Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

brianwrites · Mar 31, 2012

I've been chasing a leak on my 1990 Pro Craft fish and ski for quite a while. I filled all the live wells, put the boat on an incline, put water in the bilge. No drips anywhere. When I'm out on the water, I have to run the bilge pump every 30 minutes because about 1/4 gallon of water has accumulated. I put silicone around the bilge hole, livewell hole and the third hole on the transom. Water still seeps in. I had the bright idea of putting toggle bolts in the floor to fix a seat repair and when I went out on the boat yesterday, more water leaked in and it looked as though it were leaking from the toggle bolts! And water was seeping not only into the bilge, but this time into the main cabin where the floor meets the livewell.

I read that water can seep into a the boat through exposed fiberglass. I've attached some pics of the keel where the gel boat has been scratched away by PO beaching the boat. The small hole you see is the the size of a tic tac and is as deep as the thickness of a razor blades.

I guess I'm wondering is there somewhere else I could look for the leak and is there some where I can look to see if the stringers are bad. There are no soft spots in the floor at all. When on the lake, I can see water slowly streaming in from the transom right near the area where I installed the transducer. I checked and then double checked then put more silicon in and around the transducer bracket. Still leaks.

I've also attached a pic of the area under the bow so you can examine the condition under the floor. Please help.

First Pic-Scractehed Keel and small hole
2nd pic Area where water seeps into bilge.
3rd area under the bow.

retiredfornow · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

Did you check under the edge of the cap, where it meets the hull? Heard it can get in thru there while running.

brianwrites · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

Not sure what you're talking about. Edge of what cap? Thanks for replying.

Woodonglass · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

Post a pic of the side of the boat, where the bump rail is. The bump rail is the divider between the bottom Hull and the Top Cap of the boat. They are usually riveted or screwed together at this joint and the bump rail hides this joint. Water sometimes can enter the hull through this joint if it's not properly sealed.

BonairII · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

If I'm not mistaken, silicone shouldn't be used to seal anything below the waterline.

brianwrites · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

Sorry, not silocone. I meant the Marine sealant goo I got at Bass Pro. I'll post a pic, but isn't that seam above the water line. How could that much water get in the fast. When I'm just sitting fishing, the water is still trickling in. Thanks for your help guys. Really appreciated. I'm stumped and desperate.

rickryder · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

Wonder if it's leaking in the hole in the keel and working its way to the transom along the stringers.... Your sole may be solid but boats generally rot from the bottom up..... Might want to do some core samples and see if you have wet foam below deck.... If it's out of the water on the trailer bow raised high....will water continually drip from the bilge plug??

brianwrites · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

No water will not keep dripping from the bilge plug. I drilled holes in the deck, at the captain's chair for the toggle boats and I'm 100 % sure that's how the water was getting above the deck. Today I was exploring, cut a piece of carpet out around the toggle boat holes. I stuck a screw driver into the hole about four inches down and it came out wet. There's foam beneath the deck. Is that the smoking gun that the stringers are bad and water is seeping in through the keel? I'd like to know for sure before I give up and take it to the marina or start ripping it apart. Thanks for all of your help.

rickryder · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

Only way to know whats going on below the deck is to explore... take a 2" hole saw and remove a plug out of the deck between the stringers... get a thin walled piece of pipe (an 1 1/4" tail piece extention from the plumbing dept) and push and twist it down into the foam....remove the foam from the pipe and squeeze it... if it's waterlogged you'll need to pull up the deck remove the foam... core sample the stringers and transom to see if they are rotten...

brianwrites · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

Thanks for the advice. After the exploration how do I know what's leaking? Take the boat apart and pour water into the hull? And one last thing. This a really dumb question, but I'm gonn ask it any way. How do I know where the stringers are on my boat. Is there a standard spacing such as 16 OC as with wals studs. Are the stringers located directly above the ribs on the underside of the hull. Thanks rickryder.

rickryder · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

They are all different... If your boat has a ski locker the sides are usually the stringers.... The stringers most likely run along the ribs/chines.... A picture says 1000 words

I don't know what your boat looks like and the layout

As far as whats leaking..... lets see if your looking at a complete gut.... with everything removed you may spot the hole from inside...

brianwrites · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

Here's the boat. I believe you're right about the stringers as the walls of the rod lockers. Could I remove the carpet and examine the stringers?

rickryder · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

I do believe so... You need to drill into them with a 3/8" bit and see what color wood chips come out...dark wet no good....bright white dry is good....if all is good just fill the holes with 3m 5200 marine sealant.

You only need to drill in half way 1/2"..... you may even see dark patches under the glass if it's not gel coated.

Woodonglass · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

What is the Make, Model and Year of your boat. That would greatly help us to research the stringer layout.

Bob_VT · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

Uhhhhhhh Procraft (I had one break in half once under power...... I will not even ride in one)

Yes you have investigating to do below the deck. some plugs and some core samples of the foam.

How are the motor bolts sealed? Did you use 4200 or 5200 sealant? That is one culprit. Water will seep in ever if you are anchored.

Check the cap of the boat where it meets the hull......... under power water will get forced in that way too. Water will only (usually) get in while under power.

brianwrites · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

It's a 1990 Procraft 180 Fish and Ski. Hmmm. Motor bolt holes. Hadn't thought about that. We took the boat to a cabin and Christmas and I kept it on a wet dock, came out to check on it at the end of the day and the bilge was filled with water almost up to the batteries. So significant water is getting in while it's not under power. I'll do some drilling. Thanks for all of the advice.

Bob, the procraft that broke in half, was it a bass boat, fish and ski? What year? What happened when it broke in half, was everyone okay?

Scott Danforth · Mar 31, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

you need to fix the hole in the fiberglass. size of a tic-tac or not, thats a hole.

Silicone has no place on a boat. use 3M 5200

if you screwed in the transducer to the transom, you will also need to seal the mount and screws with 5200

brianwrites · Apr 1, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

Thanks Scott...and others. What about the area on the keel where the gel coat has come off and I see fiberglass? I'm assuming that should be repaired and is a possible leaking point?

Sandbank · Apr 1, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

"put more silicon in and around the transducer bracket. Still leaks."

Putting more sealant around a leak will rarely fix it. Could I suggest you remove the fitting, cleanup the area totally and refit it properly using the right grade of 3M or sikaflex (see web)but 5200 normally does the trick.
Also dont know if you have a tow point on the bow but these are often poorly seated or not sealed and are a shoe in to let in water especially if choppy.
By the volume of water sounds like it is definitely either a below water line issue or as others have suggested, the cap connection so I'd be checking these first. The rub rail in my view is the hardest so do the rest first and if still persists maybe time to remove and reseal the rub rail/cap connections.

rickryder · Apr 1, 2012

Re: Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

All these points are very valid on where the water might be getting in BUT............ The damage is done at this point..... If there's water in the foam it will NEVER dry out so core samples are a must at this point.

Like the OP stated the bilge filled with water while sitting at the dock.... tells me it's not the cap connection or anything above the waterline.

Can't find source of leak, is water coming in through keel?

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