Can you post a picture for us?There is a crack in the gelcoat in the bottom keel down the center of the hull on either side of the daggerboard slot. It runs from front to back.
The first thing you might do is to unscrew the drain plug on the deck (dime size screw), starboard side, near the tip of the splash guard. Tip the boat up on that side and drain out the standing water.I know there is probably about a inch of water in the bottom of this boat. Is it possible that the water is seeping through the fiberglass?
I suspect there’s damage. The water got inside the sealed hull cavity somehow.Or is the fiberglass damaged/cracked?
Gelcoat will be the final step, first you need to get everything dry or your repairs won’t stick.I'm going to re-gelcoat the boat in the next week or two I guess ill grind the gelcoat down in that area so I can repair the crack. Ill probably cut a 5" port and see how the boat looks inside and apply some fiberglass. from the inside.
There is a crack in the gelcoat in the bottom keel downt he center of the hull on either side of the daggerboard slot. It runs from front to back. ...
...the sunfish only drips from the crack after it begins to heat up in the sun. The water must be coming out of the foam as it heats up and then it condenses and forms a small puddle in the bottom...
Don't you think that will be a slower drying process than circulating air through the hull using a small fan in conjunction with warming the innards? Besides, you'll be using a crack you'll want to repair as a drain, keeping that area wet when what you really need is for that spot to be bone dry.That is a sound plan. Use the leak to help dry out the boat. . . . All the water that condenses out will, as you say, leak out the crack. So, no rush to seal the leak. Dry it out well first.
Don't you think that will be a slower drying process than circulating air through the hull using a small fan in conjunction with warming the innards? Besides, you'll be using a crack you'll want to repair as a drain, keeping that area wet when what you really need is for that spot to be bone dry.
Rather than shooting from the hip you may want to read some of the methods that have been successfully tried already to see if they'll get you down the road to repairing and out on the water sailing a little quicker.
- Sunfish KB & FAQ (at the top of this page, in the menu bar)
- Repairs and Upgrades
- How to dry out a wet hull [PDF]
Okay so after some inspection the crack transfers through to the fiberglass. but only about 5inches long. I tipped the boat on its side and tried to drain any water that was in the hull through the drain plug. Also the sunfish only drips from the crack after it begins to heat up in the sun. The water must be coming out of the foam as it heats up and then it condenses and forms a small puddle in the bottom. Then it begins to drip. Ill be installing a port ASAP. I need to get this thing dry so I can make my repairs and gelcoat the bottom of the boat. Il take some pictures when I start my repairs.