Hi All,

I have the smallest of leaks in one of my hulls.(timber)

I get enough water to dampen a car sponge but not enough
to be able to ring any out of it so there's not much, but of course I would prefer none!

I have eliminated all possibilities other than the inside of the case.

Any tips on finding/sealing would be appreciated.

Thanks..

Warm soapy water over anything suspect then pressurise the hull by putting a small hole in one of you inspection ports and blow air (not to much or you might blow your hull apart). Where ever the leak is coming from will bubble up. I found my leak coming from the bottom rudder pindle so suspect everywhere.

Depending where its coming from a little bit of resin might fix the problem.

William

Hi Simon

I'd be more than happy with that amount, but, that small amount could be coming through the hatch covers. I've read on the forum here somewhere that you can gently pressurise the hull with the likes of a hair dryer on low, and then squirt soapy water on with a squirty bottle on the suspect places the air inside should form bubbles on the outside. I've done this with gas bottles after delivery to make sure there are no leaks.

Regards

Thanks guys,

I'll get soaping. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I once had a leaking centerboard case where the plywood at the ends would open slightly when the boards were in. Spotted it by putting them in on the trailer and then shoved one of those car neon tubes inside the boat. Where the light shone through was the leaking area.

Thanks Bill.

Finding the leak is the easy bit! Getting resin into the problem area takes a bit of cunning. I resolved the issue by reversing the pressure used to locate the problem, ie. a vacum cleaner on low suction to create a vacum in the hull. Use a long artists paint brush loaded with epoxy resin and dab it on the leaking area. The suction will draw the resin into the gap where it can penetrate the timber and ensure a good seal. Slowly reduce the suction until a small amount of resin remains on the outside of the join. Problem solved.

Thanks Andrew,

I can stop scrathing my head on how to do it now.

Cheers