Q: I have an inflatable boat that has a slow leak. The boat seems to be able to hold air all
day, but the tubes go soft over-night. I can't seem to find the leak. What can I do?
- Jerry Starr, Annapolis, MD
A: You're probably right about
your boat having a slow air leak. The tubes stay hard during the day because the sun heats the air
inside. Hot air expands, increasing the air pressure.So, the tubes appear to be holding air.
Overnight, the air temperature in the boat drops and the pressure falls off. In the morning the
boat is floppy because so much air leaked out the previous day when the pressure was high from the
sun's heat. To find the leak, first mix a little dish soap and fresh water in a spray bottle. Then,
inflate the boat and tighten all of the valves or filler caps. Spray the soapy mixture around the
valves first. An air leak will reveal itself by blowing bubbles.If the valves are good, spray water
along each seam in the boat looking for those telltale bubbles. Be sure to check the seams located
at the bottom of the tubes where they meet the actual fabric bottom of the boat.Finding the leak is
only half the battle.
Next, you have to fix it. Sevylor makes a line of products specifically for their PVC boats and
water toys. Poly Marine and West Marine both offer sealants suitable for both hypalon and PVC
boats. Hypalon is the airtight coating on most inflatable boats used as yacht tenders. As with any
sealant, read and follow the directions. An alternative is to send the boat to a factory-authorized
repair shop. The existence of one leak suggests another one may not be far behind. Having the boat
professionally sealed is often the most cost-effective solution.The most common cause of problems
with inflatable boats is exposure to ultraviolet sunlight. Deflating the boat and storing it
indoors between uses solves this problem at the expense of added complication. If you keep your
boat inflated during the season, the best alternative is to purchase one of the aftermarket covers
to protect it from sunlight.
Q: This is my first boat, a vintage 1990 I/O bowrider. Every time I use the boat, it gets a lot
of water in the bottom. Sometimes it's at least six inches deep at the end of the day. The problem
seems worse when we just go to the beach and swim than when we run all day. I drain it when we pull
the boat back onto the trailer, but how much should a boat collect during one day?- Chris Kiger,
Goshen, IN
A: Every boat collects bilge water. The amount you're collecting seems excessive. Even though
your boat is now more than 16 years old, it shouldn't leak that much water during a single day of
use.Based on its age, I suspect there's a crack in one of the rubber "boots" that seal the transom
where the outdrive is mounted. If either boot on your outdrive springs a leak, water will get into
the boat while it's sitting still. However, when it's running at higher speeds, the crack in the
boot may be out of the water and sometimes doesn't leak. Replacing the boot is a job for a trained
mechanic.Water ingress through a fitting such as a water intake or a depth transducer is less
likely, but still a possibility. Sometimes the sealant on these fittings dries or cracks, and water
gets into the boat. If this is the case, you can remove the fitting, clean off the old material,
and reinstall the fitting with new sealant such as BoatLife® or 3M 5200®. Another possibility is a
leak in the transom drain tube. It's located in the transom just above the keel. There should be a
snap-tight drain plug in this tube to keep water out of the boat. As the rubber gets older, this
type of plug can begin to leak. Replacement plugs only cost a couple of bucks.
Q: The deck of my center console runabout has become scuffed and very dirty looking. I think
this is because the molded nonskid surface was painted over. Is there anything I can do to make it
look good again?- Rick Hellman, Rocky River, OH
A: Repainting a nonskid deck is a quick and easy way to make your boat look new again. Wash down
the deck with a biodegradable soap and lots of fresh water. Let it dry. Beware of oily residue from
outboard 2-stroke oil, which resists ordinary soap and water scrubbing. This can be removed with a
solvent such as a commercial degreaser available from automotive paint stores. Finally, use
220-grit sandpaper to scuff sand the old surface. The deck can be painted with marine-grade enamel
or polyurethane paint. For a professional job, mix commercial nonskid granules (Pettit 9900
Skidless Compound) into the paint. These granules are light enough to remain mixed in the paint as
it's applied. Even so, stirring is necessary to be sure each brush load has an equal amount of
nonskid material.An alternative to adding granules yourself is Interlux Interdeck® all-in-one
nonskid paint. This product contains a fine aggregate already mixed into the paint. It also has a
low sheen finish to reduce sun glare.Nonskid paint is best applied with a bristle brush. The
bristles pick up the granules better than a foam applicator. Don't over-brush the paint film. This
can pull some of the nonskid material out of the paint. Plan for the boat to be out of service for
a couple of days after you coat the deck. It should be dry to the touch in about three hours, and
safe to walk on in about two days, depending upon the air temperature and humidity.
Q: Somehow I managed to drop the cap from my gas filler into the water. I want to replace it,
but I don't want to put a whole new filler into the boat. Can I buy just the cap? - John Winslow,
Crystal River, FL
A: Yes, replacement gas caps are available, but you may have to special order one for your
fitting. Most caps have the same diameter and the same size threads. It may be possible to use a
different brand on your fitting. If you can't find a replacement, the price of a single cap is
usually about two-thirds the cost of a new fuel fill fitting. So, it won't set you back all that
much more to buy a whole new fitting and use just the cap on your boat. Ask around the gas docks
before you shell out bucks for a new cap. People leave them behind all the time. You might be lucky
enough to find one of these lost caps that fits your boat.
Q: My boat has a capacity
sticker that says it can hold six people or 1,000 pounds. If the total weight of the people does
not exceed the 1,000 pounds, does this mean I can carry more than six?- Paul Thompson, Bend, OR
A: No. The number of people on the capacity plate cannot be exceeded, even if they're all
emaciated fashion models. A boat with a capacity of six people can't legally carry seven, even if
one is a baby. In the old-fashioned lifeboat vernacular of "souls," it becomes clear. Six souls is
six souls. Without getting into theology, a soul has no weight. So, the number of people aboard is
the critical issue, not the poundage. The persons capacity of a boat never exceeds the number of
seats. As with life-boats, there must be a seat for each person. For safety, everyone must be
seated when the boat is moving at above-harbor speed.A boat's weight capacity has nothing to do
with the number of people. It's the maximum amount of passenger weight and gear that can safely be
carried. People sometimes overlook the "gear" in the equation, often resulting in an overloaded
boat even though not every seat is filled.To illustrate, think of the fat man and fat lady from the
circus both in the same small boat. Those two "tons-of-fun" might well fill up a boat's weight
limit even though there are four or six empty seats remaining. Or, the "gear" weight of an anvil
collection might easily exceed the weight limit of that same boat. With the anvils on deck, there
might not be any weight allowance remaining for passengers, including a driver. U.S. Coast Guard
regulations specify that all powerboats under 20 feet in length must have a placard displaying the
boat's weight and persons capacities. This same sticker shows the maximum horsepower outboard motor
that may be fitted to the boat, if applicable. Sailboats, canoes, kayaks, and inflatable boats are
exempt from displaying capacity placards.