Hull damage weeping

[Reuel Kleckner]

View attachment 88279 I'm trying to repair a small chunk of fiberglass in my Sea Ray 180 hull. It has been a few weeks since it was in use and the hole is still weeping water. I sanded it and I am planning on using epoxy (Marine-tex) to fix it so I need to wait until it dries. View attachment 88279

Any ideas on how to speed that process up or try something else?

 

[JimG]

Your issue may be more serious that it appears on the surface... like stringer soaked/rot.
No point in fixing it until you find where the water is coming from. I'm gonna guess that the water is coming from the inside, not the outside in.

Best of luck and welcome to CSR!

 

[Golfman25]

I would agree with Jim. While fiberglass can absorb a little moisture, if it's still dripping it seems like it is into some core material. Where is the spot located -- on stringer, bulkhead or something? You may want to did a little deeper. Or get a hold of a moisture meter and see what it says. Good luck.

 

[Little Ducky]

May I ask why your 180 has bottom paint?

Does it stay in the water?

 

[Reuel Kleckner]

May I ask why your 180 has bottom paint?

Does it stay in the water?

It does have bottom paint. It was in the water for 5 days.

 

[BillK2632]

Other than the transom there is no wood in that boat - but it does have a liner on the inside that forms the deck and there are enclosed areas that are filled with foam and not easily accessible. I'm thinking you have some wet foam / water in one of those areas. Did the boat sit in the water with this damage and take on water into the area just inside the damage?

 

[Reuel Kleckner]

I would agree with Jim. While fiberglass can absorb a little moisture, if it's still dripping it seems like it is into some core material. Where is the spot located -- on stringer, bulkhead or something? You may want to did a little deeper. Or get a hold of a moisture meter and see what it says. Good luck.

I'll post another pic to give perspective

 

[Reuel Kleckner]

Other than the transom there is no wood in that boat - but it does have a liner on the inside that forms the deck and there are enclosed areas that are filled with foam and not easily accessible. I'm thinking you have some wet foam / water in one of those areas. Did the boat sit in the water with this damage and take on water into the area just inside the damage?

It probably sat in the water for a couple of days with the damage. Hit something tubing. The damaged area was submerged.

 

[Golfman25]

It probably sat in the water for a couple of days with the damage. Hit something tubing. The damaged area was submerged.

Ok, so if was damaged during operation, it might be worth it to get it professionally evaluated and a possible insurance claim.

 

[Reuel Kleckner]

And I want to point out that the drip is very slow. There's no puddle under it.

 

[BillK2632]

That looks to be under or beside the ski locker - I bet there is wet foam between the ski locker (which is molded into the deck) and the actual hull / bottom of the boat. Have you tilted the front of the trailer up to make sure any water in there drains out through the plug? Otherwise that area is not very accessible.

 

[douglee25]

I'll take another approach and say seal it up and call it a day if it's only a slow drip. As someone mentioned it likely is wet foam from above. You're not going to full dry out wet foam without replacing it. You could also drill a hole and put a vacuum with a small 1/4 hose to it to confirm. Once confirmed put a couple layers of glass back on it and then some gel coat and bottom paint.

 

[scoflaw]

Agree, put the hair dryer to it, and patch it. It's a 180 bow rider. Time to go boating.

 

[Ididntdoit]

yup +1 on above - you guys are making WAY to much of this - i would likely use six 10 to fix it, sand it down and re bottom paint

 

[Reuel Kleckner]

yup +1 on above - you guys are making WAY to much of this - i would likely use six 10 to fix it, sand it down and re bottom paint

I'm a newbie to boating. Can you explain how to fix it with more detail?

 

[Reuel Kleckner]

That looks to be under or beside the ski locker - I bet there is wet foam between the ski locker (which is molded into the deck) and the actual hull / bottom of the boat. Have you tilted the front of the trailer up to make sure any water in there drains out through the plug? Otherwise that area is not very accessible.

Yep. It's tilted and drained.

 

[Reuel Kleckner]

I'm a newbie to boating. Can you explain how to fix it with more detail?

I was planning on just using Marine-tex epoxy and bottom paint.

 

[scoflaw]

That will work

 

[Reuel Kleckner]

That will work

I have to get it 100% dry before I can do epoxy though, right?

 

[scoflaw]

Speed that process up with a heat gun or hair dryer.