Bass and Hamms
Recruit
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2022
- Messages
- 1
Hello everyone, I was looking through the forums to find some answers to my questions, and really didn't find anything recent. So, here it is.
1984 smoker craft alaskan. 17 foot. console on the starboard side. 30 hp suzuki 4 stroke. I love this boat. Bought it used a few years ago, and recently found that it takes on water while under power with a passenger. The water is only about a couple of cups, maybe a liter or so. Not much, but, I still like a dry boat.
Filled it with water, found no leaking rivets. Transom is good, as far as I can tell.
I would like to take the decking up and inspect the hull from the inside, fix anything I find that needs fixing, replace the foam, and then put the decking back on.
This is where I run into problems.
The deck is metal.
It is attached to the hull with rivets. Lots of rivets. I don't mind drilling out a leaky rivet or two and replacing them, but to drill out ALL of these rivets is going to leave ALOT of holes in the boat. Any suggestions? Any encouragement to alleviate my fears and apprehension of diving into this project?
IF I pull this decking, replace the foam, fix any problems, and replace the decking...how do I keep the foam from becoming wet again? Unfortunately, I have to fish in the rain sometimes. Sometimes (not too often)a really nice big fish splashes lake water all over the deck. That water all must be going under the deck, and then to the bilge...soaking the foam along the way? How do I keep the foam from being water logged?
I included some pics of my boat, and some pics of the metal deck after I removed my carpet and the old crappy carpet that was under the casting/fishing deck on the bow.
1984 smoker craft alaskan. 17 foot. console on the starboard side. 30 hp suzuki 4 stroke. I love this boat. Bought it used a few years ago, and recently found that it takes on water while under power with a passenger. The water is only about a couple of cups, maybe a liter or so. Not much, but, I still like a dry boat.
Filled it with water, found no leaking rivets. Transom is good, as far as I can tell.
I would like to take the decking up and inspect the hull from the inside, fix anything I find that needs fixing, replace the foam, and then put the decking back on.
This is where I run into problems.
The deck is metal.
It is attached to the hull with rivets. Lots of rivets. I don't mind drilling out a leaky rivet or two and replacing them, but to drill out ALL of these rivets is going to leave ALOT of holes in the boat. Any suggestions? Any encouragement to alleviate my fears and apprehension of diving into this project?
IF I pull this decking, replace the foam, fix any problems, and replace the decking...how do I keep the foam from becoming wet again? Unfortunately, I have to fish in the rain sometimes. Sometimes (not too often)a really nice big fish splashes lake water all over the deck. That water all must be going under the deck, and then to the bilge...soaking the foam along the way? How do I keep the foam from being water logged?
I included some pics of my boat, and some pics of the metal deck after I removed my carpet and the old crappy carpet that was under the casting/fishing deck on the bow.
