Starcraft leaking from strakes

[wishiwasfishin]

Hello All,

I have been reading on this site and checking out all the restorations for a long time. Some amazing projects and info on here. I bought a 18 foot Starcraft open bow a couple of years ago. It was semi restored by the original owner. He put new carpet and got everything cleaned up and functioning well. Motor is a Johnson Powershifter II 85HP, runs good but is a little stubborn on initial startup.

The issue that I am having is that the boat takes on a good amount of water, and it appears that it is coming in through the strakes at the bottom of the Hull. When some water accumulates in the hull on the trailer I can see it come out of the little holes on the strakes. If the plug is in it will slowly drain out of the holes on the strakes.

I remember reading somewhere online that someone had a similar issue and they solved it by drilling holes along the strakes and filled the strakes with adhesive caulking to seal up the inside of the strakes and I guess the rivet(s) that were causing the leak.

Does anyone have any info or experience with this doing this? I know the right way to solve the issue is to tear into it and fix the leaking rivets and use some Gluvit and really seal everything up, but I am not prepared for all that right now and am looking for a quick fix for this season.

I'll add some pics when I get home.

 

[ezmobee]

The strakes are not supposed to be water tight so I'd think you'd be fighting a losing battle on that one. Have you tried sticking a hose in it in the driveway and looking for leaks? I did that on my Jupiter and found a pin hole that was STREAMING water. Slapped some JB Weld on that and like 80% of my leaking was stopped.

 

[dozerII]

As EZ said don't try to seal the strakes it can't be done. Also if your in an area that has freezing temps any water trapped in the strakes will freeze/expand and crack something. Pretty much positive you have loose or missing rivets some where. A really close inspection under the boat will be the only way to find your problem.

 

[jbcurt00]

Yep ^^^

A strake is applied to the bottom of the hull, which is a continous single sheet of aluminum, so unless its leaking where the bow pie cut was made to make the bow rise, its leaking rivets..

Water collects in the hull on the trailer? That should be corrected.

Stored bow up, plug out no water should "collect" in the hull on the trailer, even if stored uncovered. That too should be corrected.

Store it bow up, w the plug out, and well covered.

Else you're allowing mother nature to slowly destroy it. May have already done damage if you live somewhere w snow and ice and freeze, thaw cycles.

 

[wishiwasfishin]

I don't let water collect in the boat during storage. I meant when I pull it out of the water if I haven't pumped it all out yet, or when I have filled the boat with a hose to check for the leak. The boat is stored covered.

When there is water in the boat and the plug is in, the water will drain from the holes in the strakes. So the leak seems to be the rivets that attach the strakes to the hull. I sealed up the holes on the strakes temporarily to test and dropped it in the water. The leak was gone.

So it seems, I need to seal up the rivets that attach the strakes and was hoping I could do it from the exterior so that I don't have to rip out the floor.

Other than the risk of freezing and expansion, is there any reason that those strakes have to be allowed to fill with water and remain hollow?

I read on here (can't find the thread) that the strakes can be filled with caulking which shouldn't freeze, and then the holes can be sealed off, making the strakes no longer hollow and solving the leaking rivets also.

This doesn't sound crazy to me, and I don't really see a benefit to the strakes being hollow and allowing them to fill with water.

So far it doesn't sound like this is a common practice. I just don't want to have to rip up the new floor and go that route right now. I've restored a few boats and know how those type of things spiral. Next thing you know I'm doing a Restoration thread :ambivalence:

Any other thoughts on filling/sealing off the strakes? I also read that newer Starcrafts strakes no longer have holes that allow them to fill with water.

 

[wishiwasfishin]

Found the thread I was referring to. In particular Posts #8 and #11

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...ding-and-hull-repair/532117-leaking-starcraft

 

[jbcurt00]

Starman hasnt been here in nearly 4yrs, and I dont want to post something negative about him or his posts, as he wont be able to defend himself. But given the large wealth of posts, info and number of members posting about Starcrafts, the topic you referenced is just 1 out of many. I wouldnt give that topic significant weight over what others have said, amd said it numerous times, in numerous topics

 

[Watermann]

Found the thread I was referring to. In particular Posts #8 and #11

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat-...king-starcraft

Yeah filling a strake with any sort of goop won't stop a leaking rivet, it won't move in between the hull the rivet shaft to form a seal. There's no handy man in a can fix for leaking rivets. They have to be identified and replaced. I don't even subscribe to re-bucking efforts. Any rivet I find to be leaking is removed and replaced with another solid rivet using 5200 to be sure it seals. Of course you know what that means, get to the inside of the hull to make the repair or live with the leak.