wet boat or not?

T

tomj

New Member
Need some advice. Got an old (1970?) sunfish, and after carrying it around for a few weeks it sure seems to be a LOT heavier than 130 pounds, though I have to admit I haven't weighed it. Today for the first time I installed two inspection ports and, when the fiberglass fell away, I was astoished to see that the boat appeared BONE dry. No mold, no residual moisture, no nothing--just the sweet smell of original fiberglass resin.

So . . . is it possible the boat looks like this even though it's carrying an extra 50 pounds or so of moisture? I'm planning on circulating warm air all winter anyway, so I'll know more in the spring. But just wondering if I should see some kind of evidence of a waterlogged hull when I peek inside.
 
I agree with Fred. Weigh it. For a fairly accurate weight (say 5 lbs + or -) use a bathroom scale, and tip the boat on its edge and balance it as best you can on the scale with just a few fingers to keep it balanced. For an older hull like yours, the weight was about 135 lbs new - they were a little more generous with the thickness of the decks. If you are in the 150 range, you have soaked up some water and a dry out with a fan and inspection ports is in order even if the interior of the hull seems dry.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
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