Leaks

[Max McCarthy]

Hi All,

My skol moth, I have discovered has a leak or two somewhere on it, I have been told it is likely to be around the centreboard case, do you know how to find a leak without taking the boat apart? As I don't want to bit off more then I can chew with this one,

Thanks in advance,

Max

[billytwiglet]

Hi Max

with a ribbed clinker boat, you would expect some leaks. Yours I presume is ply. If the boat has been dry for some time, just try keeping it wet for a few days and you might find the woodwork will 'take up' with expension. If not, then you can try pouring water inside the boat while it's on the trolley. Crawl underneath and you'll soon see where it's coming from! Might need to tip it forward/aft to cover all areas.
Temporary repair can be made with sikaflex 291 (brown or white) which you can gun on from the outside , will set fast and is easily removed. I sealed a split in a plank on merlin 36 and it didn't leak again for a couple of years! There is a more permanent version for grp.

[Nigel]

Hi Max,

I take it that your Skol is fibreglass.

One way is to adapt a bung to house a schraeder valve or similar and put a little (I mean a little) air pressure in. If you can find where the air is coming out, that is where the water will be coming in.

How much water is she taking on?

[Max McCarthy]

Thanks for the help, the boat is taking on a lot of water when sailing, and it makes the weight of the boat greatly increase, from just water, thanks for the help, I will try both methods, and I will report back when I have done them, if they have worked,

Thanks,

Max

[JimC]

Floor/tank joints are another likely culprit.

[Nigel]

Hi Max,

if you set it up so that it is constantly under a little air pressure, you can check tank/hull/deck joints with a bucket of soapy water and a paintbrush

[Max McCarthy]

Hi Nigel,

I will try that, it sounds as though it will work!

[trebor]

Hi Max, another thing you can try if you have access to innards is to put a torch inside ( in the dark ) and see if any light shines out, my Aquabat had a crack just inside dagger board slot, where hull turns 90 degrees into it, the light was easily seen, if it is cracked inside there you may be able to seal it temporarily for season, with sealer. Rob.

[ianmgds]

ahh the centreboard box...or should it be ARGHHHH the centreboard box

[roger]

ahh the centreboard box...or should it be ARGHHHH the centreboard box

definitely ARGHHHH

[Bill-Conner]

Best with cheese sauce or cold in a vinagrete.

[fcdbm]

Leak hunting in a skol moth.

Rule one, DON'T BLOW INTO THE HULL!!
Most people who try to find a leak by blowing into the hull regret it, because even a very small amount of pressure can 'pop' the hull to deck joint. Even the amount of puff to blow a balloon up can cause damage.

The Skol Mk1 has a centreboard case running through the cockpit, dividing it into 2, this makes life quite tricky if you have scooped up bucket load of water on one side of the case but not the other. That's why the later models have dagger boards, (it was also lighter.)

As for leaks, is it leaking into the cockpit or into the hull?

If it is into the cockpit look at the centre board bolt and fit a better seal.

Look also at the self bailer seals, if these even slightly damaged they will leak, especially the Holt Type. Repair kits with replacement seals are available.

If it is leaking into the hull life is a bit more miserable.

I suggest you start looking at how good the hull to deck joint is. This can be quite fragile, the joints were often done with a polyester resin and filler mix that will have become brittle with age. If there is a crack, the water pressure if you are heeled will force a surprising amount of water into the boat. A simple check is to seal with a roll of pvc insulating tape along the joint line. It sticks well a provides a good seal, OK the purists won't like but it is light and simple and quick to do. If it is a big crack, clean out the crack and force a resin and filler paste into the joint.

Then look at how good the the joints inside the cockpit are. If the deck moulding is bonded onto the hull this can be damaged if you have been a bit heavy footed moving about the boat. If this has happened, get the joint dry and glue it back together with an epoxy/microballoons paste forced into the cracks. If really bad, clean up the area and overtape with a resin and fibreglass repair.

Still leaking?? Then look again at the centreboard case fore and aft and see if there are any cracks.

Still leaking??? Then look at any fixings for fittings that may be leaking. Especially the bung in the transom.

Still leaking???? Has the boat ever been fitted with wings? Make sure the holes are not leaking.

Other advice, be patient.

Also resist the temptation to seal with bathroom sealant, because nothing will ever bond to it again.....

Back in 1972 one of the joys of owning a new Laser was it didn't leak and the Laser hull deck joint is one of the reasons why it worked so well and why so many people joined the class. The Laser was the first really easy to own proper racing dinghy.

[Ed]

Rule one, DON'T BLOW INTO THE HULL!!

Yes, too right....or a leaking IC seat either! How do I know.....well yea....you guessed it.

Rule two: never put lube on a sliding seat.

Honestly....just don't do it....ask Dave H.

But everyone does it.....once! It's like something you have to do, even though you have been told again and again not too.

But do stick to rule one.....don't blow into moth hulls!

eib

[Max McCarthy]

Leak hunting in a skol moth.

Rule one, DON'T BLOW INTO THE HULL!!
Most people who try to find a leak by blowing into the hull regret it, because even a very small amount of pressure can 'pop' the hull to deck joint. Even the amount of puff to blow a balloon up can cause damage.

The Skol Mk1 has a centreboard case running through the cockpit, dividing it into 2, this makes life quite tricky if you have scooped up bucket load of water on one side of the case but not the other. That's why the later models have dagger boards, (it was also lighter.)

As for leaks, is it leaking into the cockpit or into the hull?

If it is into the cockpit look at the centre board bolt and fit a better seal.

Look also at the self bailer seals, if these even slightly damaged they will leak, especially the Holt Type. Repair kits with replacement seals are available.

If it is leaking into the hull life is a bit more miserable.

I suggest you start looking at how good the hull to deck joint is. This can be quite fragile, the joints were often done with a polyester resin and filler mix that will have become brittle with age. If there is a crack, the water pressure if you are heeled will force a surprising amount of water into the boat. A simple check is to seal with a roll of pvc insulating tape along the joint line. It sticks well a provides a good seal, OK the purists won't like but it is light and simple and quick to do. If it is a big crack, clean out the crack and force a resin and filler paste into the joint.

Then look at how good the the joints inside the cockpit are. If the deck moulding is bonded onto the hull this can be damaged if you have been a bit heavy footed moving about the boat. If this has happened, get the joint dry and glue it back together with an epoxy/microballoons paste forced into the cracks. If really bad, clean up the area and overtape with a resin and fibreglass repair.

Still leaking?? Then look again at the centreboard case fore and aft and see if there are any cracks.

Still leaking??? Then look at any fixings for fittings that may be leaking. Especially the bung in the transom.

Still leaking???? Has the boat ever been fitted with wings? Make sure the holes are not leaking.

Other advice, be patient.

Also resist the temptation to seal with bathroom sealant, because nothing will ever bond to it again.....

Back in 1972 one of the joys of owning a new Laser was it didn't leak and the Laser hull deck joint is one of the reasons why it worked so well and why so many people joined the class. The Laser was the first really easy to own proper racing dinghy.

Thanks a lot, there sounds like a lot of good advice there, I now just need to go and get the moth, and find those leaks! At the moment it is leaking into both, the cockpit, and hull

[jpa_wfsc]

With a small hull like the moth, a gallon or so of water in the hull, and with two or three people lifting, tip the boat about to find where it may be leaking: Not too much water though as the weight would be a problem. Most likely (given our Skol Moth experience) would be hull/deck interface structure near the shroud plates: I beefed it up a little with epoxy putty and she is almost watertight now. We also had hair-line cracks on the cockpit floor (our Skol is double floored) and I sealed them with a cyano-acrilate 'crack-finding' filler designed for shower trays - worked very effectively.