My Hobie outback has a leak somewhere

My 2009 Outback has developed a leak somewhere in the hull. I've looked at it closely several times and can't find any obvious thru hull damage. I've hit many oyster bars and rock outcrops down here in Florida's skinny waters but none of the scrapes seem to be deep enough to cause a leakage problem. I get about a pint to a quart of water inside the hull after a 2-hour trip. Is it possible that the two twist lockdowns for the mirage unit can begin to leak after a while? It seems the problem has slowly developed over time and is getting to be more of an issue. Thanks for any help, have a great New Year. Chris

Leaks/cracks around the scupper holes and mirage drive well were not unusual.

Suggest searching the forum for methods to check for leaks in the hull. There are several old posts to be found.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

Thanks so much for the response, I did see your previous posts about this issue which were very helpful. I found the leak at the front of the drive well where the drive unit rests on. I'm thinking of applying Loctite 3035 on the inside wall to eliminate the leak. I can access the area pretty easily, what do you think?

I am not sure about the Loctite product but I think 3M 4693H will work https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/v000074486/

I know that somewhere is older Hobie posts, Matt Miller suggested both a Loctite and 3M product to repair hull cracks.
There are the hull welding techniques if you can access the crack. Both Hobie and Harbor Freight sell welding kits/tools.

In any case, the adhesive must bond to PE polyethylene that Hobie makes the hulls out of.
Preparation of the crack area is critical for achieving the best/strongest bonding.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

Thanks for the suggestion. Product says it good for HDPE so I'll give it a try. Had a hard time finding someone who sold a 5oz tube but got it through RS Hughes in Orlando. I'll let everyone know how it does. Happy New Years!

Great news on the 3M 5693H sealant. I applied two coats because the product came out rather thin. Waited one day between coats. The sealant has remained quite flexible making it ideal for an area subject to stress/minor movement. I've taken two long trips without any leakage!!!