Anyone willing to part with an electrician’s flex bit for a reasonable price? My J16 has gotten pretty sluggish, I’m guessing I have some water in the hull. I’m sure several of you skiff owner’s are familiar with the problem!
Here’s what I’m going for:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTP5Hw0GghY
Thanks,
Carl
ITS BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, BUT WE USE TO DO THE WARRANTY WORK FOR TWIN-VEE CATAMARANS. THEY HAD THE SAME ISSUES, AND I TACK WELDED A SPADE BIT TO A 20’ PIECE OF 1/4" REBAR
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Iv’e done what Chris sugusted many times,works well, but hold on to the drill with both hands, it can break your arm or beat you in the head like it did me!
Ha! Ouch, boatpoor! Thanks for the advice guys. I don’t have the resources to weld one but I’m sure a local guy can do it.
Any chance I can talk someone into selling one?
i have a couple you could borrow but im in columbia area. i will be down in james island area in couple weeks. i could bring them then if you havent figured it out by then
Do you know where the water is getting into the hull? You probably do but just in case my guess would be a transducer mount or some time of through hull fitting below the water line. If it the transducer just 5200 a block of wood onto the hull and screw the transducer to that. I have a carolina skiff I had to let sit for a month to get the water out of the transducer mounting holes!!! People love putting holes in boats and not sealing them!
TheMechanic - thanks for the offer, I may take you up on that.
Fishcrazy - I’ll give that a try. Mine is screwed straight into the transom with some (probably leaky) silicone on the threads. There are also screw holes from a bilge pump bracket and a dry box that was installed in the middle. I plan on filling in those with some 5200 and possibly coating the deck with some kiwi grip. If this whole draining thing works out I’ll be a lot more motivated to fix the boat up.
I wish Carolina Skiff offered a drill bit made for this task. This seems to be a pretty common problem, even with the newer hulls.
I would think the majority of the water is coming from the transducer. If you don’t fix that the problem will keep coming back! Patch the old holes and use the block of wood…then you don’t have to worry about it coming back!
If you don’t know where the waters coming from put a drain plug in so you can drain it pretty good easily if it reoccurs. I drained my brothers boat, the only hard part is redoing the fiber glass and his hole was on the bottom and he didn’t care about beauty so it was easy. Let your boat sit in the sun for a few days then drill and drain for a long time and shop vac out the water. His boat gained a ton of speed and rides a ton better. Keep it covered.
That’s good advice - I’ll definitely be installing a couple of drain plugs. Even once I reseal the wholes I’m betting water will find it’s way back in from time to time.
With nobody else in the boat it will run about 23-25, but as soon as add an extra person, a cooler and some gear, she turns into a barge. I love the boat anyway but I think draining the hull will make a big difference.
CarlWinslow, Let me know how it goes, my J14 has sitting lower than I think it should in the water. It still moves pretty good, but might benefit from a draining. Would you always put the drain plug/plugs in the transome on a small skiff?
14 Carolina Skiff 25HP
I’ll be sure to post once I get it done!
It’s probably been done but can’t imagine installing a drain plug anywhere other than the transom - it’s an easily accessible spot and less prone to wear when you’re running. I’m planning on installing 2 plugs close to the hull so I can tilt that sucker way back and get as much water out as possible.
you don’t have to weld a bit to the rebar- just bend the end over into a L and cut the short leg down to 1/2", put it into a big drill and send it through the foam it will leave a 1" hole through the foam
even just driving the rebar through it will open up drain channels
DOCKMAN, ITS NOT THE FOAM THAT IS THE ISSUE, ABOUT EVERY 2 FEET THERE IS A BULKHEAD GOING FROM SIDE TO SIDE THAT HAS TO BE DRILLED
CARL
IF YOU GET THE RE-BAR, DRILL BIT, AND A 10" PIECE OF STEEL PIPE TO CONNECT THE 2, I WILL WELD IT TOGETHER IN ABOUT 3 MINUTES FOR FREE
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Thanks for the offer Chris! I picked up the stuff this morning and got a buddy to weld it. I wound up using an 8’ piece of 3/8" rebar, a 6" piece of black steel pipe, and a 1" bit. I have a brass drain plug & screws, so I just need a little 5200 and I should be good to go.
Thanks again for the advice. I’ll post once I finish the job and if anyone wants to borrow the drill bit they are welcome to it.
thanks for posting this CW
please let us know how much water you got out.
THAT IS ALMOST EXACTLY HOW WE DO IT
I DONT USE THE SELF DRILLING BIT, THEY HAVE BEEN KNOW TO BOG THE DRILL
WE ALWAYS JUST USE A GOOD OLE FASHIONED SPADE BIT
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Finally got it done. All of the foam seemed pretty wet but I didn’t get as much water out as I anticipated - probably only a half gallon. In the meantime I’m leaving the plug out so hopefully that foam will dry out a bit. I should probably try the shop-vac trick.
If anyone wants to borrow the bit send me a p.m., I can just leave the thing by my house so I don’t even have to be home. It’s about 9 feet long with the welded tip. It required a little elbow grease but that speed bit plowed right through each of the bulkheads.
Thanks again for all the help, especially Chris V!
Thanks for posting the results cw. My skiff seems slow and heavy period but not slow and heavy enough to undertake this