leaking boat

[regulater]

Hello everone, I have a tracker pro 17,1993 model. I put it in the water for 1 hour an 45 min. it took on 10 gal of water. it's leaking at four rivits on the bottom of the boat. a man told me that tracker had a rivit that you can install from the bottom. whats the best way to fix it. thanks

 

[pckeen]

Re: leaking boat

Welcome to iboats!

10 gallons an hour is....a boatload of water. There may be more than four leaking rivets. You want to do a leak test, then drill out the leaking rivets, and replace them with closed end blind rivets. Here's a video on how to do it.

 

[SigSaurP229]

Re: leaking boat

10 gallons of water in that short of a time span is more than 4 leaking rivets.

I would be willing to bank either on 4 entirely missing rivets, or a stress crack somewhere in the hull.

In order to tell you how to properly fix the problem we need to properly diagnose it first do a leak test.

If its just rivets missing you will use closed end blind rivets to replace them with. A crack somewhere will be an entirely different story.

 

[regulater]

Re: leaking boat

thanks for the replys. I ran some water in the boat and there was four rivets pouring. I talked to bass pro and they said they don't sell boats with rivets anymore. they said I might find some at lowes.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: leaking boat

Welcome to ibpats.

Take a look at the iboats store and iboats sells rivets. You can get a gun at lowes or napa. I STRONGLY recommend that you do not fill the hull with water. It is not good got the hull, the trailer and not good for the flotation foam at all.

If your rivets are not missing and want a quick repair .....you can use 3m5200 around the rivet head and you will be okay for the season.

 

[regulater]

Re: leaking boat

well heres an update on the leaking boat. I replaced five rivets where the keel cover is riveted on, thats all I could find that was loose. I helped the leak but its still leaking to much. in three hours in the water I ran the bilge pump a total of four minutes, I don't know how much water that would be. don't know what to try now. please help.

 

[NYBo]

Re: leaking boat

Sounds like the problem may be under that keel cover.

 

[pckeen]

Re: leaking boat

Sounds like you have significantly reduced the problem. 4 mins of bilge pump in three hours is much less scary. Did you use closed end blind rivets?

 

[Watermann]

Re: leaking boat

Your leaky tin boat is a very common problem, your not alone in your crusade to stem the tide of flood waters into your hull. For your rivets to be leaking at the keel plate means that they have suffered an impact along with wear and tear. Unfortunately I don't know of any sure way to repair a boat that leaks that much water just with repairs from the outside. That keel plate is also a structural area where the sides of the hull are joined and I doubt that blind rivets would remain viable long term.

I suggest a tear down of the boat to gain access to the effected area, it's the only way to be assured the problem is repaired correctly. After gaining access from the inside you can clean up the mess that will surely be there, replace all the suspect rivets in the keel with solid rivets, repair any cracks and cover the seam/rivets from the inside with gluvit epoxy.

 

[Brian 26]

Re: leaking boat

Sorry I can't answer your question but I had a 94 17' tracker that leaked, I chased the leak for a year until I finally found out it was the water pressure gauge that had corroded in the back. Leaks come in all shapes and sizes.

 

[regulater]

Re: leaking boat

Sounds like you have significantly reduced the problem. 4 mins of bilge pump in three hours is much less scary. Did you use closed end blind rivets?

yes I did use closed end blind rivets, thanks

 

[regulater]

1993 tracker pro 17 takeing on water

1993 tracker pro 17 takeing on water

I had five rivets loose on the keel cover, I replaced them with closed end blind rivets. It slowed the leak way down but still leaks to much, it's about one gal per hour. It was leaking ten gal in one hr an 45 min. I think if I seal the keel cover compleatly with silicone It would stop It.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 1993 tracker pro 17 takeing on water

Re: 1993 tracker pro 17 takeing on water

No. Silicone will not last. Have you inspect the livewell plumbing? The fittings through the hull? The quality of materials used to build the tracker's was not high but mediocre and it would not be a surprise of what can be failing after 21 years.

 

[regulater]

Re: leaking boat

Can anyone tell me if the floor will come out with out taking the decks out? It looks like you can. I think the trouble is under the floor where the rivets were loose. I tryed a couple screws but they striped out. Do you think I could drill the heads off and get the floor out?

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: leaking boat

regulater - I merged your 2 threads since they deal with the same issue.......

Musky

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: leaking boat

Can anyone tell me if the floor will come out with out taking the decks out? It looks like you can. I think the trouble is under the floor where the rivets were loose. I tryed a couple screws but they striped out. Do you think I could drill the heads off and get the floor out?

If you're asking if the fore & aft casting decks need to be removed to access & remove the fasteners holding down the deck (floor, or sole) and then remove the deck, the answer is probably......

I have no idea what '93 Tracker pro looks like, let alone how it's built. BUT, if you can see fasteners, that you think are holding down the deck (floor) and you can remove them, you might get lucky & have 1 or 2 portions of the deck that AREN'T beneath the structure holding up the casting decks, but beyond 1 or maybe 2, I doubt you can remove much of the decking w/ the casting decks in place.

What is the deck currently covered w/? Carpet, vinyl, nothing (already removed?)?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: leaking boat

Want to truly fix the leaks......... get under the decks (remove them) inspect and replace any/all the livewell plumbing and use gluvit on the hull.

The true problems from installing a rivet from the bottom into a blind space is that you may not be catching ALL of the various layers that the rivet is attached to. Aside from the keel cover to the hull there are stringers and cross member's that all attach to.

Gluvit is available here Boat Paint, Repair & Maintenance - Boat Carpet, Fiberglass Repair, Antifouling

 

[regulater]

Re: leaking boat

It's carpet, it has plywood on the front deck and floor, and the back deck is alum.

 

[regulater]

Re: 1993 tracker pro 17 takeing on water

Re: 1993 tracker pro 17 takeing on water

No. Silicone will not last. Have you inspect the livewell plumbing? The fittings through the hull? The quality of materials used to build the tracker's was not high but mediocre and it would not be a surprise of what can be failing after 21 years.

not yet, Ive got to find something to plug off where the water comes in and out.

 

[regulater]

Re: leaking boat

well heres an update, I took the frount deck and the floor out this weekend. The water is comming in around three of the five revits that I replaced. the holes are egg shaped. I checked and Its getting about three gal of water per hour. How do I fix these holes? Thanks.