Ooops-great big hole in tube

[tuned]

Sooooo, I was scrubbing some of the green off of my port tube and danged if my hand didn't slip and drill a rather sizable hole in the butt cap. I must admit that there was beer involved.

What to do? What to do?

[toondog]

Looks like the right size for empty beer cans.

[BassFrequency]

holy shit dude!!! how much beer was involved?

[curtiscapk]

I smell bilge (toon) pump!!

[jim454]

that where the brake light goes?

[badmoonrising]

Aft torpedo launcher ?

[lakerunner]

Tap fin storage for when they fall off

[HandymanHerb]

Rear facing potato cannon

[tuned]

Looks like the right size for empty beer cans? The tube is nowhere near big enough.
that where the brake light goes? Nope. I don't like anybody to know my intentions
I smell bilge (toon) pump!! All bilge pumps smell
Aft torpedo launcher ? Correction-Photon torpedos
Tap fin storage for when they fall off? Don't get me (or anyone else) started
holy shit dude!!! how much beer was involved? Just exactly enough...plus one
Rear facing potato cannon? As kids, we made gas powered tennis ball cannons and launched them across Rainy River at the Canadians. I'm guessing that Homeland Security would never approve nowadays. Here's an idea...cut the whole butt plate off and make one o' them pumpkin chunkers.

I frickin love you guys. I shoulda just started this as a poll....
Important safety note-I had my personal protective equipment on. Wouldn't want to spill beer in my eyes.

Actually, Craig wins the crown. I had a tube leak early this spring. It is repaired now, but I like the idea of being able to control these issues, especially when I am forty miles from home in 34 degree water. Besides, I MUST modify. It is a compulsion.
I did a couple of searches on the subject here, and didn't come up with much, so I figured I'd document the project in case anyone is interested. If anyone else has done something similar, please feel free to pipe up.
Today is the day I will do much of the work. I think I have a good game plan, although it is not a natural feeling punching that big of a hole in a boat hull. It took a lot of liquid courage to do that first one. The second was a bit easier. Next is about 14 more smaller ones...gulp.
So off I go, wish me luck.

[OldePharte]

Okay, Mr Obvious here - why don't ya just fill the tubes up with foam?

[tuned]

Okay, Mr Obvious here - why don't ya just fill the tubes up with foam?

Thanks for the suggestion, but lemme tell ya a little story about foam:
About 15 years ago, I had a micro tunnel hull racer. Ten footer, fiberglass hull with a 50 horse yammie. It was fast. It also was so rough running that the hull always had microcrack weepers and I had a hard time keeping the water out.
So I foamed inside the sponsons. I used top-of-the-line, marine grade, closed cell foam.
A year later, water had leached into the foam anyway, adding weight. The boat just got heavier and heavier until I was unable to race it. Destroyed the boat.
I then went to a 12 footer with a 60 horse and never looked back.
The moral of the story here is that I will never touch the stuff again, no matter what the manufacturer claims

[mike]

Great looking project, keep us updated with photos!! Nothing better than a diy...

[WaltF]

Great Thread!

[curtiscapk]

I love winning crowns

[tuned]

Sooo, between the pc issues and the Photobucket issues, I am finally getting around to the rest of the story here...late as always
I was gonna dole them out a little at a time, but couldn't, so now you get 'em all at once:


This is what prompted the project in the first place. A little scary early this spring. Water was in the thirties.


Drilled a few more holes. Obviously one wasn't enough.


What the inside of my tube looks like.


It rained for about 2 weeks. Good time to be in dry dock. Lake was low and needed it.


Pump bases riveted to plastic mount plates, then epoxied into the tube.


They're in there!


Switching (straight manual) in my home-built BBQ box.


Keep your wiring neat. Hopefully it'll survive the grease


The meticulous job of mounting the deckplates.


O-ring spacers


Even more silicone. Making a thick rubber gasket.


Ring is in there. Note the outlet hose to the left. There was not enough room in the lids for the fittings. Plus the hose wouldn't have twisted enough to screw in the lids. Thus, they got their very own personal holes.


Power thru hulls, aka bulkhead fittings.


Getting close.


Done!


Thought I'd throw this in there because I am sad. My big boat is tentatively sold as of tomorrow. Of course, I would never have met you guys if I hadn't blown it up, with uber-hot chicks on board. They were less than impressed. So I built 'Al the Mirthmaker' while repairs were being made, fell in love with it, and the rest is history.
Goodbye 'Ra', fair seas to you