Outback Almost sunk

My brother gave me his ouitback, I had it shipped from R.I. to my home in So California. Here is the problem, I fished a tournement in San Deigo 2 weeks ago and the boat leaks I almost sunk. The tag reads it is a 2005. My brother had it in the water once and it scared him, so there is hardely any use on it.

What is the best way to find the leak? and Do you think it would still be covered under Warrenty?

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you hookem and i will fry um

take it to you dealer. Do a leak test see where the leak is. If its a structural problem you may be covered. read this link, you may should have has a reenforcement kit installed http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=5469

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Brad Stephens
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Try putting your kayak on two horses or two wood blocks and fill the inside of the boat with water. You should see where the leaks are coming from.

Thanks for the information I will try it soon.

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you hookem and i will fry um

Umm... Don't actually fill the boat with water if you've got it up on sawhorses. A couple of inches of water in the bottom will find most leaks.

We usually try to lightly pressurize the hull, then use a soap solution around the usual leak points to check for bubbles.

Either way - focus on the drive well and then the seat scuppers.

Brian C

Using gravity and capillary action to find the leak(s) is like waiting for water to boil...
A shop vac and a roll of duct tape...
Attach the vac hose to exhaust port, secure hatches, find a place to fill the boat with air and fabricate a gasket to secure it in place...
I used the drain plug but "any port in a storm" to pressurize the hull will do the job...
Sponge on soapy water and look for bubbles...escaping air from the hull...
Dots from a marker to later identify problem spots...
Once dry...Marine goop seals the deal...

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Designated Expendable

First...lets be careful with the air pressure. Compressed air, over a large enough area, can store a lot of energy. Stored energy released unexpectedly can hurt you.

If you'll use the spray can type glass cleaner (foaming) on the outside of the hull, you'll need very little air pressure inside. You'll get BIG bubbles that stay in place for a bit. All you'll need for air pressure is a little positive flow into one of the hatch openings (maybe a hair dryer on COOL) with some cardboard or duct tape to seal the opening to the blower.

In the auto business, this is how we find window, roof rail, weld seam, etc leaks. We just turn on the the heater fan to high speed, with all the windows closed, and see what blows bubbles where it shouldn't.

The great part about the glass cleaner is that it dries and evaporates without leaving a slimy mess. A little bit of Acrysol to clean the leak point, and the sealer will work perfectly. Acrysol is available from auto body supply stores, and is basically Butane in a spray can. It's safe on plastics, and I've even used it to clean soft leather without ruining the dyes.

Regards, JimL

Yes. Excellent point. Put no more than a couple of PSI into the yak. We use a high-volume/low-pressure foot pump that's used to fill inflatable kayaks.

Thanks for catching that omission, Jim.

Brian C