[svasey11]

Hello my name is Steve I am a new member to the forum.  I have a 96 Fin a Feather with a 96 Honda 25HP.  I purchased this boat as a project.  It was mostly cosmetic but I rewired the entire boat took a few weeks but well worth it.  My question is I think I have water between the deck and the hall of the boat.  After a couple of hours on the water when walking around there is a small amount of water that seeps out around the screws that hold down the center console.  So what to do?  Do I remove the center console and cut the floor out remove the water logged insulation and replace the floor?  I'm looking for any recommendations.  I love the boat its perfect for my 9 year old son and I to get into skinny water and chase some tails.  The motor pushes us full gear 24-26mph, just curious if the insulation is water logged I might get a little more top end.  Any suggestions/comments would be appreciated.

 

[AfterHours2]

I owned the same year of the Fin & Feather you have and must say you have one rare boat on your hands. It seems to me that there must be a breach in the hull somewhere that is allowing water in the console area. Never had that problem, but with an older boat anything is possible. Check the underside and see If there is any apparent stress/human error damage. That is where I would start. If you ever get consumed by too much work on the boat I will surely take it off your hands Heres a pic of when I first bought it. Sweet Memories! Same center console even the electric board is the same.

 

[AfterHours2]

The hull may have also been under water at a time before you bought it and it is trying to dry itself out. Couldnt help but post another pic!

 

[mark_gardner]

post some more pics,, love them f&f's 

 

[firecat1981]

I would definately start my unbolting the center console and seeing whats under there. If you find soggy foam then it will need to be dug out. If the floor is soft at all then don't hesitate to cut it out too. The center console might not have been sealed right or at all so the damage may be limited to right there if you are lucky, but you won'tknow till you start digging.

 

[Frank_Sebastian]

First off it could be rain water. Do you store it outside? If stored in a garage it may be coming threw the drain plug or some other hull fitting? Lastly is it coming in a crack or hole in the hull?

If all the hull fittings are checked out and and proved watertight take it fishing or pour water into it and see where it leaks. Try to park it inside a garage or on a concrete driveway and look carefully all over the hull.

I hope it is a fitting or drain plug.

Best regards,
Frank_S

 

[svasey11]

Afterhours2 thanks for the offer not a chance I'm getting rid of this gem.  We get lots of compliments every time we go out.  Most people say "Nice Gheenoe".  As far as the boat being under water dont think so but when I bought it there was about 3 inches of water lying in it very bad shape.  Maybe water got in at that time.  I posted some pics of what it looked like when I bought it.

Frank- Good Idea its stored in the garage never sits out.

 

[Un-shore]

That would be the source, that could be bad. can water get under the deck from the hatch area?

is that a hole in the deck where the forward compartment was?

 

[svasey11]

No, water can not get in thru the hatch or compartments it's all sealed. That hole you see in the front is the drain for the livewell. The livewell is out in that photo. It's all been sealed and now drains out the side of the boat.

 

[firecat1981]

Was it sealed before or after you bought the boat? if after you may have sealed the water in instead of keeping it out. The seal around the bottom of the console looks pretty ruff from the pictures and is probalaby leaking. All you can do is start digging.
I recently had an education in floatation foam. it comes in 2 forms, closed and open cell. Some manufacturers didn't use closed cell or used a lower grade of it to save money, and it soaked up water like a sponge. My old gheenoe was like this and apparently carolina skiffs were like this till a few years ago. once I dug enough of it out I found dry foam again and it was all good.
Basically what I'm getting at is you may just need to remove the foam from under the console and replace it, but you won't know until you investigate. Good luck.

 

[richg99]

I spent a fair amount of time on the original Carolina Skiff group site. Not only did I often read about others with a water-in-the-hull problem, I finally experienced it myself.

The "standard " solution, way back then, was to drill a few holes very low in the transom. Tip the boat as high as one could...and let her dry out until no water would come out anymore.

Some guys rigged up a permanent drain system with brass plugs.

The source of the water often was exactly what your picture showed..accompanied..by a lack of 3M5200 or other good sealant in all of the console and other mounting screw holes. Water sits in a hull for weeks; rain comes down and adds more water...and...it seeps into the foam-filled hull.

Are the console and other attachment screws sealed with a good coat of 3M5200 or something similar?. If not, you may have found the source of your problems.

I'd certainly remove the console and start looking around there. No telling what holes have been drilled, for wires etc. , and not sealed properly.

Letting a boat sit outside with water in it is a sure-fire way of asking for problems. They probably forget to remove the plug(s) or to tip it up sufficiently.

regards, Rich

 

[DuckNut]

That is a really nice looking boat. Congrats.

I have to agree with RGH on the many different ways water can get under the sole. But I also know that once the foam absorbs water, it will never dry out and the only way to fix is to replace. Lotta work but it looks like it is worth it.

There is an electronic moisture meter out there that you can drill some hole and stick that thing in the hole and get a reading then seal the hole up with epoxy. The screw holes from anything screwed to the deck are already there and a good place to start.

 

[richg99]

Ducknut is correct that removing all of the water-soaked-foam is the CORRECT way. Some guys just plain didn't want to tear up the decking and replace the foam "logs" that made up the flotation in the original CS hulls.

Another factor is whether or not the manufacturer properly left enough "limber holes"  throughout the hull. Limber holes allow water to drain to the stern.

In one conversation that I had with the head of Customer Service at CS..I was told that the "foam logs" were placed transverse (across) the hull lines. But, that the "logs" were not tightly fit in. That purposeful spacing allowed water to drain back to the stern. How true that was, I don't know, since I never tore mine open. Others did, and they observed that the foam logs were across the hull lines.

A big factor is whether or not your manufacturer used closed or open (absorbant) type foam.

I"d say that very few of the water intrustion problems were hull issues. Most were caused by poor installation methods..... by not using proper sealant on every screw and fastening on the deck.

Lots of consoles; coolers; and other gadgets are added long after the boat leaves the manufacturer's floor.

Owners who left their boat out in the open, full of water.. allowed the standing water to get inside.

If you determine that you have a real water intrusion problem, then do some cutting under the console and see what's down there. 

My issues came to light when I was installing some Smart Tabs ( great product, by the way).  When I drilled the mouting holes, water came spewing out. Some larger drain holes and a couple of weeks with the boat tipped up high stopped the water flow.  Never had a problem after that.....even though I checked the mounting holes a year later.

regards, Rich

p.s. Incidentally, if you buy a small hatch or inspection plate FIRST...and THEN cut your inspection hole to fit, it will make covering your work up much easier. Don't ask how I know this...Ha ha RG

 

[Un-shore]

Like Rich G said, get an inspection hole plate and cut the right size hole where the console will hide it and where the live well will hide it.

 

[svasey11]

Well got off shift this morning and decided to take a closer look.  I removed the center console and found just what I thought water.  The insulation was wet seems to be the type that absorbs water.  So now what, I think I'm going to cut a section out for a inspection.  Where could I find this plate you refer to Rich?  I have attached a few pics to show what I'm dealing with.  The glare from the light in the hole is water.

 

[Brett]

You can stress yourself out about the wet foam
and tear your hull apart if it makes you feel better,
or you can do like so many have before and simply
let the hull dry out. Drain the existing water by drilling
a hole in the transom, then let the hull bake in the sun
for a couple weeks. Don't let it get rained in while it's cooking.
Then after you've gotten most of the water removed,
reseal all the holes properly and keep using the hull.
I've done that with a 13' whaler and an old aluminum boat.

Inspection plates are sold at most marine hardware stores.

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=marine%20inspection%20plates&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=527

 

[richg99]

re Plate...Basspro; West marine; really, any boating store should have them in various sizes.

I put one on my front deck to allow access for wiring...Lots of uses.   Rich

p.s. as Brett posted above...NOT tearing things apart would be my first choice.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_30206____SearchResults

 

[Frank_Sebastian]

Those are good plates and, when correctly installed, are watertight.

If you are trying to "bake out" your hull, black 6 mil plastic sheet or even garbage bags will help concentrate the heat on your hull. If it is possible turning the dark bottom up to the sun might help even more.

At the Whaler plant, they would suspend boats from the ceiling beam and lean them against the wall. Holes were first drilled through the transom and deep into the hull to dry them out.

I know the foam looks wet, but I would weigh it before I did much to make sure it is a significant problem.

Frank_S

 

[richg99]

Yea, don't think that only your particular hull or manufacturer has a water intrusion problem.

My mechanic in Houston told me he's seen all sorts of brands of boats with it. Lack of sealant is probably the most common cause, too.
Rich