Hull leak at cross bar

So I did the shop vac pushing air into the drain plugs (did not over pressure) and then used a good amount of Dawn with water. Some small bubbles at the inspection ports and around some of the crossbar bolts.....I checked the full perimeter at the seam - good. Dumped the remaining water on the top to clean, and low and behold big bubbles around both sides of the crossbars. Tomorrow I will have a look with a mirror.

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Double Take
91 H18SX

I would pull off the crossbar and take a look at the area itself. It could just be the breather holes that John was referring to (I had no idea about them either, not sure if my boat has them, never seen them).

You shouldn't really have air leaking from the bolt holes, but if it's not bad I wouldn't worry about it. Take a close look at the bolt holes when you remove the crossbar and see if there are any cracks or damage. If not, you could just dab some epoxy around the perimeter or on the inside of the hull at the joint between the deck and the hull, but I wouldn't expect it to be a big problem. Are you seeing a lot of water in your hulls after a sail?

Cracks around bolt holes are a possibility.

Saturday went for a great sail in 12 knots gusting 18, crewing for my buddy in his 4 year old NACRA F18.
Spin blocks are perfectly located, what an enjoyable afternoon.

He is very particular about maintenance and is very caring about his 'baby'.
Afterwards, he had about 8 cups of water in one hull....he suspects the trunk may be leaking.

It never ends....

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2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

John, I think I spoke with you re: a new daggerboard last winter. Anyway, I got a couple of very good ones from a chap on Thebeachcats.
Can you elaborate on "breather holes". I have been loosening my hatch covers when I leave the boat, are there built in pressure relief ports?
Lastly, re hatches. I replaced the original "pop out cover" ports on my '84 Magnum. I ordered new ones from the Hobie dealer, they were Viking, & I believe the model is the what you quoted.
SURPRISE- the damned screw holes do not match. I had the boat apart, so I flipped the hulls & laid a narrow strip of cloth/epoxy around the perimeter, on the inside, then drilled new holes.

We moor 'on the hard' in the dinghy yard at our sail club.
So the mast is up, and we unscrew the deck plates or port holes to let the hulls dry out.
Then we cover the tramp/hulls/sheets with a tarpaulin to protect against the sun.

I probably need to renew my deck plates, and yes, I was expecting holes that the holes might not line up.
Maybe this will become a winter project....

This last weekend, we had a large regatta, including the F18 Canadian Championships.
50 boats in 5 different classes, what a lot of traffic!
On handicap, we were beaten by a Getaway, a F16 and two H16s.
Wow, the new H16's can fly upwind. It was fun.

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2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

Easy job. I ordered the Viking hatches from Hobie dealer,basically the same price as anywhere else. The cutout is the same, but screw holes don't match. As someone else stated the edges seemed flimsy, so I inverted the hulls & laid a strip of cloth/resin around the perimeter.
I used SS machine screws with SS nylock nuts & small washers. I think nylon fittings would be fine, but couldn't get them locally.
I think Hobie sells a kit with the attachment bits, but you probably already have a tube of white marine silicone.
If you have any plans to fix small leaks in the trunk walls, or add reinforcement under the front crossbar, etc, plan on doing it while you have the hatch casings removed. That extra inch or so makes a huge difference in being able to reach inside the hulls.
Smear a tiny amount of vaselineor silicone grease on the O ring, the covers will turn smoothly.
Someone asked about how well they seal?
I undid mine on a hot day, & heard a "puff" of air. It lifted the cover. I also turtles the boat in heavy seas. It sat inverted for a good 20 minutes, & almost no water got in.
In 37 days of sailing this year I have yet to drain the hulls.