Water in Hull

[TheBronze]

So, yesterday I took the family out for a run in the canal. We had a great time and despite the continuing fuel delivery problem, were able to truck along at about 4/5ths throttle the whole time.

However, when pulling the trailer out of the driveway it made a bit more racket than normal so I decided to double check the hitch connections. They were fine. But when I was shaking the tounge, I heard a noise that I wasn't expecting to hear and was none too happy to hear - sloshing in the bow! We continued on our merry way and I looked at it when we got home.

The main plug was on pretty tight and I had to use vice grips to get it loose. Once loose, it came out fine. Our driveway is on a incline so the bow was down, but I noticed some wetness on the plug. So, around the block to a steep hill I went. I pulled the plug and water came out. A lot. And it was brown. It ran out for a good minute or two before finally petering out. I tasted it and it did not have a salt flavor, which is good, but it was a lot of water and I can only assume that the brown is deteriorated wood.

The wierd thing is that the floor of the boat is solid as stone (otherwise I would not have bought it).

A boating friend of mine says he had the same thing on his bayliner. It was rain water that had seeped in at the hull joint. I'm not so sure I have the same potential, except maybe at the transom, as the front of the boat is just capped with no gap. The other thing is, it hasn't rained since well before I bought the boat, so the water has been in there for at least a month.

The question is: how alarmed should I be? and what can I do to dry the hull out?

[Helmar]

So, yesterday I took the family out for a run in the canal. We had a great time and despite the continuing fuel delivery problem, were able to truck along at about 4/5ths throttle the whole time.

However, when pulling the trailer out of the driveway it made a bit more racket than normal so I decided to double check the hitch connections. They were fine. But when I was shaking the tounge, I heard a noise that I wasn't expecting to hear and was none too happy to hear - sloshing in the bow! We continued on our merry way and I looked at it when we got home.

The main plug was on pretty tight and I had to use vice grips to get it loose. Once loose, it came out fine. Our driveway is on a incline so the bow was down, but I noticed some wetness on the plug. So, around the block to a steep hill I went. I pulled the plug and water came out. A lot. And it was brown. It ran out for a good minute or two before finally petering out. I tasted it and it did not have a salt flavor, which is good, but it was a lot of water and I can only assume that the brown is deteriorated wood.

The wierd thing is that the floor of the boat is solid as stone (otherwise I would not have bought it).

A boating friend of mine says he had the same thing on his bayliner. It was rain water that had seeped in at the hull joint. I'm not so sure I have the same potential, except maybe at the transom, as the front of the boat is just capped with no gap. The other thing is, it hasn't rained since well before I bought the boat, so the water has been in there for at least a month.

The question is: how alarmed should I be? and what can I do to dry the hull out?

Do you have any pictures of her John?

Not sure how to dry them out other than than with heat.
I always store mine with the bow Way Up.

[Tim_Mattson]

I just drained a bow of a Glasspar Club Mariner and it poured out 5 gallons of "Glasspar Wine".We didn`t taste it as I new it was seepage from floor leaks and had been basically making Tea under the decks.
Salt is actually a good pickler so I go fill it up and then preserve what you still have left.Shilshole Wood hulls don`t rot,they do get chaulky but are well preverved versus Lake boats.
If no foam is present ,it can be dried with small heaters under the hull and a tarp to raise the temp,but vented so the moisture flows out.
A light bulb will work too,but sometimes an acces hatch or deck ring can be installed with a peek beforehand to check for loose stringers or plug blocking debris.
Abandoned seat mt holes or small cracks near the seams will let the water in so either cover well or find them and fill them.
Lots of hulls have no drain for certain voids so a new one may be in order,or foam it up after fixing holes.
Goodluck
TM
ps Putting the bow way up is good from time to time but it does allow water to wick up the bottom of the transom 24/7,I`d rather it be once a month to drain.Letting it pool in the midsection seems better for the rear in my mind.

[TheBronze]

"Salt is actually a good pickler so I go fill it up and then preserve what you still have left.Shilshole Wood hulls don`t rot,they do get chaulky but are well preverved versus Lake boats."

I'm not quite sure what to make of that statement?

I store it bow down only because thats how my driveway is. It's been pretty warm here, in the 70s most of the time, but it does get cold at night, so I'll have to do the nightly cap off. Unless someone put foam in there, I don't think they made them that way for this model. Any experts with a confirmation? I can put a space heater under it but i'm not sure how much warmth it will generate. Sounds like a dry, heated storage area woudl be effective.

So my floor is solid, the hull was wet. Assuming I can dry it out should I be satisfied?

Thanks!

[ChuckB]

Glasspar never fully glassed their floors well. That is just the fact. I would get a hole saw, and drill a few holes on each side of the middle stringer and take a look. Yours i believe still has wood stringers, and that is where your "tea" is being brewed. Dry it all out, fill it with closed cell foam, and epoxy and cloth the WHOLE FLOOR. That will save many future problems.
ChuckB

[TheBronze]

Well, thats the thing. As far as I can tell, the entire floor is glassed in. Part of it (forward) looks like the original glass. Therest (aft) looks like it was done in a home shop. (its not bad looking, just not factory fresh (stale)).

Before I put any holes in it, I think I'll run it around the block a few times and put it on the hill again to see if any more comes out. Also, what is the layout of the stringers in there? If I drill it, dry it and then fill it, do I run the risk of blocking any water from moving from the bow to the stern? The water I heard at first yesterday was up in the bow, so its able to move around in there a bit.

[ChuckB]

Looks are deceiving. There are 4 channels under your floor that go from bow to transom. You have a keel stringer, and one port and one starboard from that. Any water that gets into the bilge can go as far forward as the bow eye. I pulled the floor up on a 3 of my glasspars, reinforced the stringers, foamed and sealed the floors, and was much happier with the ride and the non flexing hull. It's worth the effort.
ChuckB

[TheBronze]

Chuck,

Great insight. Maybe this winter.... For now, I am going to pour a gallon or so of Acetone in there, seal it up, drive around for 20 minutes to give it a good slosh and then drop the plug, hook up a funnel and stick a fan on it for a few days. Should dry it out at least. When I do the seats later this month/next month, I have a feeling I will find some nice holes where they mount up....