Small hole lots of water

[ahmincha]

Hello all, Well took boat out for first time ran good for a while then motor stopped and had to be towed in But thats not the issue right now. My ? is we were taking in some water bilge was keeping up so when we finally got the boat out of the water I noticed there was water coming out of a screw hole about 3/16".
I am curious as to how much water would come into that size hole and will filling hole with 5200 be sufficient

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Small hole lots of water

Not a lot. Try it. If it doesn't work try something else. 3M 5200 seems to be an excellent choice for a marine sealant....just googled it and checked the specs.

HTH,
Mark

 

[NYBo]

Re: Small hole lots of water

Need more information. Aluminum or fiberglass hull? Where exactly is the hole?

 

[ahmincha]

Re: Small hole lots of water

Fiberglass hull the hole is on transom about 1 1/2" from bottom

 

[NYBo]

Re: Small hole lots of water

Fiberglass hull the hole is on transom about 1 1/2" from bottom

:facepalm:
That's pretty much the worst possible scenario. How long has this been going on? If the transom is wood-cored like most are, you need to be concerned about rot.

 

[Augoose]

Re: Small hole lots of water

Fiberglass hull the hole is on transom about 1 1/2" from bottom

3/16" deep, wide, what? How long has the hole been there? Did a screw from a component like a transducer come out? Sealing it with 5200 would work however you are just treating the surface symptom (water getting in) while the greater concern is saturation of the transom if the hole has been there for some time.

 

[ahmincha]

Re: Small hole lots of water

It was from a screw i moved the depth finder filled one hole missed the second one only been in water once for around six hours

 

[NYBo]

Re: Small hole lots of water

It was from a screw i moved the depth finder filled one hole missed the second one only been in water once for around six hours

So this hole goes all the way through the transom, eh? You should be okay. Just let the transom dry out completely before sealing the hole. You don't want to seal any water in there.

 

[ahmincha]

Re: Small hole lots of water

Well thats good to hear So a day or 2 long enough

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Small hole lots of water

The longer the better and if there is a way to put some light heat to it that would be even better.

 

[MAC ATTACK]

Re: Small hole lots of water

I am re-sealing all of my lower transom thru-hull fittings, drain plug and tranducer now. I lifted the front of the boat trailer higher by using a block, took all of the screws/fittings out and placed a box fan to blow in the bilge area. Took mine 2 days to completely dry.

Also, I would use 5200 and put another screw back into the hole.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Small hole lots of water

a hole like that on the transom shouldn't be letting enough water in to run the bilge pump, since the transom is out of the water while you are running. I think you have another problem somewhere.

And I don't get why people are drilling all the way through the transom to mount a transducer? Don't do that again. short screws, well sealed, reduces risk.

 

[ahmincha]

Re: Small hole lots of water

Well we were sitting for quite some time and end of trip we were towed in due to motor problems. I looked all over rest of boat have not seen anything else we will see what happens next time out after i seal it up. I appreciate all your responses

 

[Fed]

Re: Small hole lots of water

Find an old container and put a 3/16 hole in the bottom of it, fill with water and see how quickly it drains.
Measure the quantity Vs time & do some sums.
I think you'll be very surprised at the results.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Small hole lots of water

Find an old container and put a 3/16 hole in the bottom of it, fill with water and see how quickly it drains.
Measure the quantity Vs time & do some sums.
I think you'll be very surprised at the results.

You got that right Fed! People that say a 3/16 dia. hole won't take on much water just don't know, it'll take on an amazing amount of water... been there done that.

I agree with the others, let the transom dry as long as you can before sealing it back up. If you use the 5200, use the quick setting formula. If the quick setting formula isn't available I'd use a marine epoxy that's cure in 24 hrs... like Loc-tite Marine epoxy:

Loctite 0.85 fl. oz. Marine Epoxy-1405604 at The Home Depot

 

[Pony]

Re: Small hole lots of water

Find an old container and put a 3/16 hole in the bottom of it, fill with water and see how quickly it drains.
Measure the quantity Vs time & do some sums.
I think you'll be very surprised at the results.

Agreed. I had this happen to me the second time out in my older 14ft Alumacraft. The PO used a nut and a bolt to fill a transducer mount hole. The nut backed itself off and the bolt came out letting a pretty consistent stream of water in. We were were not out that long and didn't notice the leak until we heard the water coming in hitting the water that was already pooling in the boat. By the time we got back to the launch there was a surprising amount of water in the boat.

 

[ahmincha]

Re: Small hole lots of water

well just to update let sit for 2 weeks filled hole. ook boat out today bildge dry as a bone. Thanks everyone for your comments and help

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Small hole lots of water

I would inspect every screw or opening in your entire transom and re-seal every single one of them. The idea is to not let any water enter your wood cored transom. While some say it will dry out in so and so time, it really will never dry out fully. But to stop any more water from entering, seal everything up, then keep an eye on your lower wood structures (transom, stringers, bulk heads, floor) they are all suspects for rot.