drying out the hulls

I'm working on a couple of hobie 16's and was wondering if anyone knows a good way to get all the moisture out of the hulls. I had some water in two of the hulls and I feel like they may be water logged. Any suggestions?

Put a bottle of Ron Rico Rum in each hull. Slosh the rum around, so it mixes with the water. Replace each drain plug with a tap. Tip the hull, so the liquid flows toward the taps. Invite friends over. Pour liquid into glasses and serve to your friends. Serve some to yourself. Drink late into the evening. Go to bed drunk. Wake up with hangover. Drink some more to cure hangover. Keep drinking all day. Repeat this process endlessly. Get sent to detox. Now, you will be dried out.

If you are only talking about standing water, just pour it out. But, if you are talking about water absorbtion/penetration, then the remedy is well known - time, dry environment, warmth and...time. On bigger boats this process can take many months or longer - even in a desert environment. Up here in Canada, they`ll dry boats out in a heated, dry shop for a year or more. It all depends on the boat, the access to the affected area and the extent of the penetration.

...you`ll be damn tired of the "rum" by then.



Dave

hmmm, Air circulation in a stock Hobie hull is not particularly good. A port hole in your deck would improve circulation, at the same time weaken your deck. I try to drain as much water as possible after each day, and I would only consider a port opening in my deck if delamination issues would require its installation.

Patrick

I'm not a structural engineer, but I don't think the ports weaken the hulls at all. I installed them in a perfectly good set of H16 hulls and was glad that I did. It really aids in drying out the interiors. If your boat has had much water sitting in it without draining, chances are that the Styrofoam flotation is waterlogged and you are hauling around 10 extra pounds with that. Another bonus with the ports is that you can hang a catbag in them and have some nice storage. It takes less than an hour to install a set and it can be done with minimum tools.
Jack

Just curious! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
My 1992 Hobie 16 [# 99172]always seem to have water inside. Is outside all the time - close to the beach. Amazingly enough the quantity seems to be even higher after a period of not being used (November 2005 - March 2006). Looks like the rain adds somehow as well??? I am sailing on very salty water and the water inside was not....
The hulls are not resting on the ground.
Fellow catsailors tell me not to worry as almost any catamaran has at least some water inside.
Anybody disagreeing?
Anyway: I regularly empty my hulls and am pretty sure the additional weigth (max 1 litre per hull) won't make (too) much difference... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Water that accumulates in hulls that aren't being used is typically caused by condensation. This can ammount to quite a bit of water over a couple months time. If you are in a cold climate, freezing during the winter could cause some damage if there is standing water. I agree that most cats have some water/moisture inside, but it's best to keep it at a minimum.
Jack

Jack

Yes, having proper and suffient air circulation in the hulls is a very good idea. After I sail, I normally don't have much water in my hulls, but i still remove the drain plugs just to dry them out a bit. I will be installing inspection ports on my H16 just to improve the air circulation, that is the key to keeping your huls dry. Also, promptly repairing any small cracks and dings in the hulls with epoxy will prevent leakage.

Where would you suggest putting a port hole in a H 14 ?

How large?

I would reccomend putting 6" or 8" inspection ports just foreward of the pylons. This is where I will be putting mine and I don't think that they will cause any problems on an H16 or H14.

5 or 6 inch between the pylons. No potential problems if not out on the deck and gives easy access while on board (they make goodie sacks to put in them). Seal the edge you cut in the hull with resin, seal the ring to deck with closed cell foam and resin in the screws. Glue the left over foam "donut hole" in the lid for flotation.

A port size of 4" to 5" in front of the pylon is the correct size. If you consider behind the front pylon the the correct size is 5". Anything larger than what I have recommended will weaken the structure.

Bob <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Bob,

Thanks for your words of wisdom, duly noted. As Patrick (yoh) has stated earlier, I have never concidered ports a requirement to keep the hulls dry. I don't understand the obsession with ports. I bought a 1980 that sat for 5 years, yes it had condensation water in both hulls (quart or so) and the plugs were closed. It eventually stopped dripping and it doesn't weigh that much over minimum (not enough for a sailor like me to make a difference). If you can, keep your boat stored with the bows up or lift to drain as often as possible. Leave the ports for structural repair jobs.

There are 2 reasons I like putting ports in a H14-16;

1. Stops the foam from absorbing water which ultimately leads to premature delamination.
2. Keeps the boat closer to minumum weight. Also for mini storage of stuff when actually cruising around.

When first opening up the hulls, take a garden hose and spray around inside getting the bottom of the decks and most of the sides. After the hulls have dried for 24hours and propped up, put in a gallon of distilled water in each hull. Allow to dry for another 24 hours then install the ports.

Bob <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

[color:"blue"] [/color] What is the preferred method of hull surgery?

I would guess there are three choices.

1. Jigsaw- I would guess this is undesirable as the up and down sawing would rip the fiberglass weakening it.

2. a circle cutting attachment for the drill. Never had much luck with these devices especially for a 4 to 5 inch hole.

3. Cut a hole in a piece of plywood and then clamp it down and use a router with a straight bit with a roller bearing which would ride on the circle... Or one of those guide bearings that mount on the router base...

Further to what JMHOYING says, the condensation occurs when the sun goes down, the hulls cool down, which causes the air in the hulls to cool and therefore shrink and this draws air in. The air at nights tends to have very little difference between the temperature/dewpoint, so some of the moisture condenses on the hulls which are cool. Over time this builds up. Being by the oceon/lake exacerbates this. That is one of the reasons why aircraft have fuel drains. (all fuel also has water in it.) If the aircraft sits for awhile you have to drain a bit of fuel to to get rid of the water.

Of course the other kind of condensation occurs when you go sailing without battening down the aft hatch.... wink wink, know what I mean. Although I don't know anyone who has done that.... that often. Hmmmmm seems to be riding low in the water today.....

I found a rotozip saw (scroll saw) with circle attachement (compass) works great! If you don't have the compass you can free hand it just fine. No up and down movement or routers needed.

I cut the holes in my hulls with a router and 1/4" straight bit. It made for a very clean cut and probably performed like your Rotazip. Here's a photo of the blank that was removed.

Jack

I just finished a "drill and fill" and installed 4" ports in front of the fwd pylon. Buy a Dremel tool and a spiral cutting bit! I bought my Dremel (420 series) a few months back and it has been one of the best power tools I've ever owned.

Be forwarned...there is a double layer of glass that adds structural strength in front of the pylons. It would be best to install your ports in front of that. I can measure mine and tell you how far forward of the pylon if you like. I cut through a small portion of it when I made my holes for the ports. My plan is to see how it works over the summer and add a layer of glass inside the hulls around the ports if I see any flex or stress cracks.