Twelve ounces by day, two gallons by night

[Repete]

A great day of sailing yields a beer cans worth of water in my hull. Overnight being moored on the water yields nearly two gallons ( I did not have enough empty beer cans to keep the same scientific measurements). So, I finally did my air pressure test of the hull. I used my shop vac on blow and slowly taped off my inspection port leaving a one inch gap for back pressure. The soapy water did not bubble at my transom drain as I had thought it would. Actually, nothing bubbled but a tiny amount at my bow, but not a source of water intake without pressure. I forgot about my bailer, for a moment, and when I did swipe it with soapy water it bubbled and it bubbled. It bubbled in the cockpit and also below the deck with soapy water applied from that side only. I removed the bailer, a newer white platic type. I found both the top and bottom hull have seperated. I can spread the two halves with a slender wood shim or pencil. I plan to roll up sand paper and clean up the fiber glass between the two interior surfaces (inside of the hull) for epoxy to bond the two together again. I was glad, in a way, to find out my bailer was the source since it is an easier fix then a bad seam leak behind my rub rails. I be back on the water for the fourth of July.............yee hah!

 

[Wavedancer]

I found both the top and bottom hull have seperated. I can spread the two halves with a slender wood shim or pencil. I plan to roll up sand paper and clean up the fiber glass between the two interior surfaces (inside of the hull) for epoxy to bond the two together again. I was glad, in a way, to find out my bailer was the source since it is an easier fix then a bad seam leak behind my rub rails. I be back on the water for the fourth of July.............yee hah!

I had the same problem on my old fish. As you pointed out, this is relatively easy to fix. I recommend using a polymer that can flex some after it has set up.

 

[Repete]

I cleaned out the loose resin and original adhesive from what I could reach with a hacksaw blade, rolled sandpaper, a wire brush for pipe cleaning, and some small screw drivers. I figure I cleaned any loose debris and exposed a new surface for a couple of inches around the bailer holes ( on the inside of the two halves). I mixed up some west epoxy with the 406 filler to a peanut butter thickness. I held the two halves apart with a shim as I pushed in the epoxy with a popsicle stick. I previously taped off the inside of the bailer hole on the cockpit interior. I also taped around the hole on the bottom of the hull to catch any missed epoxy. As some of the epoxy oozed left and right of my stick I used my "baby food " technique of rescooping what did not go in and "refed" the epoxy. I clamped of the two halves with 2.0" C-clamps for the night. I sanded away any extra epoxy the next day and had a nice clean bailer hole to recieve the bailer with a new o-ring. I matched an o-ring at my local "mom and pop" hardware store (the big box stores didn't have one) and the price was sixty nine cents. I sailed all day on the fourth and I would have to say I had less than a quarter cup of water in the hull. That is dry enough for me. Heres the hole after a cleaning, epoxy and clamped, sanded and ready for the lake.

 

[Wavedancer]

Very nice job; better than what I did on my old boat!

 

[Repete]

Wavedancer, thanks. I gasped when I read your earlier reply about using a flexible polymer. Of course I was reading it after my fix was done with epoxy. It there a reason for flexibitiy here? Could you explain?

 

[DanB]

Nice job. Epoxy in my book is the flexible polymer of choice. Caulk wouldn't have lasting strength, Marinetex wouldn't have squeezed inward like your paste. Most folks would have stuffed marinetex in the crack without clamping so it would only make an edge repair anyway. You undoubtedly got a nice wide circle of resin spreading away from the hole. Doubtful that will ever be a problem the rest of the boat's life. A polyester resin paste would also make a good repair, but in this case where it's noncosmetic and gelcoat won't be applied epoxy was a good choice. Very professional type work.

 

[Wavedancer]

Dan answered for me (thanks). What I was thinking about is that the floor does (need to) flex when we stand, dance (as in, victory ), or stamp eek:; another OCS or BFD) on it.