What do i do with water "in" the hull (rain in boat)

[planetzion]

Hi lads,

New to the forum. Just have a question for those that have done some work on Fiberglass boats. I recently bought a 4.5 'Hinton' Cuddie circra late 80's. First boat!! Good little boat 55 Yammy goes well. Being a spray painter by trade Im intending to refit and paint etc. Ill be asking more questions later ....

but here is my prob the boat cover has a leak and its filled the front half of the cabin with about 4 inches of water a few times from rain (now I have a tarp) but the issue is the boat seems to weigh about 20-30kgs heavier at the nose. When I lift the front of the trailer up and put it back down you can hear what sounds like water sloshing from somewhere in the hull. When I have bailed all the water out if I come back the next day its got another inch of water back in it at the nose under the seats etc.....

Any ideas....? Thanks in adavance I hope what i wrote makes sense cheers Aaron

Nice to meet you all....

[ozynorts]

Hey mate, firstly welcome to the forum.
You are going to need to find out where that water is getting in and get it out. If you have fresh water inside the hull there is potential for rot to set in. Does it run out the back if you tilt it up and take the bungs out?
Cheers
Ozy

[planetzion]

hi mate havent tried that yet super new to actually owning a boat.....Ill give that a go. if that doesnt work whats next?

[ozynorts]

If that doesn't work then try to get the water out the way it came in. Lower the jockey wheel down so that the nose is lower and get the water out like that. You really need to get that water out ASAP. Also if you can find out if this is something that has just started happening or is it a problem that has been around for a while.

[FishHunter]

Leave bungs out and raise nose as high as it will go and leave it like that. I whatever gets in should get out. Then try and find where it's getting in and fix it.


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[planetzion]

cheers mate I raised the front of the boat and took the bung plugs out sure enough it poured out for about 5-6 minutes straight....glad i asked, theres no such thing as a stupid question I guess lol, really appreciate the help.

Cant say about the history of the boat but there has been water in it for about 6-8 weeks at least which was the last time I took it out, then it rained that when I noticed the leak and heaviness in the bow. Would that amount of time do permanent damage ?

[planetzion]

Leave bungs out and raise nose as high as it will go and leave it like that. I whatever gets in should get out. Then try and find where it's getting in and fix it.


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cheers mate just did that....ta for the reply

[ozynorts]

Cant say about the history of the boat but there has been water in it for about 6-8 weeks at least which was the last time I took it out, then it rained that when I noticed the leak and heaviness in the bow. Would that amount of time do permanent damage ?
It really depends on what the state of the under floor structure is like. If the hull and stringers etc are intact then it may be ok. If there is any cracks in the glass below decks then who knows. You do say that you are going to do a refit. I would be getting the floor and transom checked when you do it to be sure that they are structurally sound.

[planetzion]

It really depends on what the state of the under floor structure is like. If the hull and stringers etc are intact then it may be ok. If there is any cracks in the glass below decks then who knows. You do say that you are going to do a refit. I would be getting the floor and transom checked when you do it to be sure that they are structurally sound.

will do thanks for the replies

[ozynorts]

enjoy the journey mate.

[ozynorts]

And another thing. After washing the boat down after a trip always make sure the nose is higher than the bum and leave the bungs out.

[deckie]

Hopefully you'll be fine, but assume its a bad situation and must avoid in the future. Always front up high at rest with bungs out.
Being summer its still not so bad being out in a bit of rain which is when you're most likely to find the problem..huddled in the cabin looking and feeling about for where its coming from.
Have a good look at where the floor butts against the bunks ..especially inside the bunks. Get right down to floor level with your eye and look for flaws in the flowcoat/cracks/ little holes etc. Also look around drainage pipe for front anchor well..maybe put some water in it to see if its leaking inside somehow, see if front hatch leaks, check if bunk cushions are wet from drips, bowrail studs might be loose/missing screws/bolt letting drips inside, gunwhale rubber etc. ie. check for the truly obvious like holes in deck too. Feel the side of boat in cabin when its raining if u can to see if its coming down the walls so to speak and just track down likely source. Yes you need to stop the water for a start but also stop it getting subfloor so the structure underneath isnt compromised/rotted. You dont want it subfloor at all.

With a glass rig, in general you can think of freshwater as the enemy of your boat, and saltwater the enemy of your trailer it sits on. Yes its best to wash off the saltwater after a day out but you dont want that freshwater hanging about anywhere or being in contact with or sitting up against any areas with wood core such as subfloor, deck, bulkheads, transom etc. Hence raising front so it drains and elimi nate any standing water issues. You really should try to track down the source.
Steve.
p.s. coz you're new to f/glass boats when u get the chance also double check all bolts/screws into transom are well sealed with a proper marine sealant like 3m or sika. Usual cause of rotten transoms over time. You definitely do not want any chance of water getting into your transom. Dont be afraid to take off transom fittings like burley buckets/transducers and redo/reseal properly, check bungs/screws too, motor well drain fittings must be sealed well aand definitely check transom capping where motor is and seal any screws or seal up any way water can get in....all must be redone/replaced with 316 s/steel screws/bolts and lots of proper marine sealant.

[cormorant]

Now you have learnt to pull the bungs out you must store them in a place where you will forget to take them with you to the ramp. This will enable you to launch the boat, park the trailer and come back to the ramp and start a old tradition called - Bail the bugger out while swearing! as everyone looks on and laughs until they realise it is serious , then they'll walk away until it is really really serious and some good sole will actually help you either bail or get the trailer back under it.

Thing about boating is - there is always something to look forward to.

Buy some spare bungs
then
Buy some more
then keep em on the boat.

Do a routine for when you launch and retrieve your boat and stick to it so you always remember them and same when packing it away at home.

Limber holes ( google it) are the small holes between sections under your deck that let the water drain past stringers and bulkheads. Once you see a picture on the google search you'll see why the water reappeared ( drained back) and also how it drains through the whole hull.

[Jarrah Jack]

Now that you're a real boater with a real boat you will need to go to the next stage. This will require a bottle of rum or whatever spirit meets your fancy but Bundy is best.

You'll then need to spend some time in the boat dreaming while drinking. You'll need to dream of all the fish you'll catch and all the wonderful times you'll have in the boat.

You'll also need to dream of all the fancy gadgets and improvements you can do to her. Notice its not a boat any more its a her....

And like a " her " she'll have you dreaming and spending all your money until you take your last swig.


Amen

[planetzion]

Hopefully you'll be fine, but assume its a bad situation and must avoid in the future. Always front up high at rest with bungs out.
Being summer its still not so bad being out in a bit of rain which is when you're most likely to find the problem..huddled in the cabin looking and feeling about for where its coming from.
Have a good look at where the floor butts against the bunks ..especially inside the bunks. Get right down to floor level with your eye and look for flaws in the flowcoat/cracks/ little holes etc. Also look around drainage pipe for front anchor well..maybe put some water in it to see if its leaking inside somehow, see if front hatch leaks, check if bunk cushions are wet from drips, bowrail studs might be loose/missing screws/bolt letting drips inside, gunwhale rubber etc. ie. check for the truly obvious like holes in deck too. Feel the side of boat in cabin when its raining if u can to see if its coming down the walls so to speak and just track down likely source. Yes you need to stop the water for a start but also stop it getting subfloor so the structure underneath isnt compromised/rotted. You dont want it subfloor at all.

With a glass rig, in general you can think of freshwater as the enemy of your boat, and saltwater the enemy of your trailer it sits on. Yes its best to wash off the saltwater after a day out but you dont want that freshwater hanging about anywhere or being in contact with or sitting up against any areas with wood core such as subfloor, deck, bulkheads, transom etc. Hence raising front so it drains and elimi nate any standing water issues. You really should try to track down the source.
Steve.
p.s. coz you're new to f/glass boats when u get the chance also double check all bolts/screws into transom are well sealed with a proper marine sealant like 3m or sika. Usual cause of rotten transoms over time. You definitely do not want any chance of water getting into your transom. Dont be afraid to take off transom fittings like burley buckets/transducers and redo/reseal properly, check bungs/screws too, motor well drain fittings must be sealed well aand definitely check transom capping where motor is and seal any screws or seal up any way water can get in....all must be redone/replaced with 316 s/steel screws/bolts and lots of proper marine sealant.

thanks for the detailed response Ill be have a close inspection on the weekend ...cheers mate

[Justin Rossiter]

Hi Mate

I "Borrowed" a plastic milk crate from the local supermarket, wind the jockey wheel up to the full height, then place on top of the milk crate, just make sure you have the outboard trimmed up, or the skeg will get in the way. Drainage problem solved.

J

[WalrusLike]

I use a jack stand under the trailer chassis near the front. Separated by plastic insulating piece to avoid corrosion.

The advantage is twofold...

Boat slopes backward on nice slope and working inside it while on trailer it's more stable that way.


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