Leaking Hull - Advice Needed

[jerms234]

Hi all,

Been a lurker for a while and have a problem now that I'd like to ask for assistance with.

Our family owns and maintains a 91' Celebrity 180 bow rider. Toward the end of last summer we discovered water leaking up through the deck floor near the rear on the right side. This spring we removed the floor section above where the water was leaking in and removed the wet flotation foam to expose the hull. There was a transducer mounted on the transom near this location with screw holes that penetrated to the compartment was flooded. I have patched where the transducer was and we test floated the hull today and found that the water was coming through the hull slightly forward of the transom.

I have never done fiber glass repair and after doing a lot of reading here and else where, suspect that the answer is going to be I need to cut our the damaged section of the hull. However this damaged section is probably 2-3 " forward of the inside of the transom.

How do I cut out the damage and without compromising the joint to the transom? Or how do I repair the joint to the transom once I have cut out the damage?

The picture with the red arrow shows where the water was coming in from,

The picture with the blue circle is the damage I suspect is causing the leak. That damage, is directly above one of the runners on the trailer and I can't clearly see the outside of the hull yet. I'll be working to lift the boat from the trailer some so we can see what it looks like from the outside.

Any advice all of you that have been here before would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[tpenfield]

A few pictures of the outside surface of the hull in that location would also be helpful, but . . .

I will assume that the hull cracked in that location from sitting on something hard and localized.

You would NOT want to cut out the hull in that location, as it would open up a can of worms. IMO

If I were doing the repairs, I would grind into the damaged area from both inside and outside the hull to rough it up and get to fresh fiberglass, and then use a couple of layers of biaxial cloth on each side of the hull. Probably would use epoxy resin for best adhesion.

Gelcoat to finish off the outside. Rebuild and re-foam the compartment that you opened up, etc.

 

[gm280]

I agree, grind down to remove the top old layer of fiberglass and smooth that out in prep for new material to go in. You can search on here to see any number of folks that have done that exact same grinding effort. It really isn't that difficult, but I will tell you it is dirty and itchy so make sure you wear appropriate clothing and PPE equipment. A good angle grinder with a flapper disk works the best for doing such grinding. You have to get the old glass out and grind down to good pink colored material again. Once you get to the point, that area is basically prepped. And if you can do the same thing from the outside, you are ready for the repair. It is a personal issue from their. But I would use polyester resin and 1708 cloth to repair that area. I am sure WoodOnGlass will chime in with much better advice and procedures for such a repair. He is the go to guy for such things...

 

[jerms234]

A few pictures of the outside surface of the hull in that location would also be helpful, but . . .

I will assume that the hull cracked in that location from sitting on something hard and localized.

You would NOT want to cut out the hull in that location, as it would open up a can of worms. IMO

If I were doing the repairs, I would grind into the damaged area from both inside and outside the hull to rough it up and get to fresh fiberglass, and then use a couple of layers of biaxial cloth on each side of the hull. Probably would use epoxy resin for best adhesion.

Gelcoat to finish off the outside. Rebuild and re-foam the compartment that you opened up, etc.

Thank you for the advice. The area below this is under the runner on the trailer and I'll be working to lift the boat from the trailer and inspect the area soon.

 

[Woodonglass]

You have been given some good advice from the members so far. I might add that if the transducer has been leaking for any length of time you'd do well to drill some exploratory holes in the transom in various locations about 1" deep from the inside and inspect the shavings to see if they are wet. She's 24years old and could well have developed some issues with the transom and stringers too. Now would be the time to do a thorough inspection of everything. Using polyester resin and 1708 fabric will give a strong and durable repair, but we need, as mentioned, to see the hull from both sides, to give the best advice. tpenfield is pretty much spot on on how the repair will be done, and gm280 is also correct about making sure to wear the correct personal protection equipment. Fiberglass dust is nasty stuff and you need to protect yourself at all times. We'll be here for you and make sure you get this done the best and most effective way possible. Just keep posting pics and asking questions.

 

[jerms234]

No Title

Ok took some time this evening and got her lifted off the bunk so we could see the hull above. Its discouraging that I can't see any signs of damage. So now I'm concerned that the water is coming in through some other place and traveling between layers in the fiberglass for some distance through the hull.

Here are some of the pics of the area below where the water is entering. Water is entering basically directly above the red arrow.

So my next thought is to fill the compartment with water on the inside and see where it comes out on the outside of the hull. Can anyone thing of any negative side effects of this?

 

[jerms234]

Update for you all and hope that I can get some advice.

We filled the compartment with water and the water eventually made its way to the bilge and was draining out the plug. However it didn't come out any other place in the hull. So after floating her some more and playing with different balances and positions we believe the water is coming in from the right stern eye, draining down behind the transom and coming in to the floor compartment from between a small hole between the transom and hull on the inside.

So here is the issue, the Stern Eye is located in an area of the hull that is adjacent to the formed in swim deck and behind the actual transom. In a normal floating level its below the water line about 2". To get to the inside of the stern eye I'm digging out foam from behind the transom through a very tight hole that exists. Its a PITA...

I know I need to get some pictures of the situation so you can better understand what I'm up against but I'd like to ask if anyone can think of a way to reseal a stern eye from the outside without removing it?

Thanks, I'll get you some pics of everything tonight.

 

[Woodonglass]

I don't see any evidence of damage to your hull in the area so I too don't believe the leak is in that area. Here's the deal. If this has been going on for any length of time, your transom could be compromised and the interior core wood could be rotten and weak. What size outboard do you have? Can you raise the motor and bounce on it and not get any flex on the transom? We're gunna need pics to give the best advice. You can also drill holes about 1" deep on the inside of the transom to determine if the shavings are wet and soggy. If not you can fill the holes with 3M 5200 and you'll be good to go after you get the Tow Eye fixed.

 

[jerms234]

I don't see any evidence of damage to your hull in the area so I too don't believe the leak is in that area. Here's the deal. If this has been going on for any length of time, your transom could be compromised and the interior core wood could be rotten and weak. What size outboard do you have? Can you raise the motor and bounce on it and not get any flex on the transom? We're gunna need pics to give the best advice. You can also drill holes about 1" deep on the inside of the transom to determine if the shavings are wet and soggy. If not you can fill the holes with 3M 5200 and you'll be good to go after you get the Tow Eye fixed.

Thank you for the input we did core sample the transom and it appears to be ok. The affected area is very small the issue is going to be getting to the backside of the tow eyes as their buried in foam that is in an area that is very difficult to access.

The boat is an I/O and I have stressed the transom well and am confident it is sound.

Do you have any input on how to seal a tow eye from the outside without removing it?

 

[jerms234]

I should add that the tow eye is not loose so I suspect worn sealant that has degraded over multiple stressing's from tie downs. I will get you all some pictures tonight.

Thanks,

 

[jerms234]

No Title

Ok here are a few pics of the area. You'll note that all the foam I have to dig out is behind the transom from the inside.

 

[tpenfield]

Maybe it is time to stick the boat back in the water and re-check the leak, as it may be originating from a different spot.

 

[Woodonglass]

Are you absolutely certain the leak is NOT originating from around the outdrive Gimbal Housing Seal at the Keyhole assembly?

 

[jerms234]

Are you absolutely certain the leak is NOT originating from around the outdrive Gimbal Housing Seal at the Keyhole assembly?

What I do know is that the water will stop coming in at the location pictured in post #1 when the boat is completely floating, and I have 2 heavier guys sit as far to the left side of the boat as possible and raise the right side out of the water. With the boat in this position, that stern eye is about 1" out of water and the leak stops. The leak location is about 18-20" to the right of the stern drive keyhole, and we DON'T get water in the bilge that we can note. There may be a very small amount of seeping along the bottom of the transom but the vast majority of the water comes into the compartment to the right of the bilge.

Leak rate is probably about 4 gallons an hour.

 

[Woodonglass]

Ok, so it only appears to leak when That tow eye is under water and not under any other condition...Correct? If that's the case then, I'd be removing the foam in that specific location to the extent that I could loosen the nuts on the eye and fill determine the cause of the leak and do the needed repairs. The sooner the better. Removing the foam will not damage the boat and can be repaired.