Bilge Floor Crack

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LuckyBag
Bottom Paint Application Technician
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2019 3:13 pm
Boat Name: Lucky Bag
Boat Type: Pearson Triton

Bilge Floor Crack

Post by LuckyBag »

I have a ‘66 Pearson Triton and after taking off its winter cover and looking under the sole boards I noticed a pretty good sized crack on the floor of the bilge above the keel. In a panic, I ran down the ladder and breathed a sigh of relief that there were no cracks apparently to the outer hull. I have a pretty nice custom cover, but always get water collecting in the bilge (not sure why and from where it comes in during the winter or summer for that matter). I have therefore the last two winters put RV anti freeze in the bilge to at least try to prevent cracking from freezing/heaving (it gets cold in Michigan winters). I now believe there must be water in the encapsulated area surrounding the lead keel (not sure if the fiberglass was laminated to the lead). Is this a problem? Not sure what to do. Any advice from anyone with experience?
Dan
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atomvoyager
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Re: Bilge Floor Crack

Post by atomvoyager »

Not sure if you mean it's a new and large crack between the glass on top the ballast and the hull or if it may have been there in past years and you just didn't notice it. Or is it aft of the ballast in the deepest part of the keel? It could be from freezing rain water. Depending how your cover fits, rain water usually gets in through the chain locker deck fittings, cockpit locker lids that are not gasketed or especially that original Triton lazarette locker cover board. During the summer water can enter from outside cracks or be bilge water that seeps into keel voids and then it slowly drips back into the bilge during the winter haulout. Either way, you can ignore it until it gets worse, if it ever does. Ir drill 1/4" holes from outside in various areas of the lower keel to confirm if there is any more trapped water anywhere and then add a layer of glass inside all the bilge to fix the crack and also seal the bilge from future water entering. Then you can strip off the paint from the lower outside of keel and inspect for and small cracks to repair.
LuckyBag
Bottom Paint Application Technician
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2019 3:13 pm
Boat Name: Lucky Bag
Boat Type: Pearson Triton

Re: Bilge Floor Crack

Post by LuckyBag »

Thank you for the response. I’m pretty sure it formed this winter and it’s rather high in the glassed over surface above the ballast about 2.5-3 feet forward of the first companionway step (Not the deepest part of the keel). It is adjacent to the outer hull (hence my panic), but upon closer inspection it seems that there may have been a post production attempt to glass over the ballast and seal the bilge (there is a loose bolt glassed over in the matting). I am not sure what was done in production. I had accepted that water was going to get in the bilge until such a future time when I can shore it up, but I was not thinking the keel/ballast encapsulation would have water in it. Apparently there must be an entry point(S). I am just disappointed that my attempt to prevent heaving failed.
Dan
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atomvoyager
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Re: Bilge Floor Crack

Post by atomvoyager »

If you have an early model Triton pre hull #383 with external ballast you have keel bolts that might allow some water in. If you have a later model with internal ballast then you may see the tops of the eye bolts used to lower the ballast into the hull. You can gut those off with a an angle grinder metal cutting wheel and glass them over so that bilge water doesn't enter any voids. But those bolts are well above the bottom of the bilge so not the most likely entry point. If your main goal is to stop water from freezing inside the keel then I would drill the drain holes in the hull and then add some epoxy/glass inside the keel to prevent bilge water getting trapped in any voids. Then if it leaks in from outside during the summer, when you haul, it should drip back out from the same entry point.
LuckyBag
Bottom Paint Application Technician
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2019 3:13 pm
Boat Name: Lucky Bag
Boat Type: Pearson Triton

Re: Bilge Floor Crack

Post by LuckyBag »

Thank you for the explanation and suggestion. I’ll take a closer look this weekend. Will probably do something before next winter. Or bring the boat south.. :D
Dan
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