New sail boat owner with a hole

[chris1gorrie]

Hello all, my name is Chris and i am a recent new owner of a Starwind 19 sail boat which i am extremely excited to get set up and sailing. I picked this boat up as a project for my kids and I. Hopefully we can get it out on the water soon.

I did just find a hole in the bottom of the hull, beside the keel and right next to the hole for the onboard sink (which seems to be siliconed up for some reason) and I'm worried it's not supposed to be there. Anybody have ideas or experience on what it could be?

Looking forward to being a member of the forum and I'm planning on doing a lot of reading through the posts. Thanks!

[rwaters71]

If by "hole for the sink" you mean the tru-hull for the sink drain, that should be above the waterline, not on the "bottom of the hull"?

In either case, I would clean out all that silicone first, then buy proper tru-hull fittings (Should be 3/4 diameter for the sink drain on the Starwind). Actually seems the tru-hull for the sink drain is already there, you can leave that alone after cleaning the silicone from it. That other hole may have been from some other drain, like a bilge pump, or something of the sort. The easiest repair would be with a properly installed tru-hull fitting and a plug, that way you don't have to mess with a big tapered fiberglass repair job, and you can actually use it at some point.

[SVRocinante]

Originally Posted by chris1gorrie

... a hole in the bottom of the hull, beside the keel and right next to the hole for the onboard sink...

Since it’s next to the onboard sink and below the waterline, I would venture a guess and say that they are holes for two thru-hulls. One for the drain and one as a source of seawater for the sink.

Of course, that’s just a guess...

Enjoy the project!

[rwaters71]

Originally Posted by SVRocinante

Since it’s next to the onboard sink and below the waterline, I would venture a guess and say that they are holes for two thru-hulls. One for the drain and one as a source of seawater for the sink.

Of course, that’s just a guess...

Enjoy the project!

Great guess, considering they don't have water tanks

[PLANET EXPRESS]

Depth sounder?

[CarlF]

How big is this hole?

If it's only 1/2" or so and is at the low spot of the hull, I'd guess it's a drain to let rain water out for when the boat's on a trailer. Technically called a "garboard drain". A screw in plastic plug would go in there before you launch the boat.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Chris.

[NYSail]

Best way to find out what it is would be to go inside the boat and see if there is anything attached to it or any near by hoses unattached. Should be pretty obvious I would think.

Enjoy!

Greg

[Privilege]

Chris, whatever that hole turns out to be, it's not something for you to be concerned about. It was obviously put there for a reason and sooner of later you will find out what it is. Of course, your only concern is that it doesn't let water in the boat once you have put the boat back in the water, especially as one of them has silicone in it. As others have mentioned, you could fiberglass the hole closed but the chances are that you'll discover a need for the thru hull once you get used to your boat. For peace of mind, if I were you, I'd buy two bronze thru hull fittings and two gate valves which you can get from any online marine store. They are easy to install and will last many years.

[a64pilot]

Put a water hose over the hole with someone inside of the boat.
I’ll bet you’ll discover where that hole goes.
Just me, but I would not launch until I was sure about that hole, and why there is silicone on the other. It may have had it hose removed and siliconed shut, if so then removing the silicone may not be a good idea.
If that is correct, then a more permanent repair is needed, like replace the hose.
Boat may have sat on a trailer and filled with rain water and some nut drilled a hole to drain it.
Don’t launch until you’re sure, I’d hate you to sink your new boat.

On edit, never put silicone on fiberglass. Reason is it has oil or some kind of chemical in it that prevents anything else from sticking to fiberglass, so future adhesives and repairs are difficult.

[chris1gorrie]

Thanks for all the great replies. I stuck a flashlight in the mystery hole and went into the cabin to see where it's at. Strangely it seems that the hole is drilled through the first layer of fiberglass but not a second layer that is covering it. I like the idea of drilling it through and putting a proper fitting in there, to use for the sink. Right now the sink just goes to a little water tank which seems strange as there's no pump.

[a64pilot]

I know nothing about your boat, it’s not water ballasted is it?

[Lionshooter]

Originally Posted by CarlF

How big is this hole?

If it's only 1/2" or so and is at the low spot of the hull, I'd guess it's a drain to let rainwater out for when the boat's on a trailer. Technically called a "garboard drain". A screw in plastic plug would go in there before you launch the boat.

LOL. This brought back memories. Has anyone else ever been so excited about getting underway that they forgot to put the drain plug in before launch?

[Sailor647]

All boat owners - especially sailboat owners - have holes. I know, I am one.

Holes in their heads (where all the common sense drains out) and holes in their wallets!

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by rwaters71

The easiest repair would be with a properly installed tru-hull fitting and a plug, that way you don't have to mess with a big tapered fiberglass repair job, and you can actually use it at some point.

To fill a small hole you do not need to do a "big tapered fiberglass repair job" All you need to do is grind the inside of the hole to clean fiberglass and fill it with alternating layers of epoxied glass and mat. A big tapered repair is for holes that are large enough to be structural issues. I filled a few holes by my method over 20 years ago and they are still good.