water in pontoon

[icwingman]

About a month ago my bat was running 30 mph 1/2 gas and 3 people. 22 tracker fish barge w 115 merc ct. the boat started slowing down every weekend down to 22-23 mph with same load. Problem was water leaking into rear port pontoon. leak has to be on top because nothing leaking when on trailer. Drained water out 27 gallons approx 218lbs. now back to 29 - 30 again. Dealer aware of this and will repair when i bring it in. Probably at end of summer, i drain after each use about 2.5 - 3 gallons, after 6-7 hrs on water. I boat in gulf so choppy almost all the time and i go 20 - 30 miles out. So im in the monitor and drain mode for the summer

 

[alldodge]

If you have an air compressor, put some low pressure air in the tank (5-10 psi) and start misting the toon with soap/water looking for bubbles.

 

[bigdee]

Should be easy to find if leaking that bad. You may want to observe how much water spray is getting blowing across vent plug. Hot sun and cool water can create negative pressure and suck water through vent plug. I doubt this is happening b/c you are taking on so much water. BTW those vents can be extended higher if necessary.

 

[glust]

My experience has been that the welded plates that run from the top of the toon to the deck are where most top leaks usually come from. The constant stresses on that area from regular use usually cause small cracks that leak. Pretty easy fix for an experienced aluminum toon welder. It's worth the extra money to find someone who welds pontoons. Their experience as opposed to the guy down the street, even though he may be an accomplished welder, is worth the money you only think you are saving. Last time I had mine into my welder guy I told him, "Give me $200.00 dollars worth". When I picked it up he told me he could only find $100 worth of leaks. Be very careful not to exceed 5-7 lbs of air in the toons. Too much pressure and they become 20 ft long bombs with flying shrapnel. Google it, but not right before dinner. Happy boating..

 

[bigdee]

Be very careful not to exceed 5-7 lbs of air in the toons. Too much pressure and they become 20 ft long bombs with flying shrapnel. Google it, but not right before dinner. Happy boating..

Thanks for pointing that out. I witnessed a 80,000 gallon oil tank destroyed with only 4 psi.

 

[5150abf]

If this a new boat under warranty DO NOT touch it, it will void any warranty you have.

Generally, if it isn't hole left on a weld the brackets at the very front corners or very back corners crack as they are a stress point.

If they don't have drain hole in the back bottom you will ned to have it drilled just inside the weld at the very bottom back of the toon to let the water out.

If you can get to a bung on top adding a small amount of air will make draining a lot faster.

Air them up, again 3-4 psi is good, and start spraying with dish soap and water till you find the leak.,

If it is a larger leak you can sometimes hear it.

Best to let your dealer handle it since they have probably done this before and know a good welder and such.

 

[icwingman]

its under warranty so i let the dealer know, he will take care of it when i drop off boat, i told him when its a little colder out, i live in fl and fish 3 days a week. so i drain it when i come home, 6 hrs fishing give me about 5 gallons, if it gets worse ill turn the boat in for repair. thanks for all the comments