Water in boat

[Doug Mroz]

Question - I drained my boat the other day until nothing was coming out the back. Then when put it on the crane I heard a little water in my boat when I pulled the bow down. It was a very small amount,  but neverless why would it not drain out the back and is there anyway to get that out?

[Drew Harper]

Tilt it WAY back on the trailer....tail hitting the ground (put down a soft towel)

That should get out the last little bits.

[Peter Beardsley]

I once had this issue on my fairly new Vanguard 15.  The issue was in the stringer construction on several boats.  Usually the stringer was open on the front and back end, but there was a batch of boats where it was open on the front toward the bow, but glassed closed at the transom.  So if you did something crazy as I did one day where you sail without a stern plug inadvertently, fill the hull with water and have a bunch of it in the stringer, when you tilt the boat bow up, you can't get all of the water out -- the part that's in the stringer gets trapped.  The solution was to go at the back of the stringer with a small drill (VERY CAREFULLY) through the transom inspection port, put a few small holes in, tilt the bow up, and watch the water come out. 

Zero idea if Vipers have the same issue, or if they did, how you'd get at it -- I'd definitely try Drew's solution first.  But I definitely know that infuriating sound from the V15 of tilting the bow up, seeing no more water coming out through stern plug or in the stern inspection port, putting the bow down and hearing a bunch of water slosh forward. 

[Michael Gravitt]

I have had the same problem. I put a couple blocks under the back of the trailer and use the hoist to pick up the tongue of the trailer high enough for the water to drain. The blocks let you pick up the boat high enough and the transom does not hit the ground.

[Justin Scott]

I have had the same problem. I put a couple blocks under the back of the trailer and use the hoist to pick up the tongue of the trailer high enough for the water to drain. The blocks let you pick up the boat high enough and the transom does not hit the ground.

I have a Bennet boat so I have the keel bolt holes that directly access the hull (when it rains and the keel is up without a cover, water comes in) so draining the hull is part of my routine when I arrive at a regatta.

I put large wooden blocks under the rear trailer cross member. Then I hook the tongue to the hoist. I put a pfd under the transom of the boat. Then with the hoist I lift the front of the trailer up until the wheels are off the ground. All water in every nook and cranny will be gone.

IMPORTANT (note to Olaf): Tie the bow of your boat to the trailer, or it will slide off!

[Dave Dougall]

I own #28, obviously a Bennett type boat.  I bought 2  1/2-13 X1" hex head bolts and put O-rings on them to stop rain water from entering the hull when the keel is in the upright lifted position.   Simple idea as it stops the rain water from coming in through the inserts that hold the keel locked down when sailing.

[Doug Mroz]

Yeah I have to lift the tongue on the crane and get the wheels off the ground, which then puts it at a high enough angle to drain the water. For some reason, there was still water in it. Something must have been blocking a drain hole inside the hull. Getting creative, I cut a hole in an old towel, attached a line around it. Then I put it in an inspection port and pushed it forward with a pole. Then I lifted the boat up and pulled down on the bow. Held it there for a few seconds and set the boat down. Pulled the line and the towel out and that did the trick. I had to do it one more time.

[Michael Gravitt]

I was getting a lot of water in my boat and had looked all over the place for leaks. Seemed to get more when it was windy and the boat was heeled. Had the boat on the hoist one day and noticed that the deck joint at the tramsom was not bonded and was gapped open. Epoxied it back together and ran a nice bead of caulk around.  Hope this solves the problem. One problem with how the boat drains is that it has to go to the sides (outside of the stringers) to get out of the boat. The inspection port in front of the keel just goes into a void. There are no drain holes along centerline to let water aft. Even putting the trailer on blocks and lifting the tongue of the trailer usually does not get all the water out. Would it hurt anything to drill holes through the transverses under the mast and at the front of the keel box so water can drain at centerline?

[Justin Scott]

I was getting a lot of water in my boat and had looked all over the place for leaks. Seemed to get more when it was windy and the boat was heeled. Had the boat on the hoist one day and noticed that the deck joint at the tramsom was not bonded and was gapped open. Epoxied it back together and ran a nice bead of caulk around.  Hope this solves the problem. One problem with how the boat drains is that it has to go to the sides (outside of the stringers) to get out of the boat. The inspection port in front of the keel just goes into a void. There are no drain holes along centerline to let water aft. Even putting the trailer on blocks and lifting the tongue of the trailer usually does not get all the water out. Would it hurt anything to drill holes through the transverses under the mast and at the front of the keel box so water can drain at centerline?

Hi Michael,

Do you still have #44?
Certainly by #54, the Pre-Rondars had limber holes drilled in the stringers so that water can freely drain from bow to stern.
There was a period in Viper construction when Joe DaPonte was the foreman at Bennett's shop. Joe went on to found CCF Composites in Bristol, building Northcoast power boats, the J95, J111 and now the J70. He has done very well and has a great reputation. I would love to figure out which boat numbers he built.

The early boats have the potential weakness to separate at the transom hull/deck joint and it is an easy fix. This is because the joint is so narrow there. This is why Rondar altered the mold to create the wide hull deck joint at the transom that looks like a sugar scoop.

[Michael Gravitt]

Justin,
  I still have 44. Starting to show its age. I fixed the transom. A little epoxy and some caulk. We will see. Need to replace the hatches also. I'm sure they leak.  Strange set up for the drain holes at centerline. Water must go outside of stringers to get out.

[Doug Mroz]

The pictures inside a viper have drain holes all the way through, so if water is not coming out, there must be something blocking it.