help me find my leak

[suzukidave]

Hi, I would be grateful for tips on how to spot a leak in a less than perfect fiberglass hull. I have an old 16' fiberglass runabout with its fair share of nicks and scratches in the bottom but nothing major and no apparent leak sources. My problem is a leak which I can't find. The boat has a centre accesible narrow bilge running fore and aft and sealed starboard and port compartments running the length of the boat filled with hard foam. There are access hatches to these compartments at the rear under the splashwell just beyond the foam which is the only place I can check them. This season the starboard side is filling up aft with water fairly slowly (about two pints in two hours on the water). I can only see the water level rise inside the compartment, not where it is coming from. I have checked the transom and found nothing untoward. There are no visible drips when the boat is hauled out of the water on a hoist(tilted).<br />any suggestions are welcome<br />SJ

 

[monty]

Re: help me find my leak

i assume that this is a fiberglass boat i did this w/ my aluminum boat but it will work on a glass boat ; get about a pint of red food coloring put the plug in the drain hole turn the hose on and start filling her up pour the food coloring into the stream of water crawl under it and have a look obviously dont fill it up just maybe 6-8 inches then jack up the tongue of the trailer or let it down a little to move the water around if needed. now the fun if this is a fiberglass boat you can have a hole inside in one place that can travel between the layers of glass and show up on the outside in a different spot good luck monty

 

[RSos]

Re: help me find my leak

It the boat is a stern drive, check the BELLOWS out. You should have three of them in the stern drive unit. After a few years like 7, they dry rot and crack letting water in the boat.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: help me find my leak

WOW A new record for the week!! This is over 10 1/2 years old.

Welcome to iboats RSos

We normally leave OLD posts in the archives unless the Original Poster (author) brings them up again to the top.

We sincerely appreciate all contributions and encourage people to be active member's.

I will close this post and let it die out a peaceful death.

Once again welcome.