Hello! New member here, and new owner of an International FJ (aka Flying Dutchman Junior). Since it seems mine is unusual in that it has seating (most pictures that I find have wider sides, and you just sit on those), here's a picture:
I trailered it down to the lake where I was planning to launch it, and upon arrival I discovered water pooling in the center. Long story short, the previous owner sprayed foam inside the seats as a sealant, and it appears to be retaining water from who knows where. Owner claims it's been covered all along so we're both a bit baffled. I've also learned a valuable lesson to REALLY look inside any compartments I can't see inside of.
Guess that'll be for next time - fingers crossed it hasn't been there for years, working away on the internals. :/
Anyway, for the moment I'd like to figure out what I can do about this. I'm going to pump the water out manually first, then see if I can dry it out from the inside. Assuming the problem will reoccur though, I'd like to add drainage holes to those seats - the current ones you can see a few feet sternwards from the traveler are sealed with foam and only seep, very slowly. My question is, once I figure out where the bulk of the water is and drill some holes (through what I assume is some sort of wooden core) how do I seal them to prevent water retention in them? Just some sealant? Also, what size and type of drill bit would I use for this, is there a standard size for these drainage plugs? Guessing a Forstner will probably cut through the glass and core (whatever the core IS in these FJs)?
Thanks for any assistance. I'm probably going to be coming back for fiberglass/resin/epoxy help for some of the minor cracks, or if I manage to figure out where the leak is. I've watched videos, but don't have any practical experience on weights, type of weave, how many layers, etc. At least I think the resin is straightforward if you just go with West Systems (I plan to).
I trailered it down to the lake where I was planning to launch it, and upon arrival I discovered water pooling in the center. Long story short, the previous owner sprayed foam inside the seats as a sealant, and it appears to be retaining water from who knows where. Owner claims it's been covered all along so we're both a bit baffled. I've also learned a valuable lesson to REALLY look inside any compartments I can't see inside of.
Anyway, for the moment I'd like to figure out what I can do about this. I'm going to pump the water out manually first, then see if I can dry it out from the inside. Assuming the problem will reoccur though, I'd like to add drainage holes to those seats - the current ones you can see a few feet sternwards from the traveler are sealed with foam and only seep, very slowly. My question is, once I figure out where the bulk of the water is and drill some holes (through what I assume is some sort of wooden core) how do I seal them to prevent water retention in them? Just some sealant? Also, what size and type of drill bit would I use for this, is there a standard size for these drainage plugs? Guessing a Forstner will probably cut through the glass and core (whatever the core IS in these FJs)?
Thanks for any assistance. I'm probably going to be coming back for fiberglass/resin/epoxy help for some of the minor cracks, or if I manage to figure out where the leak is. I've watched videos, but don't have any practical experience on weights, type of weave, how many layers, etc. At least I think the resin is straightforward if you just go with West Systems (I plan to).