Waterlogged McKee? No problem.....

[series9]

Remove the brass drain tube and then drill a 3/8" hole near the bottom of the transom. Next, get your forklift and.....

 

[series9]

This post was for entertainment purposes only. Don't listen to me.....

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,...... Welcome Aboard,......

A Bud has a 13' Whaler, that years ago, when it shoulda been Junked, He cut a 4x4' square outa the bottom, portside, just short of the transom,....

We needed the floor space in the shop, so it was stood up against the wall, like yer pictures, without the forklift,.....

It stood in that corner, Drippin' water for over a year,....
There was Always a 6' wet puddle under that hole,....

At his insistence, I goobered a patch on it, 'n he ran it several seasons,......
til he broadsided a steel buoy in the St Lawrence River on his way to work one the mornin' in dense fog,....

After it sat in a warehouse for another year or so, He had me epoxy all the busted up pieces back together once again,....
It still floats, 'n still looks like a 1960 something Whaler,...
It's tethered in front of his house on the Black river right now,...

Shoulda junked it 10 years ago, but if the Boss wants to spend the money, 'n waste my time, it's his nickle, 'n I'll always have a job,.....

 

[series9]

It'll be fine. It's a project for my step son. I'm going to leave it like that for two weeks, pull it down, patch it up, rig it and use it. No problem.

 

[ondarvr]

Two weeks isn't going to it, it takes much longer than that. The bigger problem is that if it absorbed water, then released it, it means the foam has broken down and is now open cell like a sponge, not closed cell like was in the begining. If you do let drian completely (if it will) it will at least be back to the original weight. You also need to seal it better than before or the water will get back in saturate the foam rather quickly.

 

[jigngrub]

Two weeks isn't going to it, it takes much longer than that. The bigger problem is that if it absorbed water, then released it, it means the foam has broken down and is now open cell like a sponge, not closed cell like was in the begining. If you do let drian completely (if it will) it will at least be back to the original weight. You also need to seal it better than before or the water will get back in saturate the foam rather quickly.

Yeah, that foam is trash and should be removed and replaced.

Standing that boat up like that will just drain off the excess water and won't do anything for the water that's been absorbed into the foam, the boat will remain heavy and never dry out completely.

 

[series9]

Two weeks is all it's going to get. Whatever comes out, comes out. It'll get closed up and put back in service. I didn't buy it as a collector's item. From now on, I'm calling unsinkable boats "undrainable". This will be my first and last one.

My Proline may be capable of sinking, but at least I can get the water out. This is my step-son's (14 year-old) boat. We'll use it for a couple of years and then sell it.

 

[jigngrub]

Two weeks is all it's going to get. Whatever comes out, comes out. It'll get closed up and put back in service. I didn't buy it as a collector's item. From now on, I'm calling unsinkable boats "undrainable". This will be my first and last one.

My Proline may be capable of sinking, but at least I can get the water out. This is my step-son's (14 year-old) boat. We'll use it for a couple of years and then sell it.

With saturated foam, that boat is no longer "unsinkable" and it will go straight to the bottom like a cinder block... not something I would want for my step-son to be operating on the water (yes, I have a step-son too).

 

[ondarvr]

If you really want yo dry it out quickly use a holesaw and make about a 2.5 " hole. Then use a pipe to ream a hole as far up into the foam as you can. This will allow water to drain much quicker. Not the best option, but a 3/8 hole won't do much.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Over the years, 'n repairs on the Whaler above,.....

The biggest issue is always sealin' it back up,....

The patches, 'n repairs bubble up as it heats, 'n cures,....

Fill, 'n Sand,... rinse, 'n repeat,.... After many attempts, it seals for one more lap,....

 

[series9]

The McKee was actually drier than expected. Only about a gallon of water came out and other core samples came out mostly dry.

Like I said before, though, "unsinkable" boats will not have any preference with me in the future.

So, what's your favorite 14' fiberglass sinkable?

 

[ondarvr]

All 14' boats are unsinkable.....and have the same waterlogged foam issues.

 

[series9]

I think I may keep an eye out for a Wahoo in this size class. It may be a good compromise from the fully-foamed hulls of the McKees and Whalers.

 

[series9]

No Title

We've been using the McKee, and it's fine, but I decided to install a garboard plug in the "lower" hull. Building a sealed, foam-filled hull looks good on paper, but they are all full of screw holes with old sealant. We have cleaned this one up pretty well, but I wanted to be able to let any water out.

 

[series9]

No Title

And the '85 Evinrude 50 cleaned up very nicely. 160psi on both cylinders, fresh paint and decals (Johnson decals matched the black paint better), and a full service. It's running like a sewing machine. Let's hope that continues.

 

[Willyclay]

Looks good! Thanks for the update and pix.