Water in the main hull

Anyone else experiencing water in the main hull? Is this typical for Stealth?

I measured out 6 cups after about 4/5hrs fishing session open ocean but glassy overall. Another 2 cups today after about 2/3hrs glassy again large harbor setting...even more mellow.

Im not too concerned...Brett thought 6 cups was no concern and typical
after a fishing session.

Interesting thing is a non fishing, paddle only session seems to leave the hull remaining dry. Perhaps the drifting and reverse maneuvers
invite the issue. Otherwise conditions were mild chop to glassy with no
deck-side water. Its below waterline, scuppers or rudder shaft.

Just a little concerned about a longer day in rough water where Its hard for most any kayak to stay dry inside.

I’d appreciate any prior experience replies and potential repair advice
if I actually have a issue needing more serious attention.

Thanks and Happy Hullidays to All


 

Hi Flyaker - I think that Bluekayak will have some info for you.  You might message him if he doesn't respond here.

Best of luck.   

6 cups out of the main hull, so the drain closest to the bow? Cant say that’s normal. I get maybe a few tablespoons to MAYBE a cup out of that after a FULL day. I get quite a bit out of the fish hatch drain, cause fish and hatch being open and what not. I added beads of silicon around all my rod holders (when I switched the stock to larger rod butt end size holders) and  added a dab of silicon to the screws when reinstalled. That much water doesn’t seem right to me, maybe check the footwell drains to see if there’s  something.

No Stealth for me...yet.  When we recently loaded a fusion up, it had had a mess o’ water in the main hull after a light choppy day. The owner was reminded that he didn’t create a seal around the rudder hatch as advised...I hope you solve it quickly as I am thinkin’ bout springin’ for tribal rights...

   Have you tried blowing air (vacuum cleaner reversed/hair dryer on "cold"/compressor)into the hull and running soapy water around everything to see if bubbles form?    I had a nuisance leak for years that turned serious about a mile off shore motivating me to spend half a day finding the leak that way. 
   No, I don't have a Stealth, but have admired them from afar.  Afar as my computer screen that is.

   Have you tried blowing air (vacuum cleaner reversed/hair dryer on "cold"/compressor)into the hull and running soapy water around everything to see if bubbles form?    I had a nuisance leak for years that turned serious about a mile off shore motivating me to spend half a day finding the leak that way. 
   No, I don't have a Stealth, but have admired them from afar.  Afar as my computer screen that is.

^^^ this ^^^ in my opinion 6 cups are too much.  I drenched all of my kayaks, the only one that has ever caught a half gallon was over a bad seal.  The rests never have more than 1-2 cups on a very bad wavey/windy day.  In general, inside a hull should be fairly dry ....

Thanks guys-
Yeah its quite a lot of water in my experience with other kayaks so I’ll try the soapy water / compressed air (thanks Fuzzy) to see if that reveals the culprit and report of it shows anything. There can only be so many places and again I’m confident its below the waterline and not hatch, rod holders or deck side related but thanks for the thoughts to
check anywhere possible. Im sure I’ll sort it out but hope its a fairly simple cure. It’s a bit tricky to diagnose since there is virtually no access to the main/outter hull....this is not happening in the fish hold.
Thanks again.
 

I had that problem a few years ago and they put the kayak up on horses and filled it with water which showed that one of the skipper holes had a leak. Sounds like an easy way to check for leaks.
Steve

I had that problem a few years ago and they put the kayak up on horses and filled it with water which showed that one of the skipper holes had a leak. Sounds like an easy way to check for leaks.
Steve

I never tried this, but I think this is a better simpler idea, not to mentioned it will help clean the inside of the kayak

That makes lots of sense making it easier to do and easier to locate. Some mild is detergent on the outside areas wont hurt for good measure I’ll let ya know what comes of it. Thanks

My 575 has been taking on water at increasing rate over the last several years, really since I had it it took water. The last three that I fished it it took on so much that it rolled every time out. If I didn’t roll offshore then when landing. One of them I was hooked up to a big lively salmon in rough water off the south end of Stinson with a sea lion chasing it and the stealth rolled, shoulda had a GoPro going

Rolled the landing at Linda Mar a few years back w AlexB who helped me pull it up the beach and drain, it drained full flow for a few minutes from the main hull

I went through the testing process multiple times and repaired what I thought were minor leaks, still took on gallons of h2o. Didnt pin down the big leak until I put water in the hull with it upside down on sawhorses

Turned out the cable housings for rudder cables wore through where they attach inside the hull. If I can figure how to load video of it here it will show how much water

Per Bruce my 575 was the first shipped to the US, they have since changed design and put reinforcements where the cable housings attach to inside of the hull. That should make it a lifetime yak, no such luck with mine

Incidentally my first yak is also a double hull, the whole idea being it won’t sink, that one is still water tight. Bought that in 1972(probably built 1968) and fished it daily for decades

My understanding is that South Africa requires double hull construction for kayaks, not sure why any amount of leak would be considered acceptable

A few cups of water isn’t really a problem, if it gets worse as mine did you should pay attention. My 575 is a backyard ornament until I find someone good enough to do a tricky repair

Upside is all my water time the last three years is surfing with my son who’s turning into quite the hotshot

Blue kayak,

I wonder if you could abandon the cable housings, and run new ones. I needed to add steering cables to my eddyline and it was pretty easy considering the area inside the hull has inaccessible areas.

I had that problem a few years ago and they put the kayak up on horses and filled it with water which showed that one of the skipper holes had a leak. Sounds like an easy way to check for leaks.
Steve

I never tried this, but I think this is a better simpler idea, not to mentioned it will help clean the inside of the kayak

Add a little bleach and slosh it around.

bushy

Blue kayak,

I wonder if you could abandon the cable housings, and run new ones. I needed to add steering cables to my eddyline and it was pretty easy considering the area inside the hull has inaccessible areas.

That’s the problem, the space the cables run through is inaccessible unless I do what Brett suggested and cut an access hole in the hull, which then has to be patched somehow

Be interested to know what you did w yours, if it was a similar situation

I thought maybe use the existing cables to string new housing and glass it with some kind of reinforcements at both ends

I believe on the newer ones they did a better design, reinforced where cables exit the hull

Mine took water in the outer hull from the start, and then the rudder cables sawed through the glass and the cable housing in a few short years

Blue kayak,

I wonder if you could abandon the cable housings, and run new ones. I needed to add steering cables to my eddyline and it was pretty easy considering the area inside the hull has inaccessible areas.

That’s the problem, the space the cables run through is inaccessible unless I do what Brett suggested and cut an access hole in the hull, which then has to be patched somehow

Be interested to know what you did w yours, if it was a similar situation

I thought maybe use the existing cables to string new housing and glass it with some kind of reinforcements at both ends

I believe on the newer ones they did a better design, reinforced where cables exit the hull

Mine took water in the outer hull from the start, and then the rudder cables sawed through the glass and the cable housing in a few short years

Can you send a picture of the area with the leak? It sounds more complicated than my situation. I purchased my kayak without a rudder but the cable entrance and exit points are molded during the thermaform process. I drilled holes at those points and then used a magnet to pull fishing line with a tiny piece of metal on the end in side the hull from hole to hole. Then I used the fishing line to pull the cable through. Still having plenty of extra cable the housing(plastic tubing) is fed over the cable, and then the cable is used to pull the housing through. Once the housing is secured at each end the cable is pulled out, and the housing is heated to enlarge the end so it can’t pull back into the hull. The cable is run back into the housing, and then cut to fit.