Water under the floor of glass boat!

S

S-357

Member
I have a 15.5 hourston and I think there water under my floor. 5 screw holes in the floor have been left open for some years now and I'm suspect it came from there. Reading around the internet some people were taking about cutting into the floor at the stern and making access point to clear out the water. Any suggestions? People who have had this issue and come up with a fix? I just don't want to screw anything up.
Thanks
 
S-357 said:
I have a 15.5 hourston and I think there water under my floor. 5 screw holes in the floor have been left open for some years now and I'm suspect it came from there. Reading around the internet some people were taking about cutting into the floor at the stern and making access point to clear out the water. Any suggestions? People who have had this issue and come up with a fix? I just don't want to screw anything up.
Thanks
Click to expand...

I had water under my glass floor last year. The point of entry was discovered to be a rusty and leaky swimgrid bolt on the transom.
I cut a 4" inspection hole at the back of the deck and vacuumed the water out. Every couple of months I check to see if there is water sitting there, but the guys at Breakers did a good job sealing it up.
My advice would be to make sure you figure out where the water is coming from before you drill any holes.
Hope that helps!
 
Long time ago, but I had a X Sewells 15.5 that I ran the crap out of . That included beaching for shellfish or taking the family swimming on out of the way beaches. I managed to grind a hole in the bow with the beaching. Didnt bother me as I always trailered the boat. But after a few good years, I got 2ft itis. So back to Sewells and bought a 17.5 Hourston . Awesome little boat. Ran from Hardy to Cape Caution many times with no issues. But when I took the old 15.5 into my mechanic to strip all the goodies and put them into the newer boat, he asked me what I was going to do with the 15.5. I had no plans , so he offered me a couple of thousand, as is. He cut the screwed glass out and lifted the bow high to drain and left it for couple of months. It was then given to a family member. I think its still on the water. Hourstons, like DEs are awesome. Takes a beating and keeps on ticking !!! ( as some has already said)
 
Well I drilled some holes in the floor at the stern to put in some 4 inch access holes and low and behold between the stringers in filled with foam. I believe the water was coming in from some old and new holes that were put in for depth sounders and not sikaflexed properly the foam is wet... I put a compressed air blower in one of the holes from the current depth sounder which I drilled larger and right into the compartments of the floor and I have water coming up out of the screw holes for the upholesty that covers the bilge area... dunno where to go from here
 
countersink the screw holes and fill them with thickened epoxy. Put a 4” deck plate access in Bust some foam out and then suck what you can up with a shop vac.
 
Brando said:
countersink the screw holes and fill them with thickened epoxy. Put a 4” deck plate access in Bust some foam out and then suck what you can up with a shop vac.
Click to expand...
This is one of the ideas of where I was heading. One issue where I started for my floor access hole was dead center between the side of the bilge and the other side of the floor. I hit a stringer when drilling down. So my question is... do the stringers go all the way to the transom? If so and I'd imagine they do should I be putting in 4 access holes as I can hear gurgling on the most starboard side of the stringer when I get compressed air and blow it in there?
Thanks for all your suggestions! Don't want to cause myself any extra headaches hahah
 
Not 100% on the stringer layout in that model but dead center of boat just ahead of the bilge is where I would start with one bust the foam out there enough to get your shop vac down to the keel and see what your working with. There should be a stringer each side of the bilge so keep 2”-3” port/stb with the edge of your hole if you decide to add more and be mindful your pilot bit isn’t too long on the outside holes.. you probably need 3 access locations.
 
Tap the floor with a rubber hammer to get an idea where the stringers are and where they end
 
gunnerlove said:
My 15.5 had 2 drain plugs in the deck sump. One through the transom and one forward to under the deck. Pull both and lift the nose.
Click to expand...
My friends 16’ Hourston (which he always corrects me as being a 16’ 8) has the drains in the exact locations on your 15.5 Gunner. I guess this is I second or third? This motion lol!

From the way this post reads it sounds like the originator doesn’t have experience with fibreglass construction?
(I wish I didn’t most days)

Now that you’ve cut the holes do as other people have mentioned and dig pockets foam out and vacuum the crap out of it. I think you’ll find though……that water will continue to magically appear from the the foam maybe even for weeks.
But it’s good you’ve found it now!

The other thing I have done to find leaks in decks is to hose everything down with soapy water and use the discharge side of a small shopvac on enclosed compartments just long enough to see bubbles. But this would be step 2 or three if you can’t solve your water issue. The compressed air method can be dangerous. I have used a wet towel around the vacuum hose to seal it around the openings of the inspection holes.
 
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Well I did it... cut the 4" in hole but I did it over the stringer so I could access both sides on the port side.dont worry I used a little router and didn't hit the stringer which is encased in glass and hard as a rock! Foam is watery ish... the floor is soaked and didn't take much to rip apart with a screw driver. Picked out as much foam as I could. I may take back the 4" deck covers and get a 6" and cut the hole bigger I haven't decided. That being said I still have some water coming out the hole in the transom so I'm thinking there is my issue the transom holes not being sealed properly. Also have some water coming thru the deck screw holes would I put air to it. I drilled a hole in the starboard side of the floor and the plywood is nice and dry. So il marine tex that hole back up and give the transom holes some more time to dry out and marine tex those up. If I am planning to refoam after it has dried out what should I use?
 
Most older boats have some form of water intrusion.
The question is how much time effort and money are you willing to throw at it ?
Potentially more than an old hull is worth.
 
scott craven said:
Most older boats have some form of water intrusion.
The question is how much time effort and money are you willing to throw at it ?
Potentially more than an old hull is worth.
Click to expand...
Yup, if water has been leaking through a hole in the transom for a while, chance are , your transom is wet, or rotted right out, not sure of your skills, but if it was me , I would drill a small hole ( 1/4 “probe hole)just above where the water was comming in and see what comes out, if wood core comes out clean patch the hole and carry on
 
brutus said:
Yup, if water has been leaking through a hole in the transom for a while, chance are , your transom is wet, or rotted right out, not sure of your skills, but if it was me , I would drill a small hole ( 1/4 “probe hole)just above where the water was comming in and see what comes out, if wood core comes out clean patch the hole and carry on
Click to expand...
Oh the transom is wet I know that for sure. When I reef on the engine there is maybe a 1/4 of movement. So I'm going to leave it and not get. The boat was a steal from my buddy who moved away. Came with a low hour honda bf50 and a pile of stuff road runner trailer. I'm not about to start cutting stuff out yet. Tho I know I could fix it myself and I wouldn't mind learning how to do glass work, might aswell add it to the list of skills haha
 
S-357 said:
Oh the transom is wet I know that for sure. When I reef on the engine there is maybe a 1/4 of movement. So I'm going to leave it and not get. The boat was a steal from my buddy who moved away. Came with a low hour honda bf50 and a pile of stuff road runner trailer. I'm not about to start cutting stuff out yet. Tho I know I could fix it myself and I wouldn't mind learning how to do glass work, might aswell add it to the list of skills haha
Click to expand...
Well if this is the case, be careful that Honda don’t end up in the bottom of the ocean
 
S-357 said:
Oh the transom is wet I know that for sure. When I reef on the engine there is maybe a 1/4 of movement. So I'm going to leave it and not get. The boat was a steal from my buddy who moved away. Came with a low hour honda bf50 and a pile of stuff road runner trailer. I'm not about to start cutting stuff out yet. Tho I know I could fix it myself and I wouldn't mind learning how to do glass work, might aswell add it to the list of skills haha
Click to expand...
The cheapest fix would be a 16ft Hourston
 
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