when i think of myself repairing a little chip in the gel coat in the same area some time back, lol
(not on the 2100wa Qlder1 ;))

[Hagar]

Hi Triple

I have the same hull as you can see in my avatar . This one has had a full transom replacement . I have done transoms and floors on past boats also so have a degree of fibreglass experience . I reckon the front keel and the transom scrapes are ugly and need repairing but probably not allowing that quantity of water to leak in .

My suggestions would be :

Find out is the water fresh or salt . Boats stored outside can leak fresh water into the underfloor cavity .

If it's salt look closely for any cracks on the bottom hull and around the keel damage . 189's generally are not prone to this .

Get inside under the motor well with a strong torch ( it's a squeeze ) and look for holes or cracks in the floor drain well . Water can leak into the underfloor cavity from here. The steering cable exit into the motor well needs to have a good grommet on these boats or water can slosh into the rear floor area and if any cracks or holes will drain into the underfloor cavity .

If nothing found inside then as others have said go with the adding water into the cavity with it on the trailer and look for leaks . If you must add water to the hull use salt water in preference to fresh .

If those drain bung fittings in the pics are still fitted I would replace them . Seats look corroded and may not be sealing . Surprising how much water can leak thru these .

Good luck

Chris