Best caulking to use

[badbowtie]

I have a 74 starcraft holiday 18 that I went thru and replaced floor and seats and set it up to fish with. Have been out 3 times know so far and everything is doing great besides when I leave and pull drain plug I have some water coming out. Last week I noticed a loose rivet down by keel so I cut it out and used a sealed rivet with sealer on it figuring maybe that is the problem. Well went out last Saturday for about 5 hours which is the longest I have been out so far and when left probably had maybe three gallons. So I just looked over the haul again and the only thing I see is the caulking down both sides of the keel looks pretty bad so I was thinking I need to scrape this out and re seal. I am not sure what caulking to use at local hardware store. I am leaving tomorrow to head to camp for just over a week of fishing and figured be nice to have re caulked before launching Saturday. Thank in advance.

 

[jbcurt00]

There really shouldn't be caulk along the keel

The hull bottom is 1 large sheet of alumimum, the keel is riveted to it.

Perhaps where the bow diamond plate meets the keel strip and not along the keel strip?

 

[Watermann]

Put some water back inside and crawl under there to see where it leaks out at. Please don't do it without something besides a flimsy trailer jack holding it up when you go under. This way you're not guessing and smearing stuff around hoping to find the leak. Report back on your findings.

You really need a bilge pump with a float switch too.

 

[badbowtie]

The caulking I am talking about is from the front bow eye down to the beginning of the keel plate The caulking is only about 4' long. I guess I will start filling the boat today and see where it is leaking today. I also do have a bilge pump on a float I have it installed on a toggle switch so it can be on float or constant or off. I didn't want it running so I could see how much water I have in it when leaving.

 

[Watermann]

Yeah I figured you had the pump just didn't know about the switch.

Unfortunately the best way to repair leaks is when you have access to both sides.

Someone must of put the existing caulk in the seam. Most times if the keel leaks on these boats it's down near the bottom where the keel plate ends.

 

[badbowtie]

Well I never ended up having time yesterday to fill boat up with water and check so ended up figuring maybe check it out one day this week while at camp. I am getting ready to just head to lake shortly and use like it is today. Access to both sides would of been nice when I had the floor and everything out in January and even thought I really should go to the lake and check it out but man was it cold. Or I should of just flipped it over and removed each rivet and tig welded every rivet hole.