Testing bow thruster for leaks while still ashore

[ajay]

When swapping a bow thruster has anyone any clever idea how to check for possible leaks before relaunch ?

 

[LittleSister]

Short of filling your boat with water and seeing if any dribbles out, I don't think you can. You can usually arrange for the boat to be held in slings for a few minutes once it's in the water to check for leaks.

(Which reminds me of being launched once, and luckily I checked all the skin fittings for leaks before moving off. A boatyard had installed new, stunningly expensive bronze cockpit drain skin fittings (telling me the old standard ones were cracked and I was lucky not to have sunk), but forgotten to tighten them up! Fortunately I was able to be lifted back ashore immediately.

 

[Rocksteadee]

Block off any drains to compartment and fill with water
Or jet wash outside to see if any water leaks in

 

[Alanij]

Just a thought - could you get hold of drain test plugs of the appropriate size, as that's the job they're designed for.

 

[Boathook]

When I fitted my bowthruster quite a few years ago, the yard kept the slings in place whilst at lunch so that I could do a thorough check.

 

[oldgit]

It is usual for the yard or crane driver to ask that you check all your bilges for water ingress before the boat is fully dropped into the water,especially if any work has bene carried out likely to cause leaks, ie, oudrive rubberware or seacocks.
We did have a Princess on our moorings which had a mysterious weep into the hull which could not be traced for ages.
The boat was lifted and the the forepeak filled with water and left overnight on the slings.
The was a tiny crack where the retro fitted bowthruster tube was bonded into the hull.
It was successfully rebonded with no futher troubles.

 

[stelican]

Just a thought - could you get hold of drain test plugs of the appropriate size, as that's the job they're designed for.

I always used blue tack to test bilge pump operation.

 

[ajay]

Just a thought - could you get hold of drain test plugs of the appropriate size, as that's the job they're designed for.

Thanks, was thinking of making up something like a drain test plug, its an odd size tunnel 132mm.

 

[ajay]

Block off any drains to compartment and fill with water
Or jet wash outside to see if any water leaks in

Thanks, good idea, might try that, will have to block off the bilge tunnel to the next bilge then fill, if it all goes wrong it will just run into the next bilge anyway.

 

[Assassin]

Thanks, was thinking of making up something like a drain test plug, its an odd size tunnel 132mm.

You can get the inflatable bladders 100-150mm.