How do I find where my boat is leaking?

Question

I have a 16.5 foot fiberglass bass boat. It is a 1990 Sprint Pro Bass 266. I bought it in July from someone who hadn't had it in the water for a couple of years. Anyway, I keep it in a wet slip on the lake. Whenever I go out there, even if I haven't driven my boat, I can turn on the bilge pump and pump water out of it. I would estimate that I can pump about a gallon per day. If I go a couple of weeks, that bilge will run for a pretty long time before running dry.

I inspected the hull and there is one spot on the bottom where it has been pretty crudely patched with epoxy (about the size of my palm).

How can I tell if that is where it is leaking. Also, is it normal for a boat to take on a little water just sitting in a slip?

Answer 1

One may be the drain plug. They can be screwed to adjust for a tight fit. Look for cracks in the Gel-Coat and around bolts and screws in the transom that below the waterline and re-seal with Silicone Rubber.

I suspect the patch work. Boats use Epoxy Resin mixed into the fiberglass. Now I not the expert in boat building. But, my understanding is Polyester Resin should not be used on top of Epoxy Resin. It OK the other way, epoxy on polyester. So, the patch may look like epoxy and may be polyester as it cheaper. You could try removing this and clean down to fiberglass. Now I explain what to do. At the Auto-Parts stores and Wal-Wort, go to the car body repair stuff. You will see fiberglass cloth in a package. It about $4 for 8 sq. feet. More than enough and plenty to save for future use. DO NOT buy the Resin you see. Most likely it the Polyester and sell for around $12-20 for a Pint or Quart, I not remember. You want to be sure to use Epoxy Resin. Look, it come in a small tube for home use and it in a two section dispenser like a hypodermic syringe, about $3-4 (May need two, if it a big patch. Equal parts stir with a Popsicle stick of what ever. Cut about a 10"- 12" square (Depends on the size of the area that was patched) from the cloth and shred it up into small strands. It easy if it cloth and not the mat, but, both work. Make a birds nest of the fiberglass that fit where the patch was. Now you can see your bird nest fit your hole and then make a small patch to fit over from the cloth and leave whole.Squeeze out the epoxy and mix and soak your fiberglass and put into the hole and lay the solid piece over. Take some wax paper from the kitchen and lay over all that and you can use a board and bottle jack to make a press. Leave overnight. Next day remove the press board and wax paper. Sand and paint if you want.

Then if it leak .............. I not know and just wasted your time and money on the patch, sorry!

Answer 2

besides checking that patch, try to see all the thru hull fittings and any thru hull fasteners. They may need to be removed and re-bedded.

Answer 3

look for water...lol  Seriously when you have it on the trailer run some water inside and look for where it comes out.

And it is normal for it to take on a little water while in the slip...

Answer 4

the number one place for a boat to leak is of course, the drain pug on the stern. Try putting in a new one. Next place to look would be the hoses for the live well tanks. Sometimes they leak and need replacing. If you question the patch that's on an existing repair, pull the boat out of the water, sand the patch down and re fiberglass it the right way. Next, check and tighten or reseal every single point on the boat where hardware etc passes thru the hull.

Good luck

Answer 5

try using a smoke bomb of course not too close to the engine see if you see smoke coming from cracks?

Answer 6

Pull the boat out of the water.  While it is on the trailer put water into the bilge (make sure your drain plug is in).  Then watch to see where the water is leaking out.

It is normal for some water to get into the bilge of your boat being kept in a wet slip.  For this reason you should put an automatic bilge pump in.

Answer 7

If it leaks..uhhhh it will take on water in a wet slip.

Pull the boat out of the slip and dry dock it. fill the inside with some water and inspect the outside for the leak. Once you identify where the leak is, patch it. Do you cover the boat? Even a boat with a cover will accumulate water over a period of time.

Answer 8

You have to take it out of the water... and put some water in and inspect the bottom then.... I would say the make shift patch is bad..  Good luck....