Leaking Seam

Got the boat in the water for the first time this year....woke up the next day to see a small amount of water in her. Right now I believe the leak is coming from the seam down the center (picture attached), but I think it's coming from under the structural rib (put silicon on the part of the seam we could see).

I'm not positive it's the seam and it could possibly be a leaking rivet, but we hoisted it up, filled it with water and there were no obvious culprits (the seam itself is directly above our middle keel) - so I'm guessing the seam is leaking and it's draining into the middle keel when it's hoisted...?

I'm hoping to find a way to try to seal it without removing the rib (maybe not the most permanent solution...), but that's plan A for now. Any products out there, or anyone with experience getting sealant into that tight of a space? I tried just using a piece of wire with no luck, and the only other thing I can think of would be to use a syringe (but no guarantees with that either....)

Thanks
Tyler

for a second observation - I would put it on the trailer
and put a few inches of water in it to see exactly where
the issues are....... and go from there.

Johnny said:

for a second observation - I would put it on the trailer
and put a few inches of water in it to see exactly where
the issues are....... and go from there.

Click to expand...

Hoisted it to the rafters filled it and didn't see anything, but in the water there is definitely a leak. Which is why I'm guessing it's the seam, that's directly above the center keel, so when it's raised the water on the inside drains and fills the center keel instead of falling to the floor. That's my best guess anyways. Hoping I can try to seal the seam somehow to see for sure before popping any rivets....

Tyler

Get a 2lb can of Goop Coat-it.

I am not sure I would recommend it yet as I just applied it to my seams and rivets, but flex seal liquid really appears to have worked. It cured very well and has one coat of primer on it. $30 at Walmart. If you like I will let you know if it failed and I have made a horrible mistake.

Jimmy said: (about Flex-Seal) "If you like I will let you know if it failed and I have made a horrible mistake."


yes of course, each and every boater here would like to know how it holds up for you.
we would also like to know how do you get it off after it fails.
(I had to use a flamethrower torch to burn it off from a previous owner).






.

JimmyTodd said:

I am not sure I would recommend it yet as I just applied it to my seams and rivets, but flex seal liquid really appears to have worked. It cured very well and has one coat of primer on it. $30 at Walmart. If you like I will let you know if it failed and I have made a horrible mistake.

Click to expand...

I thought of that, but I'm not sure of a way to get that under the rib itself. Unless they come with an extension, similar to WD40 that I could fit under and then just spray and pray...

Tyler

Tyler - is there a seam on the outside bottom of the hull too ? or is it stamped.
I use West System G-Flex 650 ocassionally. Although it is not an all around fix-all,
it does have its place. Epoxy is more flexible than the harder products such as JB Weld.
if you can tilt your boat a little and using some masking tape and your imagination, you
can direct the epoxy to flow into the seam - when that cures, do the same on the other side.
slow setting epoxy stays fluid for at least 20-30 minutes on a cool day.
check out this video: https://youtu.be/Rw5nF2_wZu0

as with any repair - all contaminants must be removed down to bare metal where possible.

Johnny said:

Tyler - is there a seam on the outside bottom of the hull too ? or is it stamped.
I use West System G-Flex 650 ocassionally. Although it is not an all around fix-all,
it does have its place. Epoxy is more flexible than the harder products such as JB Weld.
if you can tilt your boat a little and using some masking tape and your imagination, you
can direct the epoxy to flow into the seam - when that cures, do the same on the other side.
slow setting epoxy stays fluid for at least 20-30 minutes on a cool day.
check out this video: https://youtu.be/Rw5nF2_wZu0

as with any repair - all contaminants must be removed down to bare metal where possible.

Click to expand...

Thanks Johnny, that epoxy is much more fluid than the silicone we were using and may just do the trick.

Tyler

silicone ?????
what kind of silicone have you used ?
and - how much ?





.

Johnny said:

silicone ?????
what kind of silicone have you used ?
and - how much ?





.

Click to expand...

https://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/...-Marine-Silicone-Sealant/_/N-ntlnx/R-I2031161

Hardly any. Just a shot in the dark to see if it would work...

Tyler

okay.

it has been found that some 100% pure silicone products actually promote corrosion on aluminum.
Read the data for the product - it should say if it is safe to use on certain products - such as aluminum.
Just because a product says for marine use - does not make it correct for all applications .

Read, Understand and Follow the instructions for any products you may use.

good luck !!!