I bought an inexpensive Hobie 14 this summer that I keep on a lake. The port hull has been taking on water. I did a "bubble test" and found some bubbles coming out of a 1/2 inch hairline crack just under the lip that I wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for the bubbles; I also found some bubbles coming from the back of the rear pylon where it joins the hull. Neither looks like a major source of leak but I want to fix them (the drainplugs look ok but are both missing are O rings, so I just ordered a couple on line). These seem like small jobs - what are suggestions for fixing them?
Also, vent tube in the front pylon of the starboard hull is damaged and plugged up (it didn't bubble when I did my bubble test); is this a simple matter of just removing and replacing the foam and vent tube? Looks like I can buy replacement parts on line. I want to do this if I fix the other leaks to make sure that there is appropriate venting.
Also, there are lots of blisters on the sides of the hulls, I am not concerned about the cosmetic aspect, there are no soft spots, can I just ignore these? I can see how to fix these from other postings, but is it really worth the time and work?
Finally, the bottoms are somewhat beaten up, there are a couple of cracks but no leaks. What is the indication for a "bottom job"?
I wish I could post pictures to accompany my questions but I don't see that I can.
Thanks for your help.
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