WTF? how bad is this?

[Still_Dreamin]

After a recent trip to Hervey Bay, I had been noticing water come out of the bung at the ramp for the first time. Over Christmas I had time to get under my boat and have a look. This is what I found.
992769927599274
The marks on the hull are from black rubber rollers. There are some scratches but not deep. I am not aware of hitting anything on the road or water to cause this. 5c coin for scale.


1) I am not sure if this is where the water is getting in, should I put the bung in and put water in the hull and see if it leaks out?
2) What sort of repairs are likely (I am guessing more than just gel coat>:()

3) Where to get it repaired? I have emailed northside fibreglass at Northgate but haven't got a response so I am guessing they will be back at work next week.

4) I think I shouldnt use the boat until fixed. Thoughts?

I am going to spend some time and money fixing up the rollers on the trailer ( if I have any left after repairs). Do the self centering red rollers work on fibreglass hulls?
I will post some photos of my Dunbier trailer next time the boat is off it and see what tips you all have for me.

2014 not off to a good start.....

[Jarrah Jack]

Doesn't look too bad. Just needs to be sealed with gelcoat by the looks. You've obviously hit something. Did you miss the rollers? I would seal it asap and then test if there's any water getting in next trip. Could've been a bad seal on the bung last time.

[Marlin_Mike]

I've not used him, but have been told arnolds Fibreglass at Hemmant is OK.

Mike

[deckie]

Thing is that you're going to want to fix that anyway...so may as well go ahead and then see if it is the ingress problem after doing it.
When u say "a bit of water"..can u somehow guess how much u reckon it is ?
Not a big job and certainly one you can do yourself.
I doubt very very much if thats from trailer rollers. You can hit things whilst up on the plane and hear not much more than a dull thud and easily forgotten. The odd beer can or even a thick twig can chip gelcoat. Its normal to fix occasional chips and heavy gouges without even knowing how they happened. Beauty of gelcoat/glass is that its easy fixed.
The other thing that can cause it is when beaching...the odd pebble in the sand when u pull up can pop a bit of gelcoat...but by the look of the keel line which isnt badly abraded you likely dont do it a lot. Those sorts of chips just happen and no point trying to figure out why or blaming something.
I still use black rollers...i dont give a rats about any black marks i just like how soft/spongy they are by comparison with the hard red types...i do suffer a bit from "old school stupid".
Whether they're the reds/blues/greys or blacks i cant see it being the fault of the rollers, so save your dosh on those unless those striations are gouged into the gelcoat...i cant tell from the pics if its just the rubber or scratching....either way its not serious, just needs an hour or two's work.

[tunaticer]

I suspect your leak may be from somewhere else. Gelcoat chips generally do not leak unless the fibreglass and or timbers are ruptured completely. The gelcoat is just a pretty covering basically.
Punching through some waves at all?
Looks to me like that was a miss coming onto the trailer one time those injuries.

[Blackened]

G'day

How much water and was it fresh or salt?

That sort of damage doesn't let water through the hull on a normal day out.

Dave

[wayno60]

wack a bit of duct tape over it...!!!!!

Mix up some resin with plenty of talc in it and a few drops of white pigment. Mix till its just about to go off and smear onto holes. If it wont hold in place put a piece of masking tape over the top. This will also let you sqeeze a bit of the mix right into the layers of exposed mat. Wait a few hours and sand back with fine sand paper, finish off with wet and dry and polish....used to do it on surfboards all the time.

[Horse]

You can either just paint on a bit of white flowcoat or mix some talc or balloons into it to make a thick paste and apply it with a plastic scraper. Add plenty of catalyst

[Still_Dreamin]

G'day

How much water and was it fresh or salt?

That sort of damage doesn't let water through the hull on a normal day out.

Dave

salt water only and I would estimate 20 litres

[Still_Dreamin]

Punching through some waves.

yep last three trips have been 1m moreton bay chop, 1-1.5m hervey chop and 1.5m swell off mooloolaba

[Still_Dreamin]

Doesn't look too bad. Just needs to be sealed with gelcoat by the looks. You've obviously hit something. Did you miss the rollers? I would seal it asap and then test if there's any water getting in next trip. Could've been a bad seal on the bung last time.
thanks for the thought, I will check my bung. However both times no water was leaking out before I undid the bung. Wouldn't water leak out if it can leak in?

[Horse]

Fill her up if in doubt. If its leaking through those holes you need to do more investigating

[deckie]

I'm kinda getting a bit distracted looking at the pics, coz i really do think its probably 3 separate things we're seeing..there's the marks/striations from rollers on trailer which arnt unusual, the gelcoat chips which are also not unusual nor unusually big...plus the real issue of the water. I just really doubt the water is from what i see in those pix.

As a side issue you'll be able to easy see if the keel rollers are performing properly during launch/retrieve, or if they are gouged, so the material they're made of only becomes an issue if they arnt doing their job right.

As tunaticer and others said it does look like a bit of hit/miss with boat coming on/off trailer..may have caused both the striations and even the chips from just one occasion... but wouldnt bother looking at what the rollers are made of and happens to everyone...a windy day, trailer backed into water a bit too far maybe, etc, etc. If its bugging you try to get a feel for what stage/where on trailer the issue was by using the scratches as a clue. Scratches with the black embedded seems to be concentrated along keel line only ? Do they extend full length ? When putting onto trailer does the bow first touch a keel roller or do wobbles straighten it ? If you get my drift you can likely track down the cause of those scratches using how far and extent of those scratches with black embedded in them as a clue. Do u drive on/off ?...maybe its the boat floating too much on trailer when winching on coz you tend to back the trailer a bit too far down the ramp ? Some people get a bit anal about a bit of black from rollers but its not worth worrying about nor spending hundreds changing UNLESS they arent performing their job properly... which u will be able to see easy enough. Might be as simple as changing the very back roller to a wider one...but grab a beer and put your sleuth hat on using the scratches and black as clues whilst imagining the boat coming on/off trailer.

The chips you can fix for nix. Stick your finger in the water at 50kph and u can see just how little it will take to chip/scratch/gouge some gelcoat even if its just a twig u hit...yes they do need attention but not difficult to fix and they do regularly happen going on/off the trailer....do a bit of a search on the forum and you'll find many references how to fix them. Possibly a different story to the striations/scratching, but very possible they are linked basis the way they are right on keel line as well...boat possibly has slid off edge of rollers hitting metal part of trailer/roller bracket during launch/winching or drive on/off. Possible that you;ve backed it down too far on one or two occasions and boat floating about on trailer during retrieve. All we can probably rule out are stone chips from driving along coz its only keel line. I'd guess both chips from one incident but who cares why or how. Just have a real good close look at how deep they are and convince yourself either way if they could be responsible for the water ingress...its more likely with a hull that is left in the water permanently, but less likely on a trailerboat. Got to rule them out as a possible cause, but only you can see how bad they are from up close. Possible but unlikely the cause of the water i would've thought. Smooth the edges out and repair them.

They're more routine maintenance and launch/retrieve issues and just a distraction i reckon, coz you need peace of mind re the water. 20 ltrs is enough to warrant investigation...plus knowing you;ve been punching thru nasty wind chop. Knowing its definitely saltwater only is a big start and maybe you could also search the forum for old references to this problem as well. Process of elimination...first and foremost most of us will be thinking bungs, and the bung fittings and if they;re sealed properly. At least run a critical eye over those fittings coz its the easiest thing to try to rule out first after checking for salt/fresh. Wouldnt assume that water not leaking out means it cant leak in. Obviously same with any/all below waterline fittings using any sort of bolt/screw...you;ve probably already done these obvious things tho.

I'd drop jockey wheel down and try putting a bit of water in via bung, then raise it back up and wait a good while before checking very closely underneath, especially looking near strakes/chines as well as those chips. If nothing obvious, drain and put bung back in and fill a heap of water into the boat from above deck and wait awhile before rechecking bottom bung. If still nothing, then maybe take it for a fang around during a quiet time at a calm water ramp and check bung again, dont use deckwash. Process of elimination at this stage.

[Scalem]

Finga turned up at my place years ago with an air compressor in the boot and a modified bung to attach the air hose to. Pump air into the hull armed with a spray bottle filled with detergent. Walk around the hull spraying into suspected areas, and looking for bubbles forming. If you don't have a compressor maybe blow up a balloon and fit over a modified bung or fit a tyre valve stem, then take the boat down the servo and borrow their tyre pump? Maybe this is an alternative? Trailer set up definitely needs a re vamp by the looks, but the repair would be a DIY if it were me, using tape over flow coat as Wayno explained.
I would much prefer trying to blow air in than filling a big glass boat up with water to try find a leak.

scalem

[morphias]

May be worth a look: http://www.boatpoint.com.au/news/fibreglass-fix-40518

[bigjimg]

I would identify the cause of those chips and if you can rule out the trailer then fix. But you seriously need to rethink the set up of that trailer. For those to marks to be on your hull suggests that it is far from working properly.
What model trailer do you have?? and would recommend poly rollers that do not leave those marks. You are more than welcome to come have a look at my setup.
I have extensively customised mine and am totally mark free after 5 years. And no chance of hull contacting any metal at all.
I have just replaced my wobble rollers from Viking Trailer Spares, all 24 for well under $200. Jim

[dogsbody]

Those angled black marks that point in the direction of the chips may indicate something? Seems odd that they're only where each chip is.


Dave

[mowerman]

Put some Vaseline around the bungholes and on the bungs before your next trip.
How bad is that sentence?

If no water then your bung bits are bad.
Poor dear.

Rod

.

[wayno60]

Ive done that before Rod , but i wasnt looking for water leaks!!!

[deckie]

vaseline...bunghole...rod...he hehehehe
99308

[mowerman]

vaseline...bunghole...rod...he hehehehe
99308

Yep, yep and yep.

I'm going to watch the cricket.

Rod
.

[Lancair]

Those angled black marks that point in the direction of the chips may indicate something? Seems odd that they're only where each chip is.


Dave

I agree, Id bet that all the chips and sideways marks happened at the same time. Not on the trailer straight then slipped sideways. Also, if the trailer is all rollers I'd be doing some investigating as it seems they arent rolling to leave marks like that.

[BARRAkid]

A lot of things can make the gelcoat chip out like that but id say it would be from the trailer by the looks could even be previous trips out cracked and chipped out the gelcoat and you didn't notice.The photos make it look like you have only done some gel coat damaged and has only just got to the glass so water shouldn't be getting in from those chips,check your bungs as stated and check any [pump hoses like bait tank or deck wash for splits or loose hose clamps. Fixing those chips is easy but you need gelcoat,wax,catalyst,die grinder,acetone,240,800,1200 wet and dry,aquabuff and a buff to do a good job of it and you need to find out exactly what white your hull is there is different tones of white gelcoat that is if you want it perfect if not you can use any white you wont notice it underneath. sent you a pm too cheers

[Scalem]

And split pins holding rollers have to be either trimmed or bent over fully ....

Scalem

[Still_Dreamin]

A lot of things can make the gelcoat chip out like that but id say it would be from the trailer by the looks could even be previous trips out cracked and chipped out the gelcoat and you didn't notice.The photos make it look like you have only done some gel coat damaged and has only just got to the glass so water shouldn't be getting in from those chips,check your bungs as stated and check any [pump hoses like bait tank or deck wash for splits or loose hose clamps. Fixing those chips is easy but you need gelcoat,wax,catalyst,die grinder,acetone,240,800,1200 wet and dry,aquabuff and a buff to do a good job of it and you need to find out exactly what white your hull is there is different tones of white gelcoat that is if you want it perfect if not you can use any white you wont notice it underneath. sent you a pm too cheers
thanks mate but did not receive pm.

[Still_Dreamin]

And split pins holding rollers have to be either trimmed or bent over fully ....

Scalem
well picked scalem, went out to shed and guess what? None of the split pins were bent back or trimmed. Done now

[Still_Dreamin]

I would identify the cause of those chips and if you can rule out the trailer then fix. But you seriously need to rethink the set up of that trailer. For those to marks to be on your hull suggests that it is far from working properly.
What model trailer do you have?? and would recommend poly rollers that do not leave those marks. You are more than welcome to come have a look at my setup.
I have extensively customised mine and am totally mark free after 5 years. And no chance of hull contacting any metal at all.
I have just replaced my wobble rollers from Viking Trailer Spares, all 24 for well under $200. Jim

thanks Jim, I'm will take you up on the offer to check your trailer out. Can you pm were you live and we will tee it up. Thanks

[Scalem]

well picked scalem, went out to shed and guess what? None of the split pins were bent back or trimmed. Done now If they were your keel roller split pins, I think you found the culprit looking at your pics. They were the only reason my hull has a few lines in the gelcoat. Go figure, new trailers need inspection before you take the boat out on the maiden voyage because they have your money by then right? You might be OK now, glad I can help.

Scalem

[bigjimg]

A couple of shots of what I have added to my trailer.
Spent some considerable time adjusting heights of roller arms, getting the optimum performance when launching and retrieving.
My first use of the boat saw a large gouge put in the bow stem. From that day on I made it virtually impossible for any damage to occur, my 11 year old son could drive the boat on I he had to. Jim

[liltuffy]

Like the blue stripe as the protection between rollers 😄. Might just have to fit some of that.

Craig