water trapped in hull - any suggestiions?

[seedoc]

I have a 20 yo 18 ft glass Sea Ray Laguna center console. I suspect that I have water trapped inside the hull since the boat seems heavy and rides low in the water. There are also cracks in the transom from hitting a rock years ago. The boat has floatation foam and this may have absorbed water.
Any ideas on how to determine if there is water inside and any suggestions for a solution?
Thanks

[seedoc]

No suggestions? Looks like the boat is doomed!

[400bigbear]

Start by drilling a hole .

[fishy steve]

theoretically any water that enters your boat, should exit the boat when out of water, unless its pooling at the back and the hole is in the front, in which case lower front end etc... how we used to look for leaks in old aluminum boats, fill up the inside and see where it leaks out... like you say the floatation foam could be saturated... not sure if theres a fix for that... if you have wood floors inside your boat, they also become very wet and heavy over the years...

[jaycee]

That's the problem with Fiberglass hulls, the gell coat developes spider webb cracks through which water is absorbed, and if that is not completely dried out before winter storage the water freezes and the fiberglass then is further broken down and the hull is weakened.
I have seen quite a few fiber glass boats sitting on roller trailers and the hull is being pushed up by the rollers due to the weakened fiber glass.

[Marker]

I have had a few boats of that age and have experienced similar problems with water between the hull and the stringers. Marine foam is 'closed cell' and when new will not hold water, over time the foam breaks down and any water that finds its way under the deck will be absorbed by the old foam. It is very difficult to get the water out without removing the floor and replacing the foam, there are some methods to see if this is the situation in your boat which can be seen on Youtube. Any structural damage would of course need to be repaired.

[line052]

My comment as well, out run her up and see if water is pooling. If so pull plug when running..make sure you put back before you stop.....no comment.....

Start by drilling a hole .

[seedoc]

I knew eventually you guys would come through with good suggestions. I will never but a fiberglass fishing boat again. Glass boats may be fine for pleasure and general boating but while they look great, they are expensive, difficult to maintain, too heavy and generally a pain to operate. Keep them in Florida!

[Island Jay]

Yup...foam cores get waterlogged....I've read up a lot about these issues and have read different ways to dry them out....the best way I think is to drill holes every square inch into the core and then pressurize air into the hull....takes like a year to dry out. ...one guys has his all drilled and sitting in a garage with a dehumidifier and it's still wet after 7 years!....we put our water logged boats where they belong......the dump!

[Pat32rf]

I have seen boats where they have cut out the old floor, cleaned out the old foam and had new sprayed in. A fresh piece of plywood and a coat of Fiberglass to seal it solves the problem for another thirty years.....