How do I reseal a leaking sunfish

[steve strickler]

I've been drying out a waterlogged hull all last summer than stored it upsidedown for the winter and found lots of water in the hull again. No holes or cracks so it bust be leaking at the seams. Can I drill out the rivets on the moulding and reseal it and how is the best way to go about this. Any advice?

 

[Lafayette Mike]

I've been drying out a waterlogged hull all last summer than stored it upsidedown for the winter and found lots of water in the hull again. No holes or cracks so it bust be leaking at the seams. Can I drill out the rivets on the moulding and reseal it and how is the best way to go about this. Any advice?

The rivets only hold on the molding........they don't hold the hull together......you'd have to then separate the hulls and then reseal them. Most people would say "don't"!

You have to find out where the leak is. Don't just assume it is the seams. I would pressure test the boat with air (low pressure....you can search for how to do it on this forum). Find the leaking area and seal it before you consider taking the hull apart. It's a good bet it is not the seam....and even if it is, you can likely repair it without splitting the hull.

Mike

 

[signal charlie]

I've been drying out a waterlogged hull all last summer than stored it upsidedown for the winter and found lots of water in the hull again. No holes or cracks so it bust be leaking at the seams. Can I drill out the rivets on the moulding and reseal it and how is the best way to go about this. Any advice?

Yes you can drill out the rivets, use a 1/8 inch bit. Try to not drill through the bottom of the trim or you'll get metal spurs. If you get those file them off. Lightly tap the trim off, as the trim is very fragile where the rivet holes are drilled and you can tear the trim apart. Order new rivets from Yankee Boating Center. I'd get two packs in case you goof some up.

Drilling rivets
One Handed Riveting
Deck Seam Splitting
More related and totally unrelated resto videos

I found a leaky seam once when I turned a boat on its side and water came running out of the seam. Since your boat already had water in it, you might put a little more in and see if water comes out. Or do the air test. The common problem areas for split seams are the bow, the two stern corners and alongside the cockpit edge , because that's where the boat gets hit or dropped. Do a visual inspection and look for differences in the seam. You should barely be able to see the line between deck and hull on a good seam. On a bad seam you might see dirt, as dirt collects where the water goes in and out.

If you find a split but the seam is still tight, scrape the seam clean with a razor blade or small file. Clean the area with acetone or mineral spirits then use a syringe to inject West System 105 Resin/205 Hardener into the seam. What you are trying to do is rebond the seam, vs just creating a barrier with silicone. Don't clamp unless necessary, like if you find a big long split. Overclamping just forces the epoxy back out of the seam and you don't get a bond. If there is a big long split and you can get a tool in there, then thicken the epoxy and trowel it into the gap. With thickened epoxy you can use light clamping pressure. When we split the deck wide open we add strips of 4 oz fiberglass with thickened epoxy to the seam to bond the deck and hull back to each other, most likely you won't have to do that.

Kent

Standing by for questions...

 

[steve strickler]

The rivets only hold on the molding........they don't hold the hull together......you'd have to then separate the hulls and then reseal them. Most people would say "don't"!

You have to find out where the leak is. Don't just assume it is the seams. I would pressure test the boat with air (low pressure....you can search for how to do it on this forum). Find the leaking area and seal it before you consider taking the hull apart. It's a good bet it is not the seam....and even if it is, you can likely repair it without splitting the hull.

Mike

Thank you, I guess I'll try a pressure test first.

 

[steve strickler]

Yes you can drill out the rivets, use a 1/8 inch bit. Try to not drill through the bottom of the trim or you'll get metal spurs. If you get those file them off. Lightly tap the trim off, as the trim is very fragile where the rivet holes are drilled and you can tear the trim apart. Order new rivets from Yankee Boating Center. I'd get two packs in case you goof some up.

Drilling rivets
One Handed Riveting
Deck Seam Splitting
More related and totally unrelated resto videos

I found a leaky seam once when I turned a boat on its side and water came running out of the seam. Since your boat already had water in it, you might put a little more in and see if water comes out. Or do the air test. The common problem areas for split seams are the bow, the two stern corners and alongside the cockpit edge , because that's where the boat gets hit or dropped. Do a visual inspection and look for differences in the seam. You should barely be able to see the line between deck and hull on a good seam. On a bad seam you might see dirt, as dirt collects where the water goes in and out.

If you find a split but the seam is still tight, scrape the seam clean with a razor blade or small file. Clean the area with acetone or mineral spirits then use a syringe to inject West System 105 Resin/205 Hardener into the seam. What you are trying to do is rebond the seam, vs just creating a barrier with silicone. Don't clamp unless necessary, like if you find a big long split. Overclamping just forces the epoxy back out of the seam and you don't get a bond. If there is a big long split and you can get a tool in there, then thicken the epoxy and trowel it into the gap. With thickened epoxy you can use light clamping pressure. When we split the deck wide open we add strips of 4 oz fiberglass with thickened epoxy to the seam to bond the deck and hull back to each other, most likely you won't have to do that.

Kent

Standing by for questions...

Thanks Kent, I'm going to try the pressure test first than decide how far I want to go with it.

 

[L&VW]

I've been drying out a waterlogged hull all last summer than stored it upsidedown for the winter and found lots of water in the hull again. No holes or cracks so it must be leaking at the seams. Can I drill out the rivets on the moulding and reseal it and how is the best way to go about this. Any advice?

Does the boat have an inspection port? You might want to install one or two.

Without open inspection ports, water will "regenerate" itself over and over. (In addition to normal condensation, which is drawn in as cold and wet vapor at night, and condenses on cooler surfaces inside during the day). It's a "solar still" without the benefit of clean water.

If its present weight suggests less than 16 pounds of water, tip the boat "on edge" so whatever water is in there can continue run out the starboard deck drain, sail the season and for next winter, install inspection port(s), and dry the hull (with a fan).

I'm at that exact-same situation with my latest Sunfish. But I did get to go sailing this Spring!

 

[Tee Lake Wanderer]

Does anyone install a drain plug(s) on transom?
Any "best sites" for inspection ports meant to help hull dry out? Any sites to avoid?
Thanks,
Mike

 

[L&VW]

Does anyone install a drain plug(s) on transom?

All you need is a expanding plug for a fisherman's bait-well—found in well-stocked hardware stores. Drill an appropriately-sized hole in the transom. I used a spade bit, but a conventional spiral bit might make a "less-rough" opening. Make sure that the opening continues forward from the hole you drilled, through the Styrofoam, and the open spaces in the hull; otherwise, nothing will drain out!