Taking on water

[bentleys]

Purchased a 12 foot project speedboat. Put her back on the water yesterday (river use only) and drove her for about 45mins, stopped and moored for another 45mins but, returned to find water in the boat. Managed to get her back where we launched from, removed the bung and released gallons and gallons of water.

Appreciate this is an impossible question to answer but.... I can’t see any points where the water could have entered. I did remove the “sleeve” for the bung to paint... could it be that it isn’t water tight anymore? Could that let in that much water?

With a good watertight bung in should you see any water drain after removal?

 

[CliveF]

probably the bung and hull fitting itself. i had that happen on loch lomond under a fixed deck. Took ages to work out where it was coming from.

20 min on the trailer for new fitting and silicone sealer sorted it.

To test its that leave the bung out to dry the boat , refit it and then sling a gallon of water in the bilge and tip it to the back look for drips .

regards Clive

 

[bentleys]

Great, thank you... that’s a great tip.

 

[LittleSister]

removed the bung and released gallons and gallons of water.

To test its that leave the bung out to dry the boat , refit it and then sling a gallon of water in the bilge and tip it to the back look for drips .

The OP's reference to 'gallons and gallons of water' (as if that came as a surprise) leads me to suspect that perhaps there is a double skin, and much of the water was between the skins, rather than in the bilge.

If that were the case, then water in the bilge would not be an adequate test of the bung fitting.

 

[girlofwight]

GRP or wood?

 

[bentleys]

GRP or wood?

GRP

 

[girlofwight]

GRP

Eliminates drying out then.

If it’s not the bung, then an option is to put some water inside her whilst on trailer and see if / where it drips out.

 

[Assassin]

If you add some drain stain to the water you fill the hull with then it will also leave a track along the hull and clearly identify the leaking areas.

You can get it in bright colours now.

 

[Catalina36]

Does it have a stainless steel keel band? I shall spare the embarassment of the builder but I had a brand new boat delivered once with one screw missing from the keel band, right underneath the boat where you wouldn't see it. They'd got as far as drilling the hole for it though.

 

[simonfraser]

salty or sweet water ?

 

[CliveF]

mine was gallons and gallons of water and it came as a massive surprise. It only showed itself when opening the throttle rapidly which pushed the water to the back so it showed above the decking.
It is amazing how much a faulty bung will let in when you are just chugging along admiring the view.

not quite as quick, or embarrassing, as when i forgot to put the bung in my Strikeliner. thank goodness it had static buoyancy and i could reach the hole over the stern. Only took 30 min to bail and pump it out !!!!!

Clive

 

[bentleys]

Leak found! Followed you advise... put the hose on and push water through the drain hole down into the hull and there it appeared flowing out around the non-existent seal of the bung.

You’re right @CliveF it is quite surprising just how much water gets in through there and yep I’ve had a whoops with forgetting to put it in too. Thankfully we hadn’t set off. Both experiences have left me with a deep fear now though.

Thanks all... super appreciated