Got A Leak - Help!

[dane507]

My 97 330 Sundancer today sprung a pencil lead size leak on the starboard side 2 inches from a stringer and 3 inches in front of a raw water cooling tube in the bildge. I was alerted to it when my emergency bildge pump came on. I looked in the bildge and could see water come up through a small hole. I was able stop the leak by putting my finger over it and I finally stopped it completely by putting a small self-tapping screw in it from the inside out. I had the bottom barrier coated (4 coats) and bottom painted (2 coats) 5 months ago.

I'm dumbfounded about how a small hole would appear in the hull of an otherwise sound boat. I keep the boat in the water on the brackish Neuse River in North Carolina

Please...I would be grateful for any thoughts...

 

[chuck1]

Dan,
If it was me I would have it hauled ASAP. What did the hull look like 5 months ago when you had it painted? I assume they stripped it before they redid it. How do your through hull fitting look. Could it be entering the hull via a through hull? How long was your small self-tapping screw?

 

[dane507]

The screw only went in the hole probably 3/8 of an inch. The through hulls looked fine and the bottom had no blisters, etc, when I had it soda blasted and barrier coated 5 months ago. I will pull the boat (can't get it out on a weekend) but I'm trying to see if anyone else has had a similar issue. Thanks

 

[Dave S]

The screw only went in the hole probably 3/8 of an inch. The through hulls looked fine and the bottom had no blisters, etc, when I had it soda blasted and barrier coated 5 months ago. I will pull the boat (can't get it out on a weekend) but I'm trying to see if anyone else has had a similar issue. Thanks

Try contacting RobF300 http://clubsearay.com/forum/member.php?u=700 He repairs fiberglass boats and has probably seen just about every thing. He may be able to tell you what to look for.

Dave S

 

[boatmailster]

Pull out your boat and check bottom with moisture meter. Who knows if this is hole trough bottom or water comes from somewhere else (thru hull fitting, exhaust etc)

 

[wingless]

When I stripped my hull I found several small spots of air pockets and dry fiberglass on a hull that had always appeared sound. Those were repaired prior to the barrier coat.

What was found on the detailed inspection of your hull?

 

[tobnpr]

SR did build some hulls w/ cored bottoms at that time, but I think it was limited to larger models (??)

 

[dane507]

These suggestions are great! I went to the boat this morning and the "screw job" repair has held. I will pull the boat next week regardless.

Last night when I should have been sleeping I brainstormed over what could have happened such as damage when the boat was shipped six months ago (I bought it in New York and shipped it to North Carolina) it had been soda blasted and winterized when I bought it. I thought maybe the little hole was masked by the barrier coat and bottom paint, etc. What I really tend to worry about is whether it is hull fatigue or something that will show up elsewhere. The person who barrier coated and bottom painted the boat said there were no blisters and the hull was in great shape. I'm a novice so I worry about everything.

I'm learning every day, so your comments are appreciated

 

[sbw1]

When hulls are blasted, it is not uncommon for voids to show up. My 37 had quite a few. It was blasted with walnut shells which is a harsher process than soda, but was the best thing available at the time. The voids are repaired with epoxy and faired before the barrier coat goes on. I wonder if the yard missed a void or a repair let lose?

 

[Four Suns]

SR did build some hulls w/ cored bottoms at that time, but I think it was limited to larger models (??)

Can you explain how you made a connection between someone who has sprung a leak for whatever reason (maybe hitting something?) and cored hulls?

 

[Four Suns]

As Club Sea Ray spirals down because of jack asses that don't like it when one stands up to statements that make no sense, I wonder how long it'll be before the more knowledgeable people move on to other sites...

 

[First Born]

Did not know we were in a sprial, as has been said before we can only as good as the members that are part of the board. :huh:

 

[tobnpr]

Can you explain how you made a connection between someone who has sprung a leak for whatever reason (maybe hitting something?) and cored hulls?

He stated he did not know whether it was hole clean through the hull or not. ALl he stated was that water was coming in through a pinhole in the bilge.

If it's a cored bottom, water can migrate to the area that has the leak from some distance away where the source might not be obvious.

Under this scenario, a small pinhole in the inner skin could allow the trapped water in the core to escape.

But, since you say that's impossible- I guess it must be so.

 

[Four Suns]

I'm at a loss to see where I said it was impossible... And now that you explained your logic, I think you don't know what you are talking about.

 

[bluebelly]

My 97 330 Sundancer today sprung a pencil lead size leak on the starboard side 2 inches from a stringer and 3 inches in front of a raw water cooling tube in the bildge. I was alerted to it when my emergency bildge pump came on. I looked in the bildge and could see water come up through a small hole. I was able stop the leak by putting my finger over it and I finally stopped it completely by putting a small self-tapping screw in it from the inside out. I had the bottom barrier coated (4 coats) and bottom painted (2 coats) 5 months ago.

I'm dumbfounded about how a small hole would appear in the hull of an otherwise sound boat. I keep the boat in the water on the brackish Neuse River in North Carolina

Please...I would be grateful for any thoughts...

That thru-hull that you say is only 3 inches away from the leak may be a clam-shell type that is secured to the underside of the hull with 3 screws. One of those screws may have corroded completely away and left a hole where it once was. On a 1997 330 da, the hull is about 1 inch thick in the area where your raw water intakes are. As you can imagine if a 3/4 inch screw has completely rotted away, then you would only have about a 1/4 of an inch of hull left. It would only be a matter of time before that last 1/4 inch gives way to hydrostatic pressure. I have seen this once before on a older boat in fresh water.

Hope this helps.

 

[Four Suns]

Holy crap! You mean 1/4" of gel coat and glass is going to give way to "hydrostatic pressure" of being say 2 feet below the water?! :smt043

 

[Pirate]

Fiberglass hulls do not spontaneously spring leaks or holes. Something has happened to cause the hole/leak. Get the boat pulled ASAP and do some investigating. I'm anxious to hear what happened. In the future, you might want to get the emergency numbers of the yards that can pull your boat. Your quick fix may not have worked. Good luck.

 

[Four Suns]

Fiberglass hulls do not spontaneously spring leaks or holes. Something has happened to cause the hole/leak. Get the boat pulled ASAP and do some investigating. I'm anxious to hear what happened. In the future, you might want to get the emergency numbers of the yards that can pull your boat. Your quick fix may not have worked. Good luck.

They do... if you have coring in the hull, the hydrostatic pressure will penetrate 1/4" of gel coat and glass and soak the core and cause pencil lead size holes that exist all over inside the bilge to pee like a race horses and kick in the secondary bilge pumps... learned it here today.

 

[bluebelly]

Holy crap! You mean 1/4" of gel coat and glass is going to give way to "hydrostatic pressure" of being say 2 feet below the water?! :smt043

On a 11 year old boat that may be cored, it could be possible. The boat that I saw this on before was about 30 years old so it is not a good example compared to a 11 year old boat, but it did happen.

 

[Pirate]

They do... if you have coring in the hull, the hydrostatic pressure will penetrate 1/4" of gel coat and glass and soak the core and cause pencil lead size holes that exist all over inside the bilge to pee like a race horses and kick in the secondary bilge pumps... learned it here today.

Jerk. :grin: