Wow, that was a major leak....

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
My boat has leaked something fierce since I first got it but I never put a lot of effort into figuring out why until this year. I just put a bilge pump in it and ran it often. Well we're planning on taking it with us to the shore on vacation this year and it would be in a slip. Given how much it was leaking it would probably sink. I replaced the transom a month ago and I really thought that would take care of the majority of it because my swim ladder was bolted through rotted wood and the bolts were loose so I'm sure they leaked badly. Well I splashed it a couple weeks ago with the new transom and although it was improved it was still taking on water pretty bad. So last night I figured I would fill it with water a bit on the trailer to see if I could find where it was leaking. I didn't hold out much hope that it would reveal anything obvious, maybe just a bunch of seeping seams or something. Well much to my surprise, not 10 seconds after I stuck the hose in a steady STREAM of water was coming out the bottom!! I was ecstatic because it was a small, obvious, easily patchable hole that could clearly be accountable for the majority of my problem. I patched it with JB Weld Marine and I'm going to stick a hose in again tonight to make sure there aren't any others. Taking it out this weekend and looking forward to not running the pump!
 

ksubigbuck

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 18, 2006
Messages
180
Re: Wow, that was a major leak....

Glad you found it!

If the leak was coming from the bottom of the boat you might want to check out the condition of your stringers. There is a good chance that those are rotted.
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: Wow, that was a major leak....

It's an aluminum hull. It's got a new floor and transom. The hull is just a bit beat up.
 
Top