Quick repair to hull of H14 - tools, materials, technique

Hi everyone -

I am desperate for advice in the next few days, and didn't get a response to my earlier post (14060) . . .

I have a very old H14 that is on the beach, and has a leak in one pontoon. I want to do the repair on the beach. I'm not looking to do a definitive repair, just to patch it well enough to make it through the rest of the season. Please offer whatever advice you can, about how to locate the leak (while on the beach), what tools and materials to use to patch the leak, and how to actually do the patching.

Thanks, and sorry for repeat-posting.

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Broward County, FL
1984 Hobie 16, Olympic Edition (kept in NY)

How remote is this beach the boat is on? Do you have access to electricity, or compressed air? How about a fresh water supply...is there one near the boat?

First step is to locate the leak. It's easier with two people, but can be done by one. Fill a spray bottle with soapy water. Pressurize the hull and then spray it down with the soapy water and look for bubbles. To pressurize the hull, I usually pull out the drain plug and insert a piece of rubber tubing into the plug hole. Then blow several lung-fulls of air into the hull and clamp off the hose.

The method of repairing the leak depends on the location and severity of the leak.

sm

Hi guys,

Thanks for those replies. In answer, there is no electricity, and I don't have any specialized equipment such as an air compressor. Just a pretty basic set of home handyman tools. I can walk from the house to the beach, but can't get the hobie through that way - path isn't big enough, so transporting the hobie to the house is a real pain.

There is a crack along the bottom of that hull, runs lengthways right along the ridge at the bottom of the hull. I'm not sure, but suspect it might be where the leak is.

I'm not sure I understood what kind of tubing you were using and how you blew air in to find the leak.

Also - can I use marine epoxy putty, and just kind of stuff it into the crack as a short-term fix?

_________________
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Broward County, FL
1984 Hobie 16, Olympic Edition (kept in NY)

This is starting to sound like it's not going to be a minor repair. Since it's a 14, why don't you take one hull off the frame work at a time and with a friend or two carry it down the path to your house where you can do a more sanitary repair. To do this you'll need to drop (I mean lower) the mast first. Maybe you could tip the boat over on the beach and take some digital photos of the crack so we can get a better idea of what you're up against. This will help us offer better advice to you.

@ Mr. Buchanan -

Thanks for your help so far on this. My main concern is that I want to use the boat this coming weekend, and I don't have time to take a pontoon off and take it to the yard and then re-attach it. I'm looking for a "quick fix" - well aware that it will be at best a temporizing measure. Is my idea of using marine epoxy putty just ridiculous? Or will it keep the water out for a weekend?

@srm -

What kind of hose do you use to find the leak, and how to you hook that up?

Thanks, Paris.

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Broward County, FL
1984 Hobie 16, Olympic Edition (kept in NY)

Any type of flexible hose about 6 inches long will work. Just has to have a snug fit in the drain plug hole so the air doesn't leak out. You can wrap electrical tape around the end to get a tight fit. Then just blow several lung fulls of air into the hull and clamp off the hose with vice grips. Spray down the areas that you suspect to leak and look for bubbles.

If your boat has a crack along the keel line, then that's likely your problem - do the bubble test to be sure. I'd fix it with polyester resin and fiberglass cloth, not epoxy putty. You need to repair broken fiberglass with new fiberglass - putty is not nearly as strong. Flip the boat over, sand and clean the damage, mask off the area and then lay up your glass. A "quickie" repair shouldn't take too long.

sm

Marine Tex will solve all your problems quick easy tough

Marine Tex is not as strong as a proper repair with fiberglass cloth and either polyester or epoxy resin. If the hull is cracked through, marine tex will likely not solve the problem- any flexing and the marine tex will crack. Marine tex is great for filling gouges and other types of non-structural repairs, but it is not suitable for structural repairs IMO.

sm