Leaky Boat
Submitted by Ol Tom on Thu, 2014-10-23 19:08
Gedday fellas. I ve got a trailcraft that have the self draining deck. They are supposed to be fully sealed but mine has started taking on water. Not alot about 5-10 litres in a few hours. Filled the hull and found no obvious leaks. Tried tightening the motor bolts. resaeled the inspection hatch and regreased the inspection oring. as I mentioned nothing leaked out of the bung when I filled the hull???
Has anyone who has a similar boat got any clues where the water might be getting in.?
Thanks
little johnny
Posts: 5362
Date Joined: 04/12/11
best way to find leak
put hose in hull ,put a fair bit in there ,get rubber bung with compressor fitting ,put in bottom bung slowly add air ,you will find it a piece off piss.5 to 10 litres a fair bit, mine was only taking on 5 max,hence deck off fixing now,99 percent off time its bung rubbers or brackects where bungs screw into.you must add pressure to find ,keep boat level and a must slowly add air,
Devo1965
Posts: 120
Date Joined: 29/09/13
Air Pressure
Air does help, but must warn, be very careful if you do use air, as LJ said add air slowly, I would only use a couple of PSI on a regulator, it doesn't take much to damage a hull if air can not escape and pressure builds up to high.
Devo1965
D_d_001
Posts: 1522
Date Joined: 09/03/13
5-10 l when sitting at a
5-10 l when sitting at a mooring? or when traveling in spray? so coming in from top or bottom ?
also did you actually move (tighten) the mounting bolts cos moving them can "crack the seal"
z00m
Posts: 1086
Date Joined: 10/05/14
Fill the hull with water
Fill the hull with water again and gently tap along the seams with a rubber mallet and you may find a crack that only opens when the force of the boat moving flexes the hull.
Belly Fish
Posts: 499
Date Joined: 09/03/12
Could be from the deck
It's possible your leak is on the inside of the boat, that's why filling it with water doesn't reveal the problem. Firstly, when it happens do you have any water on the deck? If so, could be coming through inspection hatches for your fuel tank or similar
holth
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 09/10/06
It will be coming in though
It will be coming in though the deck cover plate over fuel tank. Had same problem. Pull up and reseal.
Rob H
Posts: 5818
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Holth is onto it, same
Holth is onto it, same happened to mine.
Rivets on deck patch over tank started letting go.
Sorry to disagree but there is no way i would pressurize a hull with even a few PSI.
Ive tested many fuel tanks and seen a couple let go.
If a frame lets go your boat could easily suffer terminal damage.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Willlo
Posts: 1490
Date Joined: 07/10/11
Although not the same boat i
Although not the same boat i had similar probs,and through much trial and error found it to be the sikaflex around inspection plates had grown old and hard and lost its stickability.To find them we did as you did but added food colouring so we could spot the leak easier. Hope this helps ,it took me 18mths to find, spent $$$$ with supposed experts at boat shops and ended up finding it myself.
Call Sign - BZ785
Haynes Hunter Prowler CC
sea-kem
Posts: 15043
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Hmmm sounds like the morons
Hmmm sounds like the morons who installed my swimming pool Willo. It was losing 100mm of water a day and they reckoned there was nothing wrong with it just evapoartion. Idiot came with all this gear and did pressure tests etc etc , " nope nothing leaking" he said. Until I heard a hissing sound under the pavers. Clowns had never glued the pipe joints when the pool went in. Oh this was Guardian pools btw.
Love the West!
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
Leaks
I have just gone through this with my boat, had a few small cracks in the hull where some welds hat started to let go ( hull is 30 years old)
my mates new trailcraft is also leaking which is a worry too but if it's not leaking when you fill your hull try closing your scuppers and filling the inside up.
another source on trailcrafts is the deck wash if it runs internal to the hull, they did change the setup after the internal method gave them a few leaks
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
DO NOT FILL UP
Do not fill the boat up with water, the hull is designed to hold water out not in and can split if too much is inside without support on the outside. .
.
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
Der
Only needs 20mm above the deck to find a leak in a boat this size that would be around 100lt
not going to cause any damage at all.
Rob H
Posts: 5818
Date Joined: 18/01/12
John was referring to filling
John was referring to filling hull I think, definitely does need caution due to Archimedes principle if nothing else.
Filling the hull inside to the normal waterline will double the weight.
So if your boat weighs 2000kg and you fill it to the waterline it will be 4000kg on the trailer and may damage trailer
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
morgs
Posts: 109
Date Joined: 25/10/11
Age
How olds the hull? I've got a 2007 and am going through it all giving it a birthday cause i'm trying to sell it. Not too keen on ripping up the carpet though.
Cheers
morgs
Posts: 109
Date Joined: 25/10/11
Age
How olds the hull? I've got a 2007 and am going through it all giving it a birthday cause i'm trying to sell it. Not too keen on ripping up the carpet though.
Cheers
Ol Tom
Posts: 331
Date Joined: 17/12/13
Lots of info and Ideas here.
Lots of info and Ideas here. Good stuff. I will try a couple of these. The boats is 4 only yrs old. Doubt its coming over the side or through scupper doors because I always run them closed. But if I can monitor it and it doesnt get worse then as willo said it might take a while but I will find it.
Thanks fellas
Blade
Posts: 5
Date Joined: 25/10/14
I have a trailcraft too and
I have a trailcraft too and it started taking in water when previously there was not a drop. The problem with mine was there is an "o" ring around the bung and this was broken. New o ring no leak. Maybe you've checked it but thought I'd make my first post in case you haven't. Hope it's that simple for you.
james1989
Posts: 219
Date Joined: 22/11/11
we have had to repair a few
we have had to repair a few people have brought in at work at razerline aluminum boat builder's we find its normally on the chine. If you need it welding up or any repairs on it message me or comesee me.
Lastchance
Posts: 1273
Date Joined: 02/02/09
Check your bung seal. Might
Check your bung seal. Might not be as bad as a crack in a weld.