Need HELP!

[Joe Smith]

Hey folks, need help! My 98 Pro 185 Tracker is taking water. Had it in calm water for about 2 hours and took on enough water to start coming through the floor drain. When I put it on the lift and take it out of the water water drips from the center v of the boat about 4 feet from the point of the bow. I can see no visible signs of splits or cracks but can't figure out how it can be taking on that much water in such a short time. Any ideas? Thanks in advance:

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Joe, I assume you have your boat on a lift? And you don't pull it out of the water on a trailer?

Can you see what's happening well enough while it't on the lift?

I would pull it out of the water and while on the trailer run a hose in the boat and truly see where the water is coming from. You may have hit something that you didn't even realize hitting and put a gash in it somewhere. On my boat I was taking a LOT of water on and couldn't find where. Even on the trailer I could'n find it. Then by accident I saw something BEHIND the side guide on board on the trailer. When I took that off I saw I had a quarter size hole in the side of the boat just below the water line. It was welded with no problem but that shows you you have to carefully look. Good luck Joe. Keep us up to date will ya?



Bill

 

[Carl S]

Joe,

I have a '99 PT185 and it has the weld in the same place as you described. It is just after the riveted keel reinforcement or protection "V" strip and is about 4" long.. I also bought mine used in 2001. It never leaked in that area until this spring. I noticed water would pour out from inside the "V" strip for awhile and then it would drip for days. I finally flooded the boat from the bilge area (front of the boat down on the trailer) until it started to leak. Mine did not leak at the weld, but was coming from inside the riveted "V" strip that is over the keel. I assumed it must have been rivet leak I could not see under the "V" strip.

I since have installed a 8' KeelShield and have not had anymore water problems since. The KeelShield is "not" designed to cover up or fix leaks, but so far so good. It has been on since early May of this year.

I would appreciate if you would let me know what they find at the dealer inspection. Carl