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I wonder where the water is coming from.
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=54559		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Tarzan [ Sun Apr 26, 2015 3:05 pm ]
Post subject:  I wonder where the water is coming from.
When I open the drain plugs on my Wave after being on the water, I will have at least some water drain out. Is this normal? I don't see any obvious places that could introduce water into the hulls. There does seem to be a little space where the cross bars go into the hulls. Could water enter here? Should I put a little 5200 where the bars go through the hulls?
Author:  steviethunder [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 4:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I wonder where the water is coming from.
Hey T, I've heard that water can get in a little bit thru the screws that hold the tramp tracks on the sides of the hulls. I have the same problem. I know everything is tight and re puttied the hatches so I know they're ok. Wait till you dump it and it turtles. If a hull floods then you've got a serious problem. I just grab the front cross bar and tilt the boat way up high till the water is drained out before every sail. If it's a little water I wouldn't worry about it. Just my .02. Sorry not much help. Steve
Author:  Hammbone [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 8:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I wonder where the water is coming from.
I don't think water could enter the hulls through the crossbar tubes unless the hulls are damaged. I took a look inside my hulls when resealing my ports recently, and you can see where the crossbars are at, but the inside skin of the hulls covers the whole area completely. There's basically a metal sleeve embedded in the hulls. The crossbars slide into this metal sleeve.
Same goes for the rudder mounting screws, and tramp anchor hook screws (I have a classic Wave). The screws go into aluminum plates which are embedded into the hulls. You can't even see the aluminum plates or the back of the screws inside the hulls, you just see the inner hull skin with a bump where the screws are.

Unless hulls are damaged, the only place I think water could leak in would be through the inspection ports under the seats, or through the drain plugs if they don't seal properly.
You could also get condensation inside the hulls.

I think it is normal to have some water in the hulls after sailing. A quart is no big deal. A gallon or more and I'd be looking for a leak.

Jim
Author:  BigWhoop [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I wonder where the water is coming from.
From the ports under the seats. The glue the factory uses to seal them dries out after a while and you have to work the pads up and reseal. I used a wide spatula and care so as not to rip the pads. You only have to do about half the pad. The front ones from the front and the rear ones from the rear. I took the screws out and scraped off my dried glue. Don't drop the screws into the hull. They are stainless and non-magnetic. Then reseal with silicon and put the screws back in. Same holes. Maybe I could have gotten away with just resealing with silicon. Maybe you can, but I figured "If I've gone this far...." Contact cement on the hull and the pad, let it flash (like it says on the can, RTFI) not like the guy on Youtube and press them down. Done.

Maybe a quart a season after that.

Have a Hobie day!
Author:  Tarzan [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 6:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I wonder where the water is coming from.
BigWhoop wrote:
From the ports under the seats. The glue the factory uses to seal them dries out after a while and you have to work the pads up and reseal. I used a wide spatula and care so as not to rip the pads. You only have to do about half the pad. The front ones from the front and the rear ones from the rear. I took the screws out and scraped off my dried glue. Don't drop the screws into the hull. They are stainless and non-magnetic. Then reseal with silicon and put the screws back in. Same holes. Maybe I could have gotten away with just resealing with silicon. Maybe you can, but I figured "If I've gone this far...." Contact cement on the hull and the pad, let it flash (like it says on the can, RTFI) not like the guy on Youtube and press them down. Done.

Maybe a quart a season after that.

Have a Hobie day!


If that is the problem will it be obvious by gently lifting up on the edges of the seat pads, sort of a nondestructive testing? What kind of contact cement? Do I need to prep the surface or just scrape it?
Author:  tradisrad [ Mon Apr 27, 2015 7:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: I wonder where the water is coming from.
if you have a shop vac or similar you can direct the exhaust into the drain port and this will create positive pressure in the hull and you can go around with Windex and spray all the hatches, seat pads, cross bar inserts and watch for the bubbles.
in my picture i have the hose hooked to the exhaust of the shop vac and the hose is in the rear port (not the drain; cant check the port hole this way).
I used a heat gun and putty knife to get the seat pad off enough to access the ports and seal with some super 3M marine glue.
Image
Author:  steviethunder [ Tue Apr 28, 2015 4:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: I wonder where the water is coming from.
That is genius! Thanks Trad'! Great, now you've added one more thing for me to do. Hopefully I can find the source and be done with it! :D
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