90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

[pirates08]

90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

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Hello,

I just recently bought a bayliner capri and have noticed significant floor rot around the bilge area. The wooden supports that surround the opening have rotted and broken off leaving the wood very soft around the edges of the bilge. First of all I don't understand why their is an opening between the two lounge seats anyway. It can't be used for storage because water gets inside it, and it can't be used for a livewell. Would you consider this opening a "bilge" or not. What purpose does it serve? and how in the heck does water manage to get inside this area? Does that mean I have a leak somewhere in the hull?

I am going to the replace the floor and I was considering just covering over the opening with plywood to avoid having soft spots a couple of years down the road. Is that a good idea or not?

 

[BAYLINER185]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

Welcome to IBOATS

That opening is whats called the SKI LOCKER..... you put wet skis in there and the water from your skis will flow back to the rear bildge.......It is a stoage area yes.

NO I dont think it would be a good idea for a live well.

Water would only get in there if you have a leak somewhere either at the rear of the boat but then your rear bildge would have to be conciderably full before it fill the ski locker....There is a PVC pipe that travels from the locker to the rear bildge so water could flow between compartments.


I would check the bow hook / loop. If its loose water could be leaking in from there and flowing inside the hull and you see it in the locker......If its a lot of water you could have a rot spot in the hull possibly where the boat is resting on a roller on the trailer or something of that nature. I had a wellcraft that had a quarter size rot spot in the hull and the stringers were damp when I opened up the hole and stuck my finger in.


I dont like what Im hearing from your post as it sounds like a signifigant leak and a lot of soft wood.

 

[gcboat]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

Hey, it's your boat - do anything you want to with it. As BAYLINER185 mentioned it is a storage area for ski's, ski vests, pretty much anything that gets wet. Closing it off is not a really big issue now, just might be if and when you try to sell.
The all important issue here and now is to determine the amount of rotten wood underneath your deck. Gonna' require some dirty work but a shoddy patch job will not benefit you or anyone else.
Not pretty, not fun but not that difficult either if you are handy with some basic woodworking tools.

 

[pirates08]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

Thanks for the advice/help. I think your right, theres obviously a hole somewhere in the boat. I'm gonna check the boat over really good this weekend and see if I can find the problem.


thanks

 

[BAYLINER185]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

If you think the hole is in hull you could fill the bildge are with water and see if it leaks out of the boat from somewhere.....

Ive seen it done and it can make short work of locating a crack or hole in the fiberglass.

 

[oops!]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

did you find the leak?

i would not suggest "covering" the old floor with new wood.

your old floor is part of the structure of the boat, if the floor is rot chances are...so is the srtingers and the foam is probably wet also.....that means the structural part of the boat is compromised...and the vessel could be unsafe in moderate waters.

sorry to be the bearer of bad news.....

if you cover the old floor...it will fall apart quicker...so will the stringers.....

i would think that you might really investigate the boat to find out how far the damage goes.

i think you have to decide to repair or sell.

cheers
oops

 

[pirates08]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

i haven't found the a hole anywhere in the boat yet, i'm sure their is one somehwere but i haven't found it yet. i did try filling the "ski storage opening" with water but no luck there. i am investigating the condition of the flooring in the boat and so far i have found that i have siginificant rot around the "ski storage opening" extending towards the bow as far as you can walk. however, the wood behind the area seems to be in good shape. i'm not sure why. at this time i think that i'm going to try and repair the floor.

one quick question: i want to mount a subwoofer somewhere in the boat. where's the best place that can accomdate the depth of a subwoofer (about a foot). I was thinking about cuttin a whole under the cushion in the upper bow, beside the area already used for storage. is their enough depth for the speaker to sit flush. would it be better to put it on the side near the floor in the bow?


thanks

is thei

 

[oops!]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

as far as the leak....double check all thru hull areas...it is unlikely that you will find it in the hull alone...it would be noticible from the outside.
check the bellows and cooling system.


as far as the sub......
ill have to jump in mine and look, i would think back by the motor would give you a good spot...
you could put it in the bow.....but the sound might be partially blocked by the bow pass thru.

why not..... on the passengers side console. build a long thro bass box with the opening coming thru at the passengers feet......(if its turned on loud enough to hear a sub...conversation will be impossible anyhow) with the actual speaker under the bow seat.

 

[pirates08]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

Thanks for the advice. Do you mean cutting a hole on the passenger side where your feet would be if you were sitting in the lounge chair?

Is the only way to get to the gas tank taking up the floor in the rear of the boat. I wanted to inspect the tank for leaks w/o a whole lot of hassle. Also, i have got the same problem that many other capri owners have also. There is a hole in the floor right when you first walk into the bow. And the floor seems bare as if the fiberglass resin has gone away. The wood grain is clearly visible with a whitish tint to it. What has happened? I've been reading different forumns and this seems to be a problem with many capri owners.

 

[oops!]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

Thanks for the advice. Do you mean cutting a hole on the passenger side where your feet would be if you were sitting in the lounge chair?

yup...in the bulkhead....not the floor.....

thats just an idea......i was looking at boats in a dealership the other day...and some had subs in the bow under the loungers....so the sound up there might be ok.......

i still think the back would be viable.....

and that hole could be caused by a thin glass layer and its worn thru...ill do a search and see if i can find pics

 

[pirates08]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

Has anyone ever replaced the rub rail on their boat? What size is the rail and is is possible to just replace the rubber piece instead of the whole rail?

 

[gcboat]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

Yes you can just replace the rubber insert. Google 'rub rails' and you'll find 150,000 of them. My favorite is Taco Metals, been around for a long time, good service, good products.
Hell, I have no idea what size your rub rail is. You'll need to make that measurement yourself.
Replacing the insert is very straightforward and simple. Try to do it on a warm day if possible. Rubber is more pliable when warm.

 

[tonyg11780]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

The water getting into the ski locker was the beginning of the end for my 89 Capri. I started noticing water in the hull, and eventually alot more water. I tried a little of everything. My boat is an outboard model, and I eventually found that the water was coming in from around the two holes drilled in the transom for the engine mounting bolts. By this time, the transom was rotted, stringers and floor gone as well. So hence my restoration... If your boat is an outboard, more than likely you are starting down a long road yourself. Dont just lay plywood over the rotted floor, in a year you will be sorely dissappointed...lol.

Tony

 

[cheeny]

Re: 90 Bayliner Capri NEED HELP

im in the middle of ripping out my 94 capri 1700 floor.
i tthought it was a bit soft here and there. but when you cut through the fibreglass the wood was mush everywhere. I really dont think you have a leak in the hull. the water would have to be very deep inside to fill up and soak all the floor especiall around the ski locker are. so therefor its more likely been left out in the rain with no cover, i can assure you this will rot everywhere. even under the actual seats are rotten but couldnt tell till i stripped one back. wood lice and everything crawled out. by the way the boat looked like an immaculate 94 when i bought it, though i guessed i may have to patch the floor, now its unusable thanks to my grinder ha ha