How much water can I put in my boat?

[1216bandit]

I have got a leak that is driving me banana's and this week I'm going to find it. The boat is the one in my signature and its taking on water from the front. Open up the dog house and you can see it flowing/trickling from front to rear. The plan is to start putting colored water into the bildge with the boat on the trailer and bow down then crawl around underneath and see whats what.The boat sits on a trailmaster "C" channel single axle bunk trailer that is in great shape. I would block the front of the trailer so the jack is not carrying the weight. My question is how much water do you think I can safely put in the boat? I know water is a little over 8lbs per gallons, but I am lost as to what to even guess.
Thanx...Dan

 

[Another retired guy]

Re: How much water can I put in my boat?

Until you know the source of the leak I would say that no amount of water is safe Assuming the leak has just started it could get worse while you are out on the water Do the trailer leak test before going out again.

 

[North Beach]

Re: How much water can I put in my boat?

You really dont need the dye. What year is the boat and do you know what type of flotation you have? and when you say it trickles/flows, is this under power in the water? afterwards while on the trailer? or setting still in the water?

Normally we put water in these boats when the flotation has been removed and we just try to reach the chines on the sides so then it's prob 40 or 50 gallons or maybe even more but again thats on a stripped boat. If you do put water in it and it's setting level then you should be able to see the leaking rivet(s) pretty easily. BUT...I wouldn't put water in the bilge if you have poured in foam flotation.....

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: How much water can I put in my boat?

+1 for NB's not w/ flotation foam advice...

 

[North Beach]

Re: How much water can I put in my boat?

Oh I see it's a 93. That's prob gonna have poured in foam. Heck man we're all poor folks and we don't know about this new stuff hahaha

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: How much water can I put in my boat?

How much water exactly and after how long on the water?
If a gallon or two..I'd just rely on my bilge pump

 

[1216bandit]

Re: How much water can I put in my boat?

Over the course of 4 or 5 hours of fishing the pump will come on several times. My best guess would be at least 3 or 4 gallons per hour are getting into the boat. Water will come in while underway or not and it really is enough that I would like to deal with it.
North Beach, why do you suggest not putting water in the boat if I have poured in flotation?

 

[North Beach]

Re: How much water can I put in my boat?

Well right now you may have a direct pass thru of water. If you go filling the bilge with 30 or 40 gallons of water a good bit of it could become trapped and you'd be stuck with it. And if you do have leaking rivets there isn't a lot you can do topically that really works without removing the deck and flotation to repair it correctly.

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: How much water can I put in my boat?

At 22' the odds of it being just one rivet isn't real good. These hulls flex a lot and when one starts loosening it spreads pretty fast. The bow area is reinforced with several cross member ribs and each one has several rivets. If you're leaking there, you have to get in and re-buck them all.

If it's just leaking down the middle where it forms together then you might get away with just cleaning it up and pouring GluVit down the center. I've gotten away with that before. You just pour it in and let it seek level. It will seep into all the cracks and crevices on it's own.

Also at 22' you may not have any foam up forward and probably none down the center of boat. It's not required to level float, that's only for 20' or less.

 

[1216bandit]

Re: How much water can I put in my boat?

Well right now you may have a direct pass thru of water. If you go filling the bilge with 30 or 40 gallons of water a good bit of it could become trapped and you'd be stuck with it. And if you do have leaking rivets there isn't a lot you can do topically that really works without removing the deck and flotation to repair it correctly.

I thought I read somewhere that leaking rivets could be drilled out and re-riveted from outside the boat? As you can imagine, I really would like to do this without taking the interior apart! Is there anyway other way to identify a poor sealing rivet?

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: How much water can I put in my boat?

Bandit - I found some leaks by keeping the plug in when I came off the lake. The ramp has a fairly steep access road with parking on both sides and I just parked with the stern on the low side and marked all the drips. Turned around and headed downhill and checked toward the bow and finally got her on the level and checked the center. That way I didn't have to fill her with water, it was sort of natural. BTW - All my drips were from corrosion, PO used pressure treated ply for a new floor. I had no leaky rivets.

 

[1216bandit]

Re: How much water can I put in my boat?

Bandit - I found some leaks by keeping the plug in when I came off the lake. The ramp has a fairly steep access road with parking on both sides and I just parked with the stern on the low side and marked all the drips. Turned around and headed downhill and checked toward the bow and finally got her on the level and checked the center. That way I didn't have to fill her with water, it was sort of natural. BTW - All my drips were from corrosion, PO used pressure treated ply for a new floor. I had no leaky rivets.

Sounds like a good idea! This really has got me baffled...the entire boat is in such good condition with absolutely no sign of abuse above or below the water line. If this was something that needed restoration it would be a different story.