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Making progress

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debiby
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Making progress

Post by debiby » Sun Jul 22, 2012 11:07 pm

She has come a long way, we are putting her in the water to soak either in the morning or Tuesday depending on how busy the ramp is. hoping to leave her on the trailer for at leat 2 or 3 days then off to the slip. The top part still needs paint and once it is in the slip I will be hard at work on getting that all done before summer is over.
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Dan Biby
38' Challenger "DreamOn"

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Progress

Post by doubleboater » Mon Jul 23, 2012 1:37 am

Definitivly making real good progress. The boat looks very nice. Keep up the great work. Ps... keep sending pictures we all like to see picture of progress..

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Post by Peter M Jardine » Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:47 pm

Good work Dan.. :wink:

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debiby
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Post by debiby » Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:13 pm

She is now in her slip. Still taking on water after 2 1/2 weeks. It slowed way down 3 days ago but the last 2 days it has been more. Front pump runs about 1 minute every 6 or 7 minutes the rear pump is running about 10 seconds every 6 or 7 minutes, 3 days ago it was every 20 minutes. had some ruff water this weekend so I am thinking the tossing about maybe made some things move a little so hope it will seal up again. I have been babysitting her for over 2 weeks and am getting tired of my boat, something I never thought I would ever say, stress level the first week was way high,after being dry for 7 years she took on water like there were no side planks but that slowed pretty fast, swampped her 3 times the first 2 days but now she is floating great compaired to the first couple days if only the pumps didn't run so much. Any advice? Would taking her out for a run help or hurt?
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Dan Biby
38' Challenger "DreamOn"

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Post by Rugger8 » Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:01 am

Congrats on getting her back in. To answer your question, taking her for a ride would likely help and hurt. In the near term it would hurt in the sense that whatever sediment has gone between the boards would get blown out causing her to leak a little more. Over the longer term, by running her, you will wet boards that may not get wet sitting in the slip, which will help them swell. So, go for it, but have some help so you can keep checking the bilge to make sure you are not taking on too much water. As for tightening her up more, you will probably have to wait til you take her out of the water for the season. But for now, crawl through the bilge and see if you can determine where the water is coming in. Because you will need to look at those areas when she is out of the water again.

Jeff

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debiby
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Post by debiby » Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:37 am

I am planning on leaving her in the water, our winters are not too extreme and most the lake gets very little if any ice, the marina has bubblers if it does freeze. I will take her out if she doesn't stop leaking for sure. Right now the bow area is just slowly filling can't find the spot that it is coming from, the aft is around the transom and somewhere under the port fuel tank. I lost 12 pounds the first week she was in so it wasn't all bad news!!
Dan Biby
38' Challenger "DreamOn"

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Post by jfrprops » Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:52 am

you have gotten good advice from the cruiser crew on this site. Now to expand a bit...and these are my personal experiences only:
You can do some serious good, and but little harm, by trying the old cotton mop trick...from the inside.

simple tools/materials: one stainless table knife and one cotton string type mophead. Cut off some strings, they are usually multiple threads, and GENTLY tuck them into the visibly leaking plank seams from the inside of the boat. That stuff will expand just like regular caulking cotton and I find the twist and strings easier to work with. Don't jam them in with a caulking iron or hammer or anything...you don't want to spread the seam...but if you can just tuck some in...the boards can continue to swell but you can make dramatic, if temporary, progress on slowing leaks.
Another half A--sed technique: blocks of wood and boatlife caulk. That stuff will set up fine in wet contitions. Butter up a block and set it in a leaky junction, like your transom,(weight it down with a brick or someting..or tack it down) and it will help. You can remove it later with a heat gun or such. I have a patch like that that has been in place and working well for years. Just some 1/2 A--ed tricks.
John in Va.
1980 Fairchild Scout 30
19?? custom Argentine Runabout 16'
1954 Whirlwind deluxe dual ckpt 16'
1921 Old Town Charles River 17' (founding Captain, James River Batteau Festival)

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JimF
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Post by JimF » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:17 pm

Many years ago I helped a friend restore a 36' wood sailboat. We caulked the bottom but when we launched, it was still taking on a little water. The proverbial old guy at the marina came out with what appeared to be a cigar box mounted to a long pole. It was full of fine sawdust. He pushed it under water in the area where the boat was leaking so the water leaking into the seam would suck the sawdust with it. The sawdust would swell up in the seam and stop the leak. It worked and the boat floated safely on it's mooring in Maine all summer. Might be worth a try.

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Post by jfrprops » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:17 pm

For sure the sawdust trick is a good one, and I have recommended it on this site before. Best to put medium fine sawdust...more like consistence of sand than dust....into a plactic bag....swim under and burst the bag right at the seams you want to fill and try to rub it along the seam before it get totally saturated...you can do this....no kidding...
Not an answer for wooden powerboats as much as for wooden sailboats though, for obvious reasons.
I would go with the mop trick first.

John in Va.
1980 Fairchild Scout 30
19?? custom Argentine Runabout 16'
1954 Whirlwind deluxe dual ckpt 16'
1921 Old Town Charles River 17' (founding Captain, James River Batteau Festival)

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debiby
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Post by debiby » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:49 pm

Should I give it a little more time or is this enough time? My chines had some pretty good gaps that swelled tight and they are dry so that is why I am concerned about this. I will try and pinpoint where the water is getting in, that is the hard part because I just can't see everywhere, from the outside I can't feel anywhere that feels like it is open. I have some caulking cotten both small and large so I will probably use that if I can figure out where to put it.
Dan Biby
38' Challenger "DreamOn"

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RRGadow
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Post by RRGadow » Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:34 am

By now its probably swelled close to the amount its going to...It may very well need to come out and the problem spots addressed. I would make sure you find the worst spots before going thru the expense of the hull out...nothing worst then paying for it and putting it back in just to see the leaks still there!
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debiby
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Post by debiby » Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:38 pm

Found it. On the rear port corner it is leaking. I think I can get to it with it in the water to try and fix it. I will get in the water in the morning and see what happens. The front is now only running a few seconds every 15 or 20 minutes so it is doing great.
Dan Biby
38' Challenger "DreamOn"

Rugger8
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Post by Rugger8 » Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:40 am

That's great news Dan. That kind of pumping is easy to live with.

Jeff

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debiby
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Post by debiby » Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:54 pm

Got in the water and caulked the corner and seams along the bottom of the transum. Now water is just barely trickeling in, looks like it is the seam just above the water line, it is worse when the water is ruff and better when calm so I think the water is spilling into that seam. I put some cotton in it and that helped a little but now I think I will just caulk that seam as well.
Also I finally got her out of the slip and drove her today, not far or fast but we moved to the other side of the marina so I idled around, took about 20 minutes. Only problem now is the carbs are set up for lower elevation so I am having some issues with loading up when it idles to long. Had to have it pushed into the new slip because it kept dying out on me when I tried to ease it in. Next time!!
Dan Biby
38' Challenger "DreamOn"

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debiby
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Post by debiby » Sun Aug 26, 2012 10:17 pm

I can't find where the last little bit of water is coming in so I filled 3 gallon size bags with sawdust today, I opened one on the side I think the leak is on and one at the back of the boat, very little sawdust came out from under the boat so most stayed under. When I went in and checked the leak you could barely see any water moving so had almost plugged up in just a few minutes so I am hoping when I go back in the morning it will be all sealed up, hope even more when we drive it the dust will stay in!
On another note the problem with my carbs turned out to be that when the new carbs were installed they never hooked up the electric chokes, easy fix.
Dan Biby
38' Challenger "DreamOn"

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