andyatos
Well-Known Member
After using the usual water with dish soap while pressurizing the hull to find the major leaks when I first got the Sunfish, I thought I had the hull completely sealed. But I've got a minor leak that I can't find. After several hours of sailing I'll end up with about 3/4 of a large boat sponge (8" by 4" by 2") worth of water inside the hull.
The thing is, I've done two painstaking water with dish soap investigations of the entire hull surface trying to find this mystery leak with no luck. No bubbles, no subtle hissing. So, how do I find this thing? Fill the hull part way with water while on the trailer and look for water dripping on to the garage floor?
It appears I still have the same amount of water in the hull when it's windy and there's a lot of water splashing on the deck and I'm heeling and dipping the gunnels as I do when the wind is light and only the hull is in the water. To narrow the search area I thought about taking just the hull, launching it, tying it up or anchoring it, waiting a couple hours then pulling the boat. At least that way I'd know the leak had to be coming only from where the hull was displacing the water it was sitting in.
Any ideas? I really would like to use the inside of the hull for gear storage because my wife and I are using it for day long exploring, beach and picnic outings. I can't do this if I've got some water inside the hull.
Thanks,
- Andy
The thing is, I've done two painstaking water with dish soap investigations of the entire hull surface trying to find this mystery leak with no luck. No bubbles, no subtle hissing. So, how do I find this thing? Fill the hull part way with water while on the trailer and look for water dripping on to the garage floor?
It appears I still have the same amount of water in the hull when it's windy and there's a lot of water splashing on the deck and I'm heeling and dipping the gunnels as I do when the wind is light and only the hull is in the water. To narrow the search area I thought about taking just the hull, launching it, tying it up or anchoring it, waiting a couple hours then pulling the boat. At least that way I'd know the leak had to be coming only from where the hull was displacing the water it was sitting in.
Any ideas? I really would like to use the inside of the hull for gear storage because my wife and I are using it for day long exploring, beach and picnic outings. I can't do this if I've got some water inside the hull.
Thanks,
- Andy