unbelievable 55c problem

[Tim Powell]

Perfect time to try that new underwater\waterproof tape that’s advertised on TV.

get the same grandson to go overboard and have a look. Put a long piece of leader wire to see if it went all the way through.

the devil made me say the words leakender tape at the lowes store NOT A LONG TERM FIX

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

A sailboater on the dock drilled his hull last year. I gave him a tube of expoxy putty. He drilled it to about 5/16” initially. We just rolled the putty out and worked in with a punch. Diver broke off the excess sometime later. He hasn’t hauled yet. If the hole was drilled big enough for a plug, this might work better than 5200. You can roll it into a pretty good sized ball and fill the hole. A small covering plate with 5200 screwed over it would be insurance. Be nice to know how big the hole is. Still might be possible to run a tap in and thread a 5200’d bolt through. That’d be one float switch that was anchored with prejudice.

[SKYCHENEY]

I can't believe he could screw a screw through the fiberglass if it wasn't predrilled through already. Either it was through or almost through. I would't really blame him. I'd blame whoever used a screw that long or drilled it so close to going through in the first place.

[Boatsb]

🙈🙉🙊

Flex seal.

[ageless]

to clear the situation up, the screw in question was already in place from the prior (Rule) switch, it was in the oblong slot of the switch mount so it was initially just loosened while the rear screw was removed and the mount taken out. I have yet to determine what the blank stare means when I asked him "why did you run the screw all the way in without the new switch mount in place?"

The hole diameter is from a #10 drywall screw, I drilled out the first 1/4" of the hole to a 1/4" diameter and placed a 1/4" teak plug in place, took a little hammer tapping to get it flush. After the forums advice I drilled out the initial plug to a wollered 1/4" (5/16?), covered the new plug with 5200 and put it back in place. The space has remained dry since installing.

I am still amazed that a 1" screw could break through the outside

[Contender]

I have a 55C and the same thing happened to me. I was replacing the starboard engine room float switch, removed the same screw and sprung a leak through the screw hole. I quickly replaced the screw and tightened. Similarly, I did not understand how it could have gone through the hull but i left it like that until next haul. BTW it is off center and not on the keel. That was over 1 year ago I kept an eye on it and it did not leak. I hauled now and removed the screw and glassed over that hole and 8 old thru hull transducers/related that were left from prior electronics upgrades. Don't blame the kid. I cussed whoever did the install.

The port switch is appended to the bilge pump.

RRC

[krush]

I don't like screwing things down to the hull. Never have, never will. No reason adhesives can't be used to secure stuff to the bottom of the hull. Or glass in a small block of starboard or wood etc.

[Boatsb]

You can't glass in starboard. Nothing sticks to it except dirt.

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

You can't glass in starboard. Nothing sticks to it except dirt.

Truer words never spoken.

[Canyonkeeper77]

Reminds me of a story. Used to work for Viking as part of Atlantic Marine Electronics. A coworker was installing a set of the xenon underwater lights. They had a external ballast. Normally we would munt under a shelf at the rudder post but he felt the need to mount to the transom.

Straight through the back!!! Water was streaming in a nice hole. We made him sit there with his finger over the hole while we hauled the boat.

Still makes me chuckle.