Quick fix

[Punter42]

I am sure that this will offend the sensibilities of many people on here but I am at my wits end. I bought a small punt with an outboard engine to have some fun with over the summer. However what I thought was a small managable leek turned out to be a fairly large one under the back deck. The chap who sold it to me, a nice old boy who lives on an old house boat was really sorry but he'd already used the monet to pay some debts. To his credit he spent days with the boat on the river bank patching up the hull on both sides with ply, glue and miliput screwed into place and painted over with bitchimen. However as soon as anyone gets in it the water pressure still forces it's way through! I only have a couple of months left of summer and have very little money left to spend on this. I am wondering if anyone can recommend a fix even if it's temporary. I thought perhaps tar?

Thank you so much if anyone can help.

 

[jamie N]

Hi, and welcome. If the punt is 'berthed' on dry and land, and able to be turned upside down, then most in this parish would say to use Sikaflex to reseal. You also state that the leak seems to only appear when someone gets into the punt. Could it be that the leaking area is 'above' the area of the attempted repairs?
Posting a photo might also stir further responses!

 

[Punter42]

Thank you for the advice, the boat is currently out of the water. It's definitely coming up from the bottom of the boat as it can be seen bubbling up as the water pressure forces it through the seals.

 

[Punter42]

Would people be able to offer an opinion on painting the hull with a tar like the one in this link? Thank you

www.manomano.co.uk/marine-paints/teamac-black-tar-varnish-black-5-litres-1326671

 

[PhillM]

Turn her right side up and fill with water. See where the leaks are. Dry her out and repair them. Expory really is a wonderful thing.

 

[Mandarin331]

The old way to fix such a leak temporarily was hot tar (or better still a modern flexible sealant such as sikaflex - ref JamieN) covered with a 'tingle' or patch of copper or canvas tacked in place whilst the tar was liquid - or before the sealant sets. However this depends on the type of leak, and you don't tell us exactly where its leaking. More details would be helpful. I can't see how painting on Teamac would fix it.

A better fix would be to strip the area back to bare wood and sheath with fibreglass & epoxy - but maybe that's for after the season as you want to get afloat now. Do wear a lifejacket and put some bouyancy under the deck - even it its only filling it with empty plastic milk bottles or such like - so if your patch fails you're OK.

 

[DownWest]

Dunno about tar, despite it being traditional ( lack of alternatives?) But if you can see where it is bubbling up from the inside, does that not give an indication of the whereabouts of the outside leak? My choice here would be Sika 11FC, it is a PU mastic adhesive that sticks to just about anything (use vinyl gloves!) and is not fussy about damp surfaces. It actually helps the cure and stick. Plus, not expensive. A tube at our version of B&Q is around 7 euro. Way easier to apply than tar.
Good luck with it and have some fun
DW

 

[SHUG]

Don't" turn it right side up and fill with water."
Boats are specifically designed to deal with water pressure from the outside only. If you fill it with water you will create other leaks as the wood is pushed away from the frames.

 

[Adamastor]

Here's the flexible fix I used to help a buddy treat terrible car-cancer a few years ago, and considering the leaks have been held at bay for nearly a decade, it works a treat! Chopped-strand mat and "sticky white shite"- you could use Sikaflex, but I know Bostik and they make something called "Sticks Like" which is the poor cousin of what I used. The chop is really just a bridging binder to create a flexible membrane, but it seems to absorb the adhesive sealant almost as well as good clothes do, and the fibres allow the mat you make to flex. Spread your goop over the suspicious area, press in a layer of chop, then more goop, carefully, then trowel the goop smooth before another layer of glass and more goop.

 

[DanTribe]

A traditional quick fix bodge for old tore outs was Synthaprufe, a bitumen damp proof splodge.
I'm not sure if it's still readily available but Wickes do a similiar bitumen damp proofing compound.