Hi all,
No rush for answers on this one, but I'm sinking... I found a bit
of water in the bilges and put it down to something benign, but on
inspection, found a blister on the paint inside the hull, which when I
burst revealed a ~2mm square hole in the hull on the bottom of the
boat. I've plugged it with gaffer tape, rubber mats and bits of wood
for now, but has anyone got any neat ways of fixing this without
taking it out of the water (boat is a 20 tonne wrought iron/mild steel
dutch barge, and a proper repair job would be ~£700)?
I'm thinking a bolt with a big rubber washer on both sides and
liberal use of silicon sealant. I'm hoping the rot is very localised.

cheers

Jim
UK

On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:23:00 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Hi all,
No rush for answers on this one, but I'm sinking... I found a bit
of water in the bilges and put it down to something benign, but on
inspection, found a blister on the paint inside the hull, which when I
burst revealed a ~2mm square hole in the hull on the bottom of the
boat. I've plugged it with gaffer tape, rubber mats and bits of wood
for now, but has anyone got any neat ways of fixing this without
taking it out of the water (boat is a 20 tonne wrought iron/mild steel
dutch barge, and a proper repair job would be ~£700)?
I'm thinking a bolt with a big rubber washer on both sides and
liberal use of silicon sealant. I'm hoping the rot is very localised.

cheers

Jim
UK

The old fashion way was to whittle a tapered wood plug and drive it in
the hole. The wood will swell and make a tight joint. A more modern
way is two big washers, or plates, depending on the size of the hole,
gaskets, bolts and sealant. On a ship they will sometimes pour a
compartment half full of cement. If you can keep the water from coming
in for a while you can grind the inside to clean metal and apply a
fiberglass patch. Needs to be dry though. You can also get epoxy putty
that can be applied under water.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)

Hi all,
I have fixed this one for a while - I used the 2 big washers
approach, and its completely watertight. - I'm not sure what to do
long term - comment about getting it surveyed asap is what I would
normally do, but it was surveyed 6 weeks ago, and passed with flying
colours (min 5.5mm of steel). Makes you wonder why I paid for the
survey. I'm going to remain watchful - even if another hole like this
opens up I have a day or 2 to spot it and fix it, and given I work on
the boat most days, I don't think it'll sink too fast.
It also makes me think I need to seal up some ribs (so that the
water will fill up one section of the boat good and deep, so be easier
to detect/pump should it happen again), and put in some detection
system. does anyone else have anything like this?

cheers

Jim



Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:23:00 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Hi all,
No rush for answers on this one, but I'm sinking... I found a bit
of water in the bilges and put it down to something benign, but on
inspection, found a blister on the paint inside the hull, which when I
burst revealed a ~2mm square hole in the hull on the bottom of the
boat. I've plugged it with gaffer tape, rubber mats and bits of wood
for now, but has anyone got any neat ways of fixing this without
taking it out of the water (boat is a 20 tonne wrought iron/mild steel
dutch barge, and a proper repair job would be ~�700)?
I'm thinking a bolt with a big rubber washer on both sides and
liberal use of silicon sealant. I'm hoping the rot is very localised.

cheers

Jim
UK

The old fashion way was to whittle a tapered wood plug and drive it in
the hole. The wood will swell and make a tight joint. A more modern
way is two big washers, or plates, depending on the size of the hole,
gaskets, bolts and sealant. On a ship they will sometimes pour a
compartment half full of cement. If you can keep the water from coming
in for a while you can grind the inside to clean metal and apply a
fiberglass patch. Needs to be dry though. You can also get epoxy putty
that can be applied under water.


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)

On Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Hi all,
I have fixed this one for a while - I used the 2 big washers
approach, and its completely watertight. - I'm not sure what to do
long term - comment about getting it surveyed asap is what I would
normally do, but it was surveyed 6 weeks ago, and passed with flying
colours (min 5.5mm of steel). Makes you wonder why I paid for the
survey. I'm going to remain watchful - even if another hole like this
opens up I have a day or 2 to spot it and fix it, and given I work on
the boat most days, I don't think it'll sink too fast.
It also makes me think I need to seal up some ribs (so that the
water will fill up one section of the boat good and deep, so be easier
to detect/pump should it happen again), and put in some detection
system. does anyone else have anything like this?

cheers

Jim

When you think about it the two washers and bolt idea is perfectly
sound. I have a "ground plate" bolted to the side of my fiberglass
boat using exactly the same technique.

When they did your "survey" did they take thickness readings of the
hull? On a steel boat they should have done and furnished you with a
drawing of the boat with the places where testing was done noted.

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:13:26 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:


When you think about it the two washers and bolt idea is perfectly
sound. I have a "ground plate" bolted to the side of my fiberglass
boat using exactly the same technique.
//
Bruce-in-Bangkok

In my view, less than perfectly sound. The problem is a glancing
contact that wipes off the seal and bolt - when you least need the
added danger.

Brian W

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:50:36 -0500, Brian Whatcott
wrote:

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:13:26 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:


When you think about it the two washers and bolt idea is perfectly
sound. I have a "ground plate" bolted to the side of my fiberglass
boat using exactly the same technique.
//
Bruce-in-Bangkok

In my view, less than perfectly sound. The problem is a glancing
contact that wipes off the seal and bolt - when you least need the
added danger.

Brian W


Maybe "your view" but all my thru-hulls are essentially two washers
and sealant and the radio ground plate is essentially a large plate
with four bolts through it, with sealant. Given that the boat was
built in 1971 and hasn't lost a thru-hull or the ground plate yet just
how hazardous is it, really.

In addition, it is common practice for steel hull tugs and fishing
boats to plug holes with a wooden plug. You don't really think a
working boat runs for the ship yard just because it has a small leak
do you?

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
On Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:33:01 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Hi all,
I have fixed this one for a while - I used the 2 big washers
approach, and its completely watertight. - I'm not sure what to do
long term - comment about getting it surveyed asap is what I would
normally do, but it was surveyed 6 weeks ago, and passed with flying
colours (min 5.5mm of steel). Makes you wonder why I paid for the
survey. I'm going to remain watchful - even if another hole like this
opens up I have a day or 2 to spot it and fix it, and given I work on
the boat most days, I don't think it'll sink too fast.
It also makes me think I need to seal up some ribs (so that the
water will fill up one section of the boat good and deep, so be easier
to detect/pump should it happen again), and put in some detection
system. does anyone else have anything like this?

cheers

Jim

When you think about it the two washers and bolt idea is perfectly
sound. I have a "ground plate" bolted to the side of my fiberglass
boat using exactly the same technique.

When they did your "survey" did they take thickness readings of the
hull? On a steel boat they should have done and furnished you with a
drawing of the boat with the places where testing was done noted.

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)
----------------

you could certainly start epoxy coating or epoxy/fiberglass cloth
coating the hull, either from the semi dry bilge or even outside
(in the water) the hull with common 'apply underwater' epoxies. -
although cathodic (electrical charge) issues - known or unknown -
are a possibility and will prevent underwater bonding.

In the chemical industry - pitted pipelines etc. are common
wrapped in epoxy and fiberglass cloth wraps - to reinforce the
piping and restore pipe thickness...

paul
progressive epoxy

Jim,
This could be a very serious problem. You need the entire hull surveyed with
ultrasound to determine plate thickness. You may very wll find this is the
tip of a large iceberg so to speak and the entire boat maybe unsafe. Please
take this seriously and pull it out of the water immediately.
Steve

wrote in message
...
Hi all,
No rush for answers on this one, but I'm sinking... I found a bit
of water in the bilges and put it down to something benign, but on
inspection, found a blister on the paint inside the hull, which when I
burst revealed a ~2mm square hole in the hull on the bottom of the
boat. I've plugged it with gaffer tape, rubber mats and bits of wood
for now, but has anyone got any neat ways of fixing this without
taking it out of the water (boat is a 20 tonne wrought iron/mild steel
dutch barge, and a proper repair job would be ~£700)?
I'm thinking a bolt with a big rubber washer on both sides and
liberal use of silicon sealant. I'm hoping the rot is very localised.

cheers

Jim
UK

Hi Steve,
Your advice is noted, and I am considering it... the thing is, the
boat was surveyed with ultrasound (at about 50 points) about 6 weeks
ago, and passed with flying colours - nowhere less than 5mm of steel.
Maybe he ain't the best surveyor in the world. Anyway, as a result I
am super-paranoid about it leaking again, and as I am still doing it
up and not living/sleeping on it, I'm going to risk it for now. It
also makes me aware that its going to be worth fitting some kind of
early warning system - possibly sectioning up the bottom (sealing
every few ribs) so that if it does leak again, I'll have a pretty good
idea where, and it should get deep enough to trigger a sensor there
without taking on too much water. And fit multiple bilge pumps.

Does that seem reasonable?

Jim

Steve Lusardi wrote:
Jim,
This could be a very serious problem. You need the entire hull surveyed with
ultrasound to determine plate thickness. You may very wll find this is the
tip of a large iceberg so to speak and the entire boat maybe unsafe. Please
take this seriously and pull it out of the water immediately.
Steve

wrote in message
...
Hi all,
No rush for answers on this one, but I'm sinking... I found a bit
of water in the bilges and put it down to something benign, but on
inspection, found a blister on the paint inside the hull, which when I
burst revealed a ~2mm square hole in the hull on the bottom of the
boat. I've plugged it with gaffer tape, rubber mats and bits of wood
for now, but has anyone got any neat ways of fixing this without
taking it out of the water (boat is a 20 tonne wrought iron/mild steel
dutch barge, and a proper repair job would be ~�700)?
I'm thinking a bolt with a big rubber washer on both sides and
liberal use of silicon sealant. I'm hoping the rot is very localised.

cheers

Jim
UK

On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:23:00 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Hi all,
No rush for answers on this one, but I'm sinking... I found a bit
of water in the bilges and put it down to something benign, but on
inspection, found a blister on the paint inside the hull, which when I
burst revealed a ~2mm square hole in the hull on the bottom of the
boat. I've plugged it with gaffer tape, rubber mats and bits of wood
for now, but has anyone got any neat ways of fixing this without
taking it out of the water (boat is a 20 tonne wrought iron/mild steel
dutch barge, and a proper repair job would be ~£700)?
I'm thinking a bolt with a big rubber washer on both sides and
liberal use of silicon sealant. I'm hoping the rot is very localised.

cheers

Jim
UK

Off the top....find a big black rubber plunger cup and handle.
Dive this onto the outside of the rust through hole in the hull.
Build the hole edges in with a MIG torch from inside.


If you try this - have someone make a movie please? :-)

Brian W