Sealing the unreachable

[mlines]

Due to the way our boat sits on the dry stack, rain water doesn't drain from the rear drain plug, it seeps forward through a bulkhead into the forward bilge where it collects as there is no forward bilge pump. It increases the damp in the cabin. The forward bilge is meant to be dry.

The bulkhead has rough cut holes in the base of it, along the keel, for pipework to pass through (cut by the manufacturer). The water comes through these holes.

There is an inspection hatch in the cabin that lets me see this bulkhead, but not reach it.

Is there a sealant product that can be applied using some sort of slightly flexible but directable tube to a damp and not particularly clean surface "remotely". It would have to have an element of self-spreading or expanding as being unreachable it is not possible to press or feed it firmly onto the surface.

 

[Stemar]

The problem with sealing the drain holes is that any moisture that does get forward can't get back out to the bilge pump. Is there any way of modifying your slot so the boat drains properly?

If you do have to seal, then I'd be looking at something like this https://www.screwfix.com/p/geocel-trade-mate-roofers-seal-black-310ml/32561, which sticks to damp stuff.

 

[mlines]

The boat has to sit on the rack slightly nose down due to the hull design. The front bilge is supposed to be dry according to the manufacturer and the support forum, principally to conform with regulations regarding the fuel tank. The bulkheads either side of the fuel tank are supposed to be sealed to stop leaking fuel from going backwards to the engine bay or forwards to the cabin, however poor bulkhead finishing does allow water forward in some circumstances, the main cure is to chase down where the water is getting in of course, but sealing the poor finish around the current pipework is a back-up plan.

 

[pcatterall]

Modify the stack??? ( Stupid suggestion probably!)

 

[mlines]

The rack is modified.

Our boat is a Fastrac Keel design. We had it on another companies dry stack for a year and they simply put it on a standard rack. We decided to move to a different drystack as the service was better. The new drystack has a policy of checking boats before putting them on the drystack for the first time. They checked ours and pointed out GRP crazing along the points of the hull that touch the rack.

They told is this was common to see on Fastrac hull boats when combined with "complacent" drystack staff who fail to notice that the weight is not distributed along the hull when sitting on a standard rack but is point loaded instead. They fitted rubber strakes to our allocated rack to distribute the load evenly, having had the hull repaired it has been fine the last two years. However the strakes have the effect of raising the stern slightly which has highlighted the leaking issue.

 

[pvb]

The rack is modified.

Our boat is a Fastrac Keel design. We had it on another companies dry stack for a year and they simply put it on a standard rack. We decided to move to a different drystack as the service was better. The new drystack has a policy of checking boats before putting them on the drystack for the first time. They checked ours and pointed out GRP crazing along the points of the hull that touch the rack.

They told is this was common to see on Fastrac hull boats when combined with "complacent" drystack staff who fail to notice that the weight is not distributed along the hull when sitting on a standard rack but is point loaded instead. They fitted rubber strakes to our allocated rack to distribute the load evenly, having had the hull repaired it has been fine the last two years. However the strakes have the effect of raising the stern slightly which has highlighted the leaking issue.

Had you considered getting a waterproof tailored cover made to keep the rain out of the boat?

 

[Yngmar]

Is there a sealant product that can be applied using some sort of slightly flexible but directable tube to a damp and not particularly clean surface "remotely". It would have to have an element of self-spreading or expanding as being unreachable it is not possible to press or feed it firmly onto the surface.

PU foam with a hose on the spray nozzle. You can tie the hose to a bent open wire coathanger or stick to direct the other end where needed. Should do the trick, but easy to make a big mess, so practice somewhere first if you've never worked with the stuff before. It will expand a lot and is very sticky. Oh, and it's moisture curing.

 

[simonfraser]

Had you considered getting a waterproof tailored cover made to keep the rain out of the boat?

Keeps the boat cleaner, protects it from the UV and sort the way the boat is supported on the dry stack.