Bilge finally dry...however some cracks weeping water?

K

kirkwick

New Member
Nov 9, 2020
19
Boat Info
2019 Sundancer 460
Engines
QSB 6.7 - 550 HP
I have a new to me 2018 460 Sundancer. I finally got the bilge completely dry after fixing a leaking rudder seal. I have a couple of cracks in the bilge gel coat that are weeping a significant amount of water. See pics. I am assuming these are not leaks but cracks where water has seeped in and now draining.

What is the best way to seal these off? Might not be completely dry.

Thanks,
Kirk
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2099.jpg
    IMG_2099.jpg
    188.5 KB · Views: 267
kirkwick said:
I have a new to me 2018 460 Sundancer. I finally got the bilge completely dry after fixing a leaking rudder seal. I have a couple of cracks in the bilge gel coat that are weeping a significant amount of water. See pics. I am assuming these are not leaks but cracks where water has seeped in and now draining.

What is the best way to seal these off? Might not be completely dry.

Thanks,
Kirk
Click to expand...

is it definitely coming from that crack? judging by where that is, underneath should be solid glass so I doubt any significant amount of water is in there. The part you're standing on looks like the classic SR "bilge shelf" that tends to collect water within. I've only dealt with much older boats than yours, but that area might be holding some water.

A great tip is to dry it all up and use the blue shop rags to trace where the water is coming from. When I can't find a leak I put them all over the place and they turn dark blue wherever water is coming from and makes it really easy to track the source
 
kirkwick said:
I have a new to me 2018 460 Sundancer. I finally got the bilge completely dry after fixing a leaking rudder seal. I have a couple of cracks in the bilge gel coat that are weeping a significant amount of water. See pics. I am assuming these are not leaks but cracks where water has seeped in and now draining.

What is the best way to seal these off? Might not be completely dry.

Thanks,
Kirk
Click to expand...
Was the "Bilge Shelf" completely submerged for any length of time? If so, I have seen them weep trapped water for weeks. Eventually they will stop.
 
Water is definitely dripping out of that spot and 2 others. If I can get it dried out, how do I seal it off for good?
 
It appears you're standing on the wooden block that is glassed into the bilge floor - used for things like a thru-hull depthfinder or seacock. The vertical part with the crack (a bulkhead) probably has wood inside it. I'd open those cracks up wider (you're going to repair it, anyways) and inspect the wood. This allows for faster/better drying. Once dry, you can reseal it in any number of ways... epoxy/thickened epoxy/even some glass, for example.
 
Lazy Daze said:
It appears you're standing on the wooden block that is glassed into the bilge floor - used for things like a thru-hull depthfinder or seacock. The vertical part with the crack (a bulkhead) probably has wood inside it. I'd open those cracks up wider (you're going to repair it, anyways) and inspect the wood. This allows for faster/better drying. Once dry, you can reseal it in any number of ways... epoxy/thickened epoxy/even some glass, for example.
Click to expand...
I agree. Grind open, inspect and seal it with expoxy resin.
 
Your boat should be covered under the ten year hull warranty so contact Searay and let them fix it.
 
Sea Ray is notoriously bad on sealing the limber holes. Which in your case (and mine in the past) is a positive.
I think what you will find is there is water inside of the stringer - they are hollow.
Pull the engine mount rubber plug on the side of the stringer and poke a borescope in there - I'm sure you will see water.
In my case there were shoe box leaks at the back of the boat and water was getting in the aft areas. The fiberglass layup between the transom and stringer was very poorly done and allowed water to get from the aft into the stringer and migrate forward. It took me a couple of years to get all of that ironed out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,120
Messages
1,426,612
Members
61,037
Latest member
wojozobl
Back
Top