small leak

[Captain Coochie]

After launching the runabout i noticed a little water but wasnt sure if it was from the launch or a small leak . When i got her home she was dry so i assume it was a leak as the water had got out again . I'm smart like that /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Anyway i have noticed some small cracks around the transom and it looks as if someone has put some kind of sealant alongside the frames and planking . Not sure what to do about the cracks as they are as small as just the varnish cracking and the leak was small enough to think it would be lost when the timber swells but then i'm not sure if plywood boats do that /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Any ideas ?

 

[nmiller]

Hi
Unfortunately plywood boats do not take up. This is probably local failure of the glue line or original bedding. Applying sealant on the inside even if successful is a risky solution as it will start a damp patch pushing off the paint and starting rot. You will have to seal the leak from outside. How to do it will depend on how the leaky seam is configured and fastened, so pictures from outside might help.
Nick

 

[Captain Coochie]

The leak is towards the bow of the boat , you know the bit that is hardest to get too /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[oldharry]

Plywood on the vertical sheet in your first pic looks quite dodgy to me; blackening like that is not at a good sign, and often means end grain penetration and rot has started, further confirmed and maybe caused by failure of the glue to the frame resulting in the leaks you have found. Careful probing and checking of the blackened sheeting is needed to establish whether the timber is soft. If so it will not accept being re-glued.

The second pic is presumably the main keel? At a guess I would say that a short scarph joint in the keel has failed here, and caused the assoiated panel glue lines to fail. This is potentially a lot more serious, as there will be little or no strength left in the keel at this point. If it is a scarph, it was made much too short for a stressed member like this anyway.

If there is no scarph, then the keel (which is actually a 'false keel' screwed through to the internal 'hog' to give extra strength, protection and stability) has failed, and needs replacing. Not all that major or difficult a job, though.

 

[Captain Coochie]

The black marks are actually on the hull and i'm not to fussed about them as i think they are surface mould that has been varnished over . I had the same on Cuchilo and they just sanded out but i have checked for softness and it seems fine . I will look further into that when i redo the inside but as i said i dont think it is rot in the ply ( i could be wrong )
The keel looks like it in two parts and the joint you can see is one of them . There are fixing through the brass band about 8" either side of it and the timber is not soft .
I have been all over this boat and there is no rot , well at least i cant find any . Not bad for 1963 eh /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif