Anyone ever see a cracked keel/hull in a newer Starcraft?

[biederboat]

I am wondering if my 1995 19' Starcraft has a crack in the hull in the area that is "sandwiched" between the keel that is riveted on the outside (bottom) and the "hat section" that is riveted on the inside (bottom of the hull is in between these two sections). I have eliminated virtually every other section, including the hull "split" up where the keel rises up to the tip. The boat seems to leak a lot more when it's in the water (when the water pressing up would tend to open up a crack in the hull) and doesn't really seem to leak out when I fill boat with water when water weight would tend to force a crack shut.

I do plan on doing some more investigation, specifically by drilling about a 1" hole in the top of the longitudinal hat section that runs inside. As I see it, water is likely running down this channel into the bilge pump area (which is of course back by the transom).

Thanks for any help,
BB

 

[lmuss53]

My bet is your boat is leaking in through a livewell drain hose or fitting that is cracked, the water is accumulating in the bilge and has no way to drain out. That is what happened to my 1996 Superfisherman 17.

Plug all the drain holes and fittings from the outside and dip her, I bet your leak goes away.

 

[jbcurt00]

This the same boat and leak?
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat-...1996-starcraft

All that advice still stands as well as Imus drain leak.

I wouldnt drill a 1in hole in a rib (run port to starboard [left and right] across the width[beam] of the boat)

And as mentioned several times in the other topic, except at the split to create the bow rise, the hull bottom is 1 piece.

If you can see to drill a 1in hole in a rib, can you see the hull bottom along the keel between the ribs to see that its a 1piece bottom? As such unlikely to be the source of the water.

Besides the hull is pretty thin to allow a crack to deflect open while in the water, but deflect closed when filled w water while in the trailer.

How much did you tear down the boat originally? Remove the factory foam (in 1996, it was pour in foam, right?) and replace it? No signs of a leak back then?

Progressive leak since you last posted about this boat? 'New' leak?

 

[jbcurt00]

Oh and pix always help

 

[biederboat]

Same boat, same leak. Not through any hull fittings, guaranteed (first place I checked about 4 years ago and many times since). This hull DOES NOT have ribs like the older Starcrafts, just longitudinals (runs length of boat). It's also not coming through the chine. I am down to that this is either coming through a crack in keel/hull or through the rivets holding the keel/hat section in place (floor boards are pulled, boat in water, water comes down the "trough" in bottom of hull into bilge (i.e. runs downhill). Will try and post a pic later tonight....off to work.

BB

 

[biederboat]

No Title

Here's a photo of the hull about 2/3 of the way back towards the stern (under fuel tank). When I have the boat in the water, the bilge fills up without any noticeable water running in from ANYWHERE except you can see that water seems to be streaming in from the end of the hat section that runs on top of the keel (it's open at the front and back). I'm willing to be $ against donuts that if I drill a 1" hole through the top of the hat section that I would see water running down towards the bilge. I just don't know if I could tell if it's coming from loose rivets or a crack in the hull. I'm leaning towards crack given what I originally wrote, that it doesn't leak out (okay, maybe a drop of two) when I fill the boat with water. It only leaks in the water when the keel (actually the bend in the hull) would be forced up which would tend to open up any crack (at least I would think it would).

BB