Under boat help

1967 general marine · Jun 26, 2013

I have a Trihull and smack dab in center it starting to drip water I DO NOT want to pull floor up my question is couldn't I drill small holes smaller than pencil width and plug and re fiberglass patch the bottom? Any body have any tricks it's a 18ft open bow Trihull made by general marine with ranger below on the emblem email me at EDIT

pckeen · Jun 26, 2013

Re: Under boat help

Welcome to iboats!

Can you post some pictures of what the damage is or where this is dripping from? That will help those using these forums understand what it is you are trying to get at?

Can you also give some more information about the boat - do you have soft spots on the floor? What sort of shape is it in? This may also help diagnose the nature of the problem you are dealing with. My concern is both the nature of the drip in the hull, and whether water is collecting and sitting in the boat.

1967 general marine · Jun 27, 2013

Re: Under boat help

It is a 76 Trihull 18ft Volvo penta aq130c engine with a 280 leg the middle bottom is driping water like 3 days after parked floor is in really good shape I can jump around and no rot anywhere I can pm anybody who wants to help with this and will have pics of area

crabby captain john · Jun 27, 2013

Re: Under boat help

You seem much more confident there is no rot than I. If the boat is dripping water through the hull it is holding water- probably absorbing water into the foam. The only way to fix that problem is to replace the foam. If water has intruded for any length of time there may be rot in the stringers - rot usually begins at the lowest point and wicks wicks upward to the floor and transom. I hope you are correct-- good luck.

1967 general marine said:
It is a 76 Trihull 18ft Volvo penta aq130c engine with a 280 leg the middle bottom is driping water like 3 days after parked floor is in really good shape I can jump around and no rot anywhere I can pm anybody who wants to help with this and will have pics of area

Bondo · Jun 27, 2013

Re: Under boat help

1967 general marine said:
It is a 76 Trihull 18ft Volvo penta aq130c engine with a 280 leg the middle bottom is driping water like 3 days after parked floor is in really good shape I can jump around and no rot anywhere I can pm anybody who wants to help with this and will have pics of area

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,.... No pm's needed,...

Post yer pictures right here, 'n We'll All help ya through it,...

1967 general marine · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

hey thank you for the advice i should have said i do not know what it looks like past the main floor here are some pictures of the boat its not a 67 its a 76 it was my typo ive been slowly restoring the old boat when i got it it would only do 16mph gps after a hottank and new valves and carb rebuilding gps speed is 45 not bad for a 4cyl

1967 general marine · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

Update as of naw I have drilled 5 holes 21/2. Feet apart water was clear not dirty so I think I caught this early? What to you think?i will be pluging holes and going out to lake and come home and take plugs out to see if problem is there

DXN · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

Its hard to tell in the pic but are those cracks in the hull? is that where the water is dripping ?

greenbush future · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

That's one colorful boat hull there, it makes the location of your problem very hard to view/pin point. As others have mentioned, if water is already inside the hull, it's a good bet you will have wet foam, and that won't dry out. So you are most likely carrying extra water weight around with you. Better pictures will help suggest the right repair.

1967 general marine · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

The guy that had it before me painted it with some weird paint but the lines are cracks so I'm going to sand and re fiberglass where cracks are View attachment 200661

crabby captain john · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

Looks like it was dropped from a 10 story building...

1967 general marine · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

Well I thought this forum was to help people with there questions they may have yes it's a old boat as its a 76 the best part is I don't owe anything for it I don't have some boat that cost 20.000 and on I came here to get advice and help not hey looks like **** or haha looks like it was dropped from a building like I said before its a old boat and I'm starting to restore it

Raist11 · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

I think everyone is trying to help you. Reading this thread I think the problem is you were very adamant that you didn't want to pull the floor. Problem is, from what you're describing it sounds like you need to. From my understanding it seems you want to drill holes to drain, patch them and go on. But that's a bandaid and you won't get much support for that here. Proper repairs are the business here. If you have that much water, you'll need to properly inspect for wet foam and rot. Trust me, check my thread.. foam can hold a lot of water.

You can see the boat in person, so your pics make sense. For us though it's very hard to make heads or tails of. Which is the cause of a comment about the different colors. Don't be upset, there is a LOT of great help here and a lot of experience. Just try to give the details they need and I guarantee they'll try to steer you in the right direction.

Most of all, Good Luck! I know with my old crappy boat I can use a lot of luck!

jbcurt00 · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

1967 general marine said:
Well I thought this forum was to help people with there questions they may have yes it's a old boat as its a 76 the best part is I don't owe anything for it I don't have some boat that cost 20.000 and on I came here to get advice and help not hey looks like **** or haha looks like it was dropped from a building like I said before its a old boat and I'm starting to restore it

The views of 1 do not express the views of the whole.

That said, I haven't looked at length at the pix you posted, but I did look at the 1 of the cracks. They make it look like the odd paint job by the previous owner was to hide damage.

Give a few of us some time to read your thread, and we'll be back w/ helpful advice. Myself included. Be prepared though, as you said it's a '76 boat, and it is likely to involve more then drilling a few holes to drain water and patching them.

For now, lets get those pix BIG & IN a post instead of attachments that must be 'opened' 1 at a time:

jbcurt00 · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

OK,
1st get a free photobucket acct, it lets you post the pix large & in your post like I did. That way you can quickly scan back & forth and compare 1 pix to another. And makes it easier to follow the text descriptions and see the pix all at once.

If you have any questions about photobucket & posting pix, just ask.

A couple questions:

Does the center section of the windshield close correctly? Misalignment of any kind can indicate certain types of problems below deck.

Is the hodge podge paint deliberately odd? << Does that make sense? Like weird camo or ???? Possibly poorly done cover up to change the color of the boat?

Is it ablative hull paint? <<< In Sacramento, it may have been moored in brackish or salt water, so the previous owner (PO) may have coated the bottom to protect the hull or keep algae & etc from attacking the hull.

The crack has a pencil sized stream of water draining out of it? That looks like a pretty serious crack, not likely to be just cracked paint. It is damaged fiberglass. This pix shows the crack from afar also seems to show 'pink' bondo in the red circle:

That isn't a good sign either

1967 general marine · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

Thank u for the reply the stream was from me drilling a hole to check how much is in there it's not going to be a temp fix this winter I will pull floor up and replace everything I think there was a misunderstanding on my part I did not kno there was bondo at that point that's what sucks when u buy from a person that had a wooden level as his trolling motor bracket I thank you guys for what info you have brought me it was helpfull

1967 general marine · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

Yes the window shuts really good there's no offset or cockeyed I can put in a pic if you would like

jbcurt00 · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

So is it bondo showing in that pix ^^^?

I don't know enough about how General Marine boats were constructed to be wholly accurate, but in 1976, flotation foam should have been mandatory. How that requirement was met, and where the foam was placed will be important to know if you plan to continue to use the boat this summer.

Are there any indications that the deck (floor) has been removed or patched in any way?

That stream of water indicates to me that there is an open cavity that was partially full (or more) of water. How long did it drain that strongly? If it was a foam filled cavity (as many hulls would be) that had been compromised (by the damage repaired w/ bondo) I don't think it would drain for long or that strong of a stream.

If it's not foam filled, and should have been (which we don't know for sure yet) there has been work done below decks, possibly removing & not replacing the flotation foam.

You need to do an extremely through inspection of all aspects of the boat, hull, deck & transom. Look for more areas that have the little voice in your head telling you it doesn't look quite right.

Take & post lots of pix.

You'll also need to get the drill out again & take some core samples of the transom.

Be back in a bit w a pix & info about core sampling...........

jbcurt00 · Jun 28, 2013

Re: Under boat help

To core sample your transom use a 1/4-3/8" drill bit & some masking tape to make a depth gauge @ 1 1/4" up the drill bit:

Drill 8 +/- holes in various places from side to side & top to bottom, at least 1 just below the thru bolts for the outboard. You want to have dry/light colored shavings for every hole. Any dark or wet shavings indicate that the transom may have water intrusion. You can also check for transom flex by pulling up on the bottom of the lower unit of the OB. ANY flex or movement of the transom also indicates that the transom may need to be replaced.

When you inspect the boat, use an awl to probe any possible soft spots. Pay particular attention to places that would hold water when in use or where water might pool while the boat is stored. Put your hands in, under & below every possible place you can. If you can open any hatches or compartments to below deck, but can reach very far underneath, you can try to shoot pix w/ a cellphone or camera. Small video cameras would work too.

The window closing correctly is good news, often they don't because the deck is soft & the consoles have sagged......

As before, post all the pix you can

Under boat help

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