Leak from scupper solution

[Kevin Henderson]

I have developed an annoying bit of a leak over time coming from my midships portside scupper.  Water  seems to come through whenever I wash the boat or it rains and seeps into the head and  into the small storage area there.  I have included a couple pics to show where I am talking about.  I had first thought the leak was due to a sanction leak but today I confirmed it is not.  Pau Hana has the toe rails installed to accommodate a midship cleat.  I had also thought the leak was coming from there but again, it is not.  What appears to be happening is at the scupper hole itself that discharges water overboard, water seeps through as it's discharging.  Of course I could plug the hole and prevent any water going through the small hole but then that does not really solve the problem.  I'm looking for solutions to seal up the inside of that weep hole. 
One thought that has come to mind is simply tape it up from the hull side of the hole and then inject epoxy inside the hole itself and let it seep in and set.  I could then re-drill the hole from the hull side.  That's my thought.  Any ideas? 

[Ron Hill]

Kevin : Most of us have taken a piece of 3/8" clear hose about 3" in length and stuck it in those scupper holes. We did that so the water (especially rain) runs out and not down the sides making dark streaks on the hull!!

If you don't have tight fit, wrap some tape around the outside of the hose.  I believe that the tight fit will seal the inside of the scupper holes and stop your leak!! 

A thought

[Stu Jackson]

One thought that has come to mind is simply tape it up from the hull side of the hole and then inject epoxy inside the hole itself and let it seep in and set.  I could then re-drill the hole from the hull side.  That's my thought.  Any ideas?

That's one way to do it.  You should be careful to drill so that the lower part of the new hole is as LOW as it can go, or else water level in the little "crevice" inboard will be higher.

Kevin : Most of us have taken a piece of 3/8" clear hose about 3" in length and stuck it in those scupper holes. We did that so the water (especially rain) runs out and not down the sides making dark streaks on the hull!!

If you don't have tight fit, wrap some tape around the outside of the hose.  I believe that the tight fit will seal the inside of the scupper holes and stop your leak!! 

That's another way.  IIRC, I first saw it from the C42 skippers in Mainsheet magazine.

[Kevin Henderson]

Thanks guys!  We're expecting alot of rain over the next few days and I want to keep things dry. 
Is "tight Fit" a product like a tape or adhesive?  I like that idea.  I'm worried as Stu said... If I drill my hole a bit too law I could be right back where I started. 
BTW... I believe there was work in this area from the previous owner and it appears that they may have tried drilling after patching and thereby causing a leak.  There was silicone in the area but it has finally given up. 
Searching for "Tight Fit"     

[Stu Jackson]

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  I'm worried as Stu said... If I drill my hole a bit too law I could be right back where I started. 
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Kevin, that's not at all what I said.  I said: "You should be careful to drill so that the lower part of the new hole is as LOW as it can go, or else water level in the little "crevice" inboard will be higher."

So if you completely FILL the hole and redrill it out, make sure that you drill LOW ENOUGH so that the water buildup in the crevice is not higher than it used to be.  One would have to assume that the new hole would be slightly smaller in diameter than the old hole.  Or else the goop you used to fill it would disappear.

If I was doing this on my boat, I would start by getting some epoxy and slathering it liberally on the existing hole to see if it solves the problem.  If it does, you know that's where the problem really is.  Then, if it works, you can decide what, if anything, to do next.

Good luck.