While cleaning the interior of the boat (with water hose and shop vac), I discovered I have a water leak from the bilge out through the keel! There a two short cracks, near the bottom of the keel, behind the ballast, that bleed dirty water after I've run water in the boat. Has anyone got a good idea for sealing the bilge? I'm going to lay up a layer of 6 oz. cloth with epoxy resin, on both sides of the keel, but I'd like to stop the leak from the inside, also. Any ideas would be appreciated.
leinfam@earthlink.net
bilge leak through keel
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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len
Re: bilge leak through keel
jim
after an unfortunate encounter with a rock in Boston Harbor (ok, i admit it, it WAS marked on the chart) a few years ago, a small crack similar to what you described resulted and was completely fixed from the outside - some grinding out from the outside was necessary to insure a complete seal - i don't think there is any need to try to seal from the inside also since it is the external water you must prevent from coming in
len
md.frl@nwh.org
after an unfortunate encounter with a rock in Boston Harbor (ok, i admit it, it WAS marked on the chart) a few years ago, a small crack similar to what you described resulted and was completely fixed from the outside - some grinding out from the outside was necessary to insure a complete seal - i don't think there is any need to try to seal from the inside also since it is the external water you must prevent from coming in
len
md.frl@nwh.org
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Ken Coit
Re: bilge leak through keel
Jim,
I'd be much happier sealing from both sides once the hull had been thoroughly dried out. It seems undesireable to me to trap moisture in there that might infiltrate and damage the hull over time, or even worse, the water might freeze.
Good luck!
Ken
CD/36 Parfait
Raleigh, NC
parfait@nc.rr.com
I'd be much happier sealing from both sides once the hull had been thoroughly dried out. It seems undesireable to me to trap moisture in there that might infiltrate and damage the hull over time, or even worse, the water might freeze.
Good luck!
Ken
CD/36 Parfait
Raleigh, NC
len wrote: jim
after an unfortunate encounter with a rock in Boston Harbor (ok, i admit it, it WAS marked on the chart) a few years ago, a small crack similar to what you described resulted and was completely fixed from the outside - some grinding out from the outside was necessary to insure a complete seal - i don't think there is any need to try to seal from the inside also since it is the external water you must prevent from coming in
len
parfait@nc.rr.com
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JimL
Thanks for replies, I have a plan....
Because the boat has been dried out for a long time (I'm in Southern California, inland area), I'm going to pour some exterior latex into that area of the bilge and see if it will wick through. A paint engineer told me it will travel through any water still in the crack, and eventually cure. I'll seal the outside with a layer of cloth and epoxy. Seems I have nothing to lose by trying.
leinfam@earthlink.net
leinfam@earthlink.net