Water logged

[boatingbob]

was wondering how long a waterlogged boat would take to dry out, or if it would dry out at all.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Water logged

It takes somewhere between Forever,+ Never.............

 

[oncebitten]

Re: Water logged

I don't think we have enough information boatingbob. What kind of boat is it? Is it a fiberglass hull? Is it just fiberglass construction (all fiberglass)? Is it composite (plywood encased in fiberglass/resin)? Plywood on frame? Traditional wood? Is there foam under the sole? When you say waterlogged, was it sitting at the bottom of a lake, or left out in the rain? Do you know if it was made with epoxy resins or polyester resins?

There was a good article on draining a boat on continuouswave.com about a guy who found an old whaler and drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom of the hull to let the foam drain and air out. I believe he left it like that for an entire year- if I remember correctly. But it had been sitting unprotected for ten years or more, so one year airing out was probably not that bad in the life of that boat.

Holy-cow! I found the article (entry). It's worth a look anyway- it's been four years at least that this guy has been draining this whaler.

http://www.continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage67.html

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Water logged

Dave, Four years to get 1/2 the water out. It is likely the balance will take a lot more than four years to remove. He should put it bottom down to help it drain directly out of the foam. It could shave 10 years off the drying process. He really should either cut out the inner glass and strip out the foam or junk it!

 

[oncebitten]

Re: Water logged

d Agreed! I would have removed the foam- myself. However, that just shows the patient spirit of the boat restorer/builder at its best. d Can a waterlogged boat be dried out? Sure, what are you doing for the next decade?

He'd better not junk it now? d

 

[boatingbob]

Re: Water logged

it's a 13' 7" fiberglass, I know there is plywood in there not sure if there is foam bit there is a hole in front of the bulkhead under the bow and two holes at the rear where the sump area is, the boat has been partially submerged for about a week and I'm wondering if just letting it air with the plugs out for a few weeks while I do some maintenance on it will let it dry enough. it's old prolly 60's

 

[crunch]

Re: Water logged

Weigh it.

Run it across a set of scales (around here there are truck scales that are closed down, but the scales still work)

Launch the boat, re-weigh the trailer, and see if you are water-logged. (don't forget the engine, and fuel onboard)

If you are in any doubt about the deck of the boat, pull a section off... someone around here posted something about a foam corer he made out of thin walled water pipe (1"...cut jagged edge, took a core sample)

You could do the same thru holes in deck... lots of options, lots of ideas here... lol, don't be afraid to poke holes in the floor, or just rip it up.

There is a comfort in knowing what you are standing on is sound.

I started with a few soft spots in the deck, ripped the carpet out, pulled up the rotten deck, and found dry foam, but rotten wood underneath. (someone should b*tch slap the manufacturers for the way they build these things... it's like they want the structure to fail ... DUH!!!! 8)

Rip and tear, don't wait for gravity or old age to complete the job.

 

[oncebitten]

Re: Water logged

Hmm... custom makes some good points and has some excellent suggestions.

The worst rot I've seen has been in sealed chambers- where the water seeps in, but not a lot of air.

If you have sealed chambers and your not sure if they are filled with foam, you might want to test those areas.

The other areas, where there are holes, I would give those a good chance to air out on their own before ripping stuff apart. If, on a hot day, after it has had a chance to air out, you get a damp, warm, musty smell from those holes, then I'd consider ripping it up and seeing what's happening underneath. That smell usually indicates some wood rotting.

 

[woody20]

Re: Water logged

Oncebitten, where you from in mass?

 

[oncebitten]

Re: Water logged

Woody20, I'm in Lunenburg, and you?

 

[woody20]

Re: Water logged

Grafton

 

[oncebitten]

Re: Water logged

Cool. If you're interested in boatbuilding, and just can't get enough of home built boats, a bunch of us are getting together in Ipswich on September 9th. It's our second annual messabout. Most of the folks have built designs in the 8-25' range and most of the designs there are either Glen-L or Bateau (Jacques Mertens) designs, but anybody is welcome, and any boat is welcome.

I might be celebrating my daughter's first birthday that day, but it's a great crowd of people- very friendly. Here's the thread about location, etc.

http://209.190.4.227/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10228&start=60

We expect to get people from all over New England and possibly a couple from NY.

I know a few people from Grafton, mostly people who just moved there recently.

 

[woody20]

Re: Water logged

Sorry if we are stealing this post, Oncebitten lets start a new post.