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 Post subject: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:41 am 
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Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:30 am
Posts: 237
Location: Delnor Wiggins, Fl Peters Twp PA
My brother-in-law and I peddled my 2015 TI about 17 nm or so last week under calm conditions. No waves broke on the bow and no water (to speak of) came into the cockpit. I opened my hatches when we returned home and while there was NO water inside the boat hull when we started, there was more than an inch of water in the hull on our return. There is a leak somewhere.

I'm going to make use of the extra muscle and flip the boat upside down to inspect it. My best guess is that there's a crack around the drive trunks or scupper holes somewhere and I'm hoping to find it. But, what then. What will be the best way to repair a crack?

Any suggestions?


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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 3:17 pm 
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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:25 pm
Posts: 2863
Location: Central Coast NSW Australia
It may not be a crack Bob. Water can get in the rudder tubes especially if the hull is loaded up.
If it was a drivewell crack I would have expected more water in. When my ‘08 and then ‘09 AI’s developed the drivewell crack I had hulls half full of water, many inches deep. Unless of course the crack occurred towards the end of your trip I guess? From ’11 on drivewell cracks are rare and you’d be better off chasing up warranty on your ‘15 if it is cracked.

I successfully repaired a scupper tube crack on my ‘11 AI but I had to add an access hatch in the rear cargo area. I wrapped the column with a pvc pipe split in halves and coated with Sikaflex marine sealant, fixed with cable ties.

Best way to find a leak is the vacuum exhaust pressure test with soapy water.. The top rear drain bung makes a good entry point.


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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:33 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
Posts: 3058
Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
We have had quite a few TI's since 2010, 17 miles with just 1 inch of water is actually pretty good for these boats.
We checked and inspected all of our boats repetedly and never found any major issues like cracked hulls, etc.
We have laid towels in the hull to try and find leak areas many times, it appears water comes in pretty much everywhere, a little here and a little there from all the hatches, the rudder tubes, etc, but the most comes in from the front hatch, even in pretty calm water, and even when just kayaking.
Many times we would go out sailing a couple hrs, and returned with the stern under water with 5 or more gallons of water in the hull. It's just the nature of the beast, and it's a good idea to carry a pump, (I have two).
When going offshore in known rough conditions, we often taped garbage bags over the main hatch and the rear round hatches. I never found a solution.
FE


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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 6:55 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:30 am
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Location: Delnor Wiggins, Fl Peters Twp PA
Thanks Stringy and FE.

The thing that I'm scratchin on is that it was so calm on the water that you could see the bottom for almost our entire journey. The only weight on the boat was us, too. The boat sat high in the water.

The rudder tubes are a bit worn, however. I'm tempted to put the hull in our pool and see what we can see.

Stringy, how did you do the vacuum exhaust test?


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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 7:43 pm 
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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:25 pm
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Location: Central Coast NSW Australia
Bob,
I just realised the TI doesn’t have the upper aft drain plug that my AI had so you will have to work out another solution, but this is what I did:
A few years back my '11 AI hull started taking on water. I did the pressure/soapy water test with no result. I ended up taking a rechargeable high volume, low pressure airbed pump with me to my launch site and with the hull on the water inserted the pump into the aft gunnel drain plug. A rag wrapped around the nozzle ensured a good seal.
No bubbles at first but when I pressed on the rear cargo deck in a certain position, a stream of bubbles would exit from the scupper tube. Turned out to be an almost invisible hairline crack that only opened up when the hull was depressed in a certain way.
It was only by accident that I found it as I was using the rear deck for balance on the slippery boat ramp.
So some leaks are only discoverable using a combination of low pressure air and slight hull deformation.
Problem areas are the drivewell, seatwell and the scuppers so concentrate on those first.

You might be able to tape some thick plastic over an open 8” hatch and cut a small hole in the plastic to take the nozzle from a vacuum exhaust or air bed pump?
Or remove the hatch entirely and use the hatch gasket and screws to secure the plastic sheet.


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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 11:19 am 
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Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:30 am
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Location: Delnor Wiggins, Fl Peters Twp PA
Thanks!!


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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 3:57 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
You might be able to remove the drain plug, then put some sort of fitting connected to some kind of air pump, (maybe a matress inflator).
Pressurize the hull and go around with detergent and a brush to find where the leak is.
FE


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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 4:17 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:30 am
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Location: Delnor Wiggins, Fl Peters Twp PA
That's a good idea, FE. Kind of like looking for a leak on a tire. One issue that puzzles me is the volume of the yak vs that plug diameter. Maybe have to upgrade my air system here - which I have been debating, so maybe this pushes me over the line.

I was crawling around under the boat this morning and did notice what looks like a distended plug. I'll have to check that out more thoroughly when we flip the boat. Still wondering about what adhesives will stick to this hull...


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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 12:19 am 
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Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:21 pm
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Location: Central Florida
For an air supply, we use the exhaust from a small shopvac.

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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 4:37 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 1:27 am
Posts: 442
Dont need much air pressure or volume. Drivewell cracks if fine may not open up until under pressure while pedalling and so may not show in a pressure test. Try wrapping towels around the drive wells and go for a pedal and see if they get damp first. Thats how I found the hairline crack in mine after pressure tests were inconclusive.

Getting anything to stick to the hull with any strength is pretty fruitless


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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 6:40 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:30 am
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Location: Delnor Wiggins, Fl Peters Twp PA
Well, my brother-in-law and I spent today looking for a culprit in the mysterious hull leak. After an exhaustive look - flipped the boat upside down and looked carefully, darkened the garage and used a very bright shop light inside (moved it around all fittings, etc), and then took the boat outside, placed it on the lawn (on top of a tarp with sheets on that to absorb and hold any leakage) and then filled it half full of water, nothing.

The only openings are the worn grommets around the rudder lines.

Is it possible that these could allow several gallons of water into the boat on a VERY flat day?


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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 7:17 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:21 pm
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Location: Central Florida
Try reaching into the hull with your hand and feel around each plastic "pocket" formed to hold the screw-in fixtures like the ones that hold the bungees. We've found cracked ones often when nothing else showed a leak and a surprising amount of splashed water gets in there if there is a crack.

Good news is, if you do find that, unscrew and add a generous glob of silicon adhesive and screw back in will fix it up quickly.

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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:22 am 
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Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:30 am
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Location: Delnor Wiggins, Fl Peters Twp PA
Thanks, Bob. Ill give that a try.


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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:37 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:23 am
Posts: 39
Location: Belfast, Maine
Hi Bob, I realize Ti and AI are different, but I thought I'd throw in my experience with water in my AI hull as it might help others with an older AI. I set the boat on sawhorses and using a garden hose began flooding the obvious places first; like the hatches. Nothing there. When the hose was held over the rudder line exit area, bingo. I could see the rudder line tube syphoning the water in. I upgraded with the free replacement tubes with the internal check valves and problem solved. Good luck with finding your leak.

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 Post subject: Re: Repairing a TI hull
PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 10:37 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 4:30 am
Posts: 237
Location: Delnor Wiggins, Fl Peters Twp PA
Hi Doug!

Thank's for that idea. I'm leaving no stone unturned, so I'll be calling my dealer today.

Regards.


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