Hairline cracks in forward bilge

[Tinny]

Hello,

Just wondering if others have this same "issue" - my boat is a 2007 Sailfish purchased earlier this year. In any case the boat has some hairline spider web like cracks in the keel part of the forward bilge. Never though much of it as there are other similar cracks here and there up top and the boat had a thorough survey and these cracks were not even mentioned.

I work hard to keep my bilge dry and during the summer months there was no moisture around these cracks. Since there is always a bit of rainwater ingress it is often a bit wet down there and I have thought of using some caulking to seal the cracks to prevent water from migrating into the cracks.

In any case, the bilge was fully dry during a rare 10 day dry spell here in the Northwest in November. Checking the bilge today i noticed a little bit of water around the cracks that seems to be weeping out. I suspect that a bit of water is exiting the cracks when dry - evaporating in summer, condensing and visible this time of year.

So anyways, was thinking of leaving it for now and then after a good hot dry spell in the summer when any excess moisture has weeped out to caulk it to prevent further ingress. Just wondering if anyone else has had these issues and if I am on the right track or missing something?

 

[MA208]

Been a while since I’ve been in mine, but is that foam that’s cracked?

 

[SkunkBoat]

nothing to worry about. Its just gelcoat

 

[seasick]

I thought it was nothing but after looking closer, it does seem that water is oozing out of the cracks in at least two places. That make me more concerned. It it is oozing, it might be water that got absorbed and then oozed back out ( I have my doubts) or it could be water that it getting into the core and then oozing out. That can be an issue is the water freezes. I am not sure what I would do. Perhaps a moisture reading to see if the water is wide spread or just limited to the hopefully shallow cracks

 

[DennisG01]

That bilge gelcoat was applied too thick. It's not all that uncommon, though, given the location as it would tend to pool there during layup.

I didn't think a boat the size of the Sailfish would use a cored hull bottom? Can anyone confirm?

IF you are positive that the water is oozing out of those cracks (and not seeping through the drain tube)... then I would grind that entire "thick" area away. It'd be pretty easy and straight forward to do - albeit access might be "fun". Likely, it's just a small section of trapped water that is squeezing back out - but left unattended it could cause some issues. After grinding, you'll be left with bare fiberglass - and you can just paint the area with bilge paint to keep things simple.

 

[SkunkBoat]

The hull is solid glass. That is the thickest part of the hull.
They do a half-assed spray of gelcoat into the bilge on top of un-prepped glass just to make water flow and make cleaning easier.
If it worries you, do as DG says and grind off the cracks and paint it.

I would venture to guess that you are more likely to have a water issue on that plywood bulkhead where the pvc tube goes thru...but I wouldn't worry about that either.

 

[Tinny]

Thank you very much for the input everyone. The water is definately oozing from the gelcoat cracks. I had already touched it a bit before taking the pic so not as clear on the picture. I look at my bilge every time I board the boat (habit I can't shake) and these cracks were always dry when it was warmer - so probably evaporating but now that it is colder condensing. In any case, will keep an eye on it for now and decide what to do, if anything, later.

 

[dstarok]

Quit looking in there.

 

[jlflynn1]

I have some of the same cracks in my bilge in the same area right near the drip tubes through the bulk head. I found in my boat that this was grey gelcoat spray, on top of some foam overspray. I bet if u take a flat head screw driver u can chip up a couple pieces of gel coat. That water is probably coming up from the foam. I’m not worried about mine at all.

 

[seasick]

If there is water in the foam, it will freeze if temps are low enough. That will cause expansion and probably add to the cracking. The challenge is that sealing the cracks without getting most of the water out will most likely result in new cracking. It's late in the season, so if your boat is stored in cold climates and it is already cold, wait until the warm weather to work on the cracks. If that bilge is dry in general, you could try putting a tub of desiccant in there to help absorb any weeping water. Check the tub every now and then