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SUBJECT: # 9643: Hull's leaking...help!

Submitted by AllWet (216.99.62.102) from ALABAMA on 4/13/99 11:18:00 PM

Got a 17' fish n' ski thats about 15 years old when I went to put her in the water the other day I discovered there she was taking on water when running on plane. Doesn't seem to leak when sitting still but the pressure under way seems to make it take on some water. Put a hose in it on the driveway and confirmed that there are some hairline cracks on the bottom of the hull that are letting the water in? Anbody got any suggestions? Otherwise the boats really great mechanically and I'd like to keep it but not spend a fortune on it. Thanks.

1. 4/14/99 12:14:00 AM Joe B (209.213.130.69) from TEXAS says what material is boat built of?
   If it is of fiberglass, it is hard to imagine "hairline cracks" allowing water in because usually these are confined to the outer (gelcoat) skin. The cracks must be more than "hairline" to allow water in under way. How does the hull feel when you hit it with your fist next to the cracks? Is it solid, or does it yield and vibrate? Get a friend who knows about boats to examine it. Are you sure there are no other holes? When you filled it with water (on the trailer) where did the water drain from? Was it the cracks? The good thing about fiberglass is that it is repairable - no matter what. Now, it may be constructed out another kind of plastic (ABS) a non-reinforced kind. Hopefully that is not the case because nothing sticks to that stuff. Email me and I'll help guide you through it.

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2. 4/14/99 12:52:00 AM Dunk (208.215.118.134) from NEW JERSEY says Headed For The Bottom.
   Wet, you need to figure out why the cracks showed up. Joe's right glass can be patched, but its useless if the stringers are rotted. Most Fish N' Ski's are carpeted wonders. Tear it up, next is figuring how to get to where the leaks are at from the inside, through the floor. Unless you scraped a hole through the bottom, your problem must be handled from the inside out. If you have weak bracing members in your hull, this could be causing flexing and the destruction of the glass. It's needs to be looked at big time fast...Dunk

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3. 4/14/99 7:59:00 PM bert (205.188.199.32) from MARYLAND says cracks
   Put it in the landfill before it puts you in a grave. very serious, with a 15 year old boat it is not worth the cost to fix . DONT USE IT

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4. 4/15/99 7:36:00 AM bigmacv (205.175.225.5) from IOWA says leak
   Does the boat have a spedometer????? Beings the boat is 15 years old the hoses or the connections that go to the spedeometer could have gone bad. This is why you could be getting water in the boat when it is moving, the pick-up tube would be siphioning(I know I killed that one) water into the boat when it is moving....... Just something else to check...........

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