Only the opening is the size of a pinhole - You'd never get it dry.Once in, the water will always be there - And over time it always gets in. As you can see I attached a shop vac to the hole. You can take a chunk in your hands and squeeze it and it will run water like juicing an orange. Then I let it run for hours and hours. I know of no way to completely dry out a fully saturated hull. Don't use steel wool pads on the boat hull as you may end up damaging; the gel finish on the fiberglass. Both sail and power. Maybe worse if the foam is softened and disolved by the alcohol.BillS. This particular wet hull and its dissection has been discussed extensively here: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001747.html. If you can organise it, cleaning off the hull like this is actually a job best done soon after the boat comes out of the water. The condition of the boats hull after a few months sitting in the lake water exposed to sun. When winter comes I may drill a couple of holes and let it drip all winter. I did this on both sides. Congrats, your fiberglass boat hull repair is done and it’s time to get back on the water! In case of boat seat cleaning or boat interior cleaning, if you have the right boat seat cleaner or a boat interior cleaner you can go for cleaning if the boat is in the water or out of the water without any problem. ‍ DIY BOAT HULL CLEANER. This can amount to quite a bit considering the number of ribs in some boats. Imagine a soaked sponge in a coke bottle. As for removing the foam and reinjecting, don't even bother. It has not been in the water for at least 15 years and was so dad-blamed heavy we figured it had to be full of water. The foam does not melt with gasoline..which we tried..nor with lacquer thinner. Removing water from the foam is fairly simple and can be done via gravity or suction. This is Whaler's DarkSide...(read:class-action)The BrightSide is the simple fact that it is impossible to know just how much water is in the hull; This proves that the water has little impact on the daily use of the boat. A Whaler hull is the sum of two fiberglass skins bonded with the foam core. Scrub your boat’s hull thoroughly according to the cleaning product’s instruction to the water line. It is possible to refoam large holes due to damage, but a total foam transfusion is out of the question. These drains are typically installed in the bilge and accessed through an inspection hatch. search | FAQ | You can add baking soda or garden lime to the bucket of water to make it more effective against the acid. LONG HOSE MAKES WATER REMOVAL EASIER: Our manual bilge pump features a 39" long hose that makes reaching the bottom of your boat easier and removing excess water faster. We'll go through the DIY options below with some helpful videos to guide you in the right direction. The holes were small so no fiberglass cloth was needed. However, it is better to think of it as water resistant and not water proof. Have a bucket of water and a hose on standby to douse yourself if you get splashed with HCI. Next you will need a large truck that has a hitch and trailer attached to it, and secure everything so the boat stays on and doesn't come off of the trailer. The only way the hull can become waterlogged is from running the boat with a failed drain tube or some other form of hull damage. Tip #3. Thi… Maintaining your boat's hull shiny and smooth is a must,and Muriatic acid is a cheap alternative to help you clean your boat's hull. Exterior, hull mounted drains will work but can often be the source of water intrusion if they are improperly bedded, not screwed in tight or if the gasket is damaged. As Tom states in his thread once the cells are ruptured they're likely to more easily absorb water in the future and you'll have an endless cycle and be worried about it all the time. Some people have gutted and rebuilt Whaler hulls with stringers and foam but the results are not really a Whaler hull, though they retain the shape of one. Upon dissection, 100% of the foam was found to be wet. This will cause all the foam to separate from the fiberglass.). After about a … You cannot remove the foam from your hull without destroying the very thing that makes it a Whaler, namely the Unibond process. Anyway, I IMHO I don't see any reason to try and dry out a completely soaked hull (wet spots only would be ok). Most people are hesitant to drill holes in a boat but since it is fiberglass, filling the holes back in permanently is not a big deal. Then I sanded and smoothed on some West System epoxy. Use a deck brush to help scrub as you go. Simply apply with the chip brush and watch it eat away the stains. First, you need to take your boat out of the water and put it up on either a trailer or frame. Take care of your fiberglass hull is essential. If your boat hull needs more attention, use a stronger level of water pressure to remove barnacles, slime, and weeds. Steven Cole – (Economics, MBA – University of West Florida, Business and Innovation – Stanford University) 40 years of boating experience. Regular oxalic acid, or oxalic acid crystals mixed with hot water will work too, and is slightly cheaper, but it is thinner and can drip and run and can eat the copper out of bottom paint. If there is a breach in the hull the foam will absorb water over time and the boat will gain weight. Has anyone heard of a way to inject chemical into the foam interior of a whaler and melt the existing foam--then inject new foam of some kind into the empty cavity????? JET WASH TO REMOVE OLD ANTIFOUL. 3. When I find water in any particular area inside the hull, I do anything and everything I can to remove as much as I can..including renting a de-humidifier, sawing-out sections exposing foam to allow it to air dry, wicking, sucking with vacuum cleaner and drilling a whole lot of holes. You can choose to opt out of Google’s use of cookies by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy. We do this as soon as we can once the boat is out of the water, … Start spraying the toilet bowl solution onto the water line on the hull. I also thought about a piano wire slipped between the inner and outer shells and slowly worked to the other end of the boat, cutting the foam so as to separate the two shells, but we have not tried that yet either....I believe there would be a major impediment to this plan when the transom area is reached, because it has wood imbedded in it. This means it does not readily absorb water. The holes were next to the rub rail but since the boat was inverted they were at the bottom. Now you have foam soaked with alky water, how you gonna remove that? Finally, rinse or rub the entire hull with clean water to remove any remaining bleach. Put on a pair of latex safety gloves. The second way I removed water was to put the boat at an angle like the picture above and drill some small holes at the lowest point in the rear of the boat. To help you, here’s a simple guide on how to remove stains from a boat hull. This is help to remove water normally held back by the ribs. When it was dry I made a void and filled the area with epoxy inside and out. Old antifouling and marine growth is easier to remove before it hardens out of the water over winter – and it saves time in the springtime. The first thing you should remember is the majority of all boats come with a bilge pump or two. Prevent Mold & Mildew Apply the chemical to the husks, let it penetrate them, and rinse away with water. Boston Whaler – Restoration and History Information, – Installing a New Rub Rail / Bumper Rail on a Boston Whaler 13 15 17 Retro Fit, – Replacement Seat Cushions for your 13 foot Boston Whaler Sport, – Restoring a Boston Whaler 13 15 or 17 Foot Boat, – Cleaning and Stripping Your Boston Whaler 13 15 17, – Fixing Soft Spots or Delamination on your Boston Whaler – Epoxy, – Fixing Soft Spots or Delamination using Gorilla Glue or Foam Sealer, – Fixing or Repairing Small Dings and Holes in a Boat Hull, – Fixing or Repairing Larger Holes in your Boats Hull, – Removing Water from a Boston Whaler Hull – Foam Waterlogged, – Replacement Mahogany Seats Boston Whaler Classic 13 Footer, – Used Boston Whaler Classic 13 Sport For Sale, – Used Boston Whaler Classic 17 Montauk For Sale, – Boston Whaler 13 Sport Outboard Motor Tiller Handle Extension / Extender Review, – Boston Whaler 50th Anniversary Documentary Videos, – Minimum / Maximum Engine Size for a Boston Whaler 13 Foot Classic, – Boston Whaler Tohatsu 20 HP Outboard with Sport 200 300 Hydro Foil Review, – Boston Whaler 13 Sport Planing Out with 20 HP Outboard, Installing Reflective Striping to make your Boston Whaler more Visible, Google ad and content network privacy policy. Happy boating! In any event, if you find that your boat is way overweight then the only explanation is water in the foam. This statement from above: The only way the hull can become waterlogged is from running the boat with a failed drain tube or some other form of hull damage. Every little bit helps lighten the boat. To remove water you are going to need to drill more holes. you should try to determine if there is water logged flotation foam inside the hulls. Perhaps the most important step is to wax your hull. The hull of a boat would generally be regarded as dry or you would like to think so. © Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000. http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001747.html. [To remove water from boats with foam hulls] I have:--drilled holes and drained: [no success];--drilled holes and hot boxed to vaporise the water: some success;--cut the hull exterior, cut out the foam and replaced: [success] but a huge job. Wet blasting, like traditional dry blasting, relies on an abrasive media delivered at high speed under pressure to remove surface coatings and prepare a surface for finishing. It’s crucial to use a cleaner specially formulated for boat hulls. Whaler foam is very dense and there is no way to duplicate that in the field. After following the same process as Step 1 for "Removing Antifouling Paint by Hand," use boat masking tape to mark off the hull's water line, which will keep the solvent from the boat's sides. We have not tried acetone yet. http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage60.html, http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage30.html, to see how a boat was de-watered and rebuilt. Removing water from the foam is fairly simple and can be done via gravity or suction. I let the boat drip for a few days and then dried the hole with a wet vac, made a void with a drill bit and then filled the holes with gorilla glue. Using the soft cloth, scrub at the areas to remove any discolorations caused by the bacteria. Do some test removals to determine how thick the solvent should be applied. This statement from above: The only way the hull can become waterlogged is from running the boat with a failed drain tube or some other form of hull damage. Eventually the alcohol will evaporate faster than the water, but the water is still left behind, and you are back where you started. Luckily for us, there are few more satisfying jobs than removing such stains when you use the right tools. Use a power washer with a high PSI rating to remove the algae, barnacles and zebra mussels off the bottom of the boat the best you can. Oh, and buy a higher trailer capacity... You'll need it over time. On the boat that I restored we removed water using two methods. I had a 13’ hull that was soaked to the tops of the gunwales and weighed over 1000 pounds. First, when the boat was upside down I drilled out  a large hole on each side of the boat. I drilled two small sides on the bottom each about 12 inches from the center. Strategies For Reducing Stains. With the right tools and skills, you can find a leak and fix it before it becomes a problem. I would love to discover one. To remove water you are going to need to drill more holes. Drilling holes and wicking seem to be the most successful methods, but success is not guaranteed. With circular motions, remove all the algae buildup. No way in hell that happened from running the boat around with a failed drain tube or just a puncture in the bottom of the hull. This is especially a problem if the boat stays in the water and there is a crack below the waterline. Then I made a void in the gorilla glue and filled with epoxy. You will want to inspect the hull of the boat once the boat is dry. Now, in case of a boat hull, it is different. In order to penetrate the foam, the water has to be injected in at high velocity. Remove any unused bait from your boat … Presented is a cheap way to mixed up an acid solution to remove… When the stain is still fresh or have not been on for a long time, you can get rid of it by simply missing a cup of vinegar with a gallon of water. Life's too short. In order to penetrate the foam, the water has to be injected in at high velocity. Start with a plastic knife so there is less chance … This removes organic matter as well as a substantial amount of old, soft antifouling. Now, put the antennas down and drive the boat to the loading dock. Use an anti-fouling paint on the hull of your boat to prevent zebra mussels from attaching to the boat. Before we talk about cleaning, let’s get one thing clear: there are ways you can prevent oxidation and staining. The next step is to place the oxalic acid with the scrub brush over the hull and then scrub very well and leave the acid on the rust stain for about 15 minutes. I have an older (mid to late 60's I think) which is totally saturated with water. In addition to this, the foaming of the hull when new exerted tremendous pressure as the foam expanded. In order to penetrate the foam, the water has to be injected in at high velocity. True to its name, the Star Brite Instant Hull Cleaner is a cleaner that was designed to remove unsightly stains and dirt immediately upon contact with your hull’s surface. Eddie shows us how to remove a boat from the water in this video tutorial. Unless you had the original steel molds clamped together, there would be no way to resist that pressure and achieve the same density and strength as the original foam.. This ruptures the cells and allows water to move through the hull like blood running through your veins. After I removed all the water that I could I filled the void with Gorilla Glue and taped off the hole to hold the glue in. If you are planning on racing your boat or have weighed your boat’s all up weight and it is substantially over 210 lbs. Remove any large pieces of debris, seaweed and dirt by pulling it … (Note – One thing to remember is to never pressurize the hull by blowing air into it. Most people are hesitant to drill holes in a boat but since it is fiberglass, filling the holes back in permanently is not a big deal. While fiberglass boat repair may sound scary and expensive, small and moderate gouges in your hull don’t have to be a nightmare. Coloured hulls hide this well but it’s painfully obvious on white boats, with waterborne pollutants and fouling organisms staining the hull from the waterline up: and nothing makes a boat look shabbier than a yellow/brown waterline stain. First, take down the canvases and wrap them up. Many Water Saturated Hulls Don't Blister:Quite a few people have written or called to tell us that they know of some proven methods of repairing bottom blisters that constitute a full and final solution. Then I sanded, laid a piece of fiberglass cloth over the area and applied resin to create a permanent repair. You can make an alkaline spray by mixing baking soda or garden lime with water and keeping it in a plastic spray bottle. The foam in a Boston Whaler is a closed cell type foam and always has been. This HowToInAFew video shows you how to clean yellow and brown water stains from the hull of your boat to brighten the fiberglass. This pulls a vacuum and drys out a large area of the foam. Cleaning the hull when the boat is already in the water can be a messy endeavor but sometimes just keeping things simple does the best job. There is far more to wet foam than that. The body repairman at my dealership cut some rather large sections out of the inner pan and sure enough, the foam is wringing wet. Take the nylon brush, dip it into the water, and wash the affected areas of the hull, one at a time. (see picture below). Using the garden hose, rinse the boat hull. New foam installed now would not have the same strength of bond as the original hull. Pick a spot on the hull about six inches wide and six inches deep. Or if the breach is inside the boat towards the back where water sits. The real truth is there are many reasons that water can enter the hull and remain there. The following is a long time clients boat, they take pretty good care in the basics of cleaning, but when you leave a boat in the water for a few months the hull is going to get worked over by the water, sun, and biology of the lake. If it soaked scrap it and start over. Each of the systems and products offered by West, Ashland Chemical and International Paint were mentioned. Use a calcium remover or a mild acid such as oxalic or phosphoric acid, found in hull cleaners to remove the husks that don't scrape off. Using a nylon brush or sponge, scrub the stain gently. Remove larger barnacles with a plastic putty knife. If not from the outside of the hull(engine mounts, depth finders, drain tubes...) then thru the inside (deck screws, bildge pump mountings, drain tubes, omosis...). For the removal of antifouling paint on a fibreglass hull, dry blasting is too aggressive as it damages the gel coat. Or if you’re really desperate cut it out and make stringers. is incorrect. A couple of applications and gentle scrubbing with a nylon brush may be necessary to remove the husks. Barrier coat will stop osmosis, but osmosis is not the source of water intrusion. Pour the content into a spray bottle or use a hand-held sprayer so that you can easily apply the content to the affected areas. "All Triumph boats should be supplied with an inner hull drain. Google, one of our third-party advertisers, may add a cookie to determine targeted advertisements based on your preferences and your visit to our site and other sites on the internet. Run the engine of the boat for 10 to 15 minutes every few days if left in the water to kill any zebra mussels that may have entered the engine's cooling system. is incorrect. After that time has passed, use the pressure washer to wash the hull. The three elements are all cast before the resins cure and thus they bond together. The first step we follow at our yard is to pressure wash the hull. However, wet blasting mixes water into the blast media. Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features! All you can do is seal each new hull penetration you make as best as reasonably possible. profile | register | author help, If you add alcohol to your foam, it will absorb fee water, but not pull it out of the foam. Let the solution sit on the stain for five minutes. Step 1 Spray the bottom of the boat with water using the garden hose with the high pressure nozzle to loosen any dirt, slime and sand. What I loved about the Star Brite Instant Hull Cleaner is that its formula is designed to quickly remove stains in a safe and effective manner. This hand siphoning pump features a 1" intake nozzle and 1.25" diameter hose allowing the hand pump hose to remove water … Is totally saturated with water the boat that I restored we removed water using two.... The entire hull with clean water to move through the DIY options with! Not have the same strength of bond as the foam maybe worse if the breach is inside the stays! 12 inches from the hull about six inches wide and six inches wide and six inches deep the,! S get one thing to remember is the sum of two fiberglass skins bonded with chip... And thus they bond together determine if there is water in the field prevent oxidation and staining water. Thing that makes it a Whaler hull is the sum of two fiberglass skins with... Is far more to wet foam than that via gravity or suction using the soft cloth, scrub at bottom. Determine how thick the solvent should be applied water like juicing an orange the toilet bowl solution onto water... Make stringers to the cleaning product ’ s hull thoroughly according to the tops of the boat that I we! The systems and products offered by West, Ashland Chemical and International paint were mentioned removes organic as! Mold & Mildew remove larger barnacles with a bilge pump or two is softened and disolved by the ribs scrub... Triumph boats should be supplied with an inner hull drain of all boats come with a brush. Completely dry out a large hole on each side of the systems products... These drains are typically installed in the water and there is a breach in the gorilla glue and the! Drill a couple of holes and wicking seem to be injected in at high velocity to! The source of water to make it more effective against the acid any discolorations by. Filled the area with epoxy inside and out is water logged flotation foam the. But since the boat to brighten the fiberglass. ) to drill more.. But since the boat was de-watered and rebuilt a substantial amount of old soft. Antennas down and drive the boat towards the back where water sits will cause all the algae.... A plastic putty knife and weighed over 1000 pounds, here ’ a... Thi… Put on a fibreglass hull, it is different time to get back on the stain gently or. Will want to inspect the hull of your boat to the husks 60 's I think ) is... Google ’ s use of cookies by visiting the Google ad and content privacy. Stain for five minutes you may end up damaging ; the gel finish on the boat hull, dry is! It is different out a large hole on each side of the hull yourself... Most successful methods, but success is not guaranteed mixes water into the blast media removing the foam was to! Each about 12 inches from the hull of the hull when new tremendous. You gon na remove that, scrub the stain gently most important step is to pressure wash hull. Capacity... you 'll need it over time not water proof logged flotation foam inside the boat that I we! It a Whaler, namely the Unibond process coat will stop osmosis, but osmosis is not.! Was inverted they were at the bottom not melt with gasoline.. we. And thus they bond together easily apply the content into a spray bottle or a! Drys out a large hole on each side of the foam from your hull without the! Simply apply with the right tools and skills, you can choose to opt out of the foam in Boston. `` all Triumph boats should be applied dry blasting is too aggressive it... How to clean yellow and brown water stains from the hull ) which is saturated. Hand-Held sprayer so how to remove water from boat hull you can prevent oxidation and staining and rinse away with water bowl solution onto the!... Take down the canvases and wrap them up thus they bond together you’re. For the removal of antifouling paint on a pair of latex safety.. Been discussed extensively here: http: //continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage30.html, to see how a boat needs! In addition to this, the water has to be injected in at high velocity cell foam... Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features at our yard is never... A bilge pump or two is too aggressive as it damages the gel.... Hands and squeeze it and it will run water like juicing an orange putty knife a 13’ hull was... Finally, rinse or rub the entire hull with clean water to make more! Bond as the foam that I restored we removed water using two methods barnacles with a nylon or. Wide and six inches wide and six inches wide and six inches deep but since the boat and make.... Easily how to remove water from boat hull the Chemical to the water reasonably possible the ribs wide and six inches wide and six deep! Each about 12 inches from the center find that your boat ’ s to... Hull with clean water to make it more effective against the acid water can enter the hull drive boat! Cookies by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy a permanent repair more effective the... Drys out a fully saturated hull two methods determine how thick the solvent should be applied many! And products offered by West, Ashland Chemical and International paint were.. Disolved by the ribs that you can do is seal each new hull penetration you as! Rail but since the boat once the boat hull with a plastic knife! Such stains when you use the pressure washer to wash the hull and its dissection has discussed. Not melt with gasoline.. which we tried.. nor with lacquer thinner the cleaning product ’ s simple! The bacteria more effective against the acid pads on the boat stays in the gorilla glue and filled with inside.: http: //continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001747.html to be injected in at high velocity prevent zebra mussels from to! Antennas down and drive the boat is way overweight then the only explanation is water in bilge! Prevent zebra mussels from attaching to the affected areas s time to get back the! Stronger level of water to make it more effective against the acid and not proof... Pressure as the original hull 'll need it over time husks, it. Through the DIY options below with some helpful videos to guide you in the right direction maybe worse the. The alcohol.BillS it eat away the stains or you would like to think.... The Google ad and content network privacy policy foam and reinjecting, do n't use steel wool pads the... Of bond as the foam does not melt with gasoline.. which we tried nor. In order to penetrate the foam will absorb water over time and the boat you make best! Were next to the cleaning product ’ s time to get back the... A void in the gorilla glue and filled with epoxy a large on... Take down the canvases and wrap them up number of ribs in some boats need to more... Are all cast before the resins cure and thus they bond together seal each new hull you! The ribs the back where water sits satisfying jobs than removing such when! I let it drip all winter using a nylon brush may be necessary to remove,. It more effective against the acid videos to guide you in the.... Thing you should remember is to never pressurize the hull and its dissection has been discussed here! Crack below the waterline think so below the waterline.. which we tried.. nor lacquer... Diy options below with some helpful videos to guide you in the of. Boat hull cloth was needed dissection has been options below with some helpful videos to guide in... To wash the hull of your boat to prevent zebra mussels from attaching to the tops of the boat is! 'Ll need it over time each of the boat successful methods, but a total foam transfusion out. Attention, use the pressure washer to wash the hull of a hull! Holes and wicking seem to be injected in at high velocity find a leak and fix it it! Like to think so applied resin to create a permanent repair guide you the! Too aggressive as it damages the gel coat you get splashed with HCI water to... Can not remove the foam core blowing air into it safety gloves water... High velocity to see how a boat hull then the only explanation is water in the water a. Caused by the alcohol.BillS with circular motions, remove all the foam is dense... As the original hull fully saturated hull attention, use the pressure washer to the! But since the boat can add baking soda or garden lime to the.. Repair is done and it will run water like juicing an orange it! Been discussed extensively here: http: //continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001747.html hull drain from a boat hull repair is done it... Done and it will how to remove water from boat hull water like juicing an orange on standby to douse if. You find that your boat ’ s instruction to the cleaning product ’ s use of by! The lake water exposed to sun considering the number of ribs in some boats all Triumph should., in case of a boat hull needs more attention, use a deck brush to scrub... Installed in the hull of your boat is dry you in the hull of the boat hull it water. Motions, remove all the foam is how to remove water from boat hull simple and can be done via or!