Bad News

PonTuna Salad

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Well, got bad news today. Had the toon in the water 3 times since I took delivery. I have it on a lift and I noticed a stream of water coming from the weld along the bottom of a nose cone, about 1" from the tube weld. I took a video of it and this morning went to the Bennington dealer. I talked with someone in the service department and they told me that if I wanted to use it over the 4th weekend to bring it after then as it would take more than a week to repair.


About 1 hour later, I got a call from the service manager. He wanted to know about the leak. He told me to bring it by today and leave it. He said that there was no way it would be repaired in time to use it for the 4th and that I shouldn't use it with a leak.


Well of course I hate to not use it as I will be off the entire week. Should I risk using it with a pinhole leak? I can lift it every night to let it drain. 
 
If it's not that big I don't see a problem. Our boat is up there also to repair a steering leak.
 
If it's not that big I don't see a problem. Our boat is up there also to repair a steering leak.

Mrs. Salad isn't happy, especially with their timeline on the repair. It is pretty small. About like fine dental floss. I thought about sealing it with silicone and run with it through the 4th. Especially since I can lift it and let it drain each day. Not like it sits in the water. If that were the case I wouldn't have known it and I would use it until I noticed it listing. 
 
How far above/below the waterline is the hole?  Am I reading correctly that it's at the bottom of the nosecone?
 
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Sure sorry to hear that Pontuna.  
 
How far above/below the waterline is the hole?  Am I reading correctly that it's at the bottom of the nosecone?

It is below the water line. On the bottom/front/leading edge of the cone, but just before it welds to the tube. 


How much water does it take to make a 24' tritoon unstable if it is on the port side?
 
If it's going to be properly fixed after the 4th of July weekend I don't see why you can't temporarily fix it to use now...........


Unless temporarily fixing it violates the warranty. Anybody?!? 


Ive got some good duct tape you can use......
 
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It seems like this would be a fast repair. Over a week to fix a pin hole leak????????


If it's not that big I don't see a problem. Our boat is up there also to repair a steering leak.

They must be backed up or something.


Has your boat been in the shop Carl?!?
 
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It is below the water line. On the bottom/front/leading edge of the cone, but just before it welds to the tube. 


How much water does it take to make a 24' tritoon unstable if it is on the port side?

Unless that hole is the size of a quarter, you're not gonna have any problems.  I'd plug it up with bubble gum and have a good day.  Being on the leading edge, it'll take some surface friction, but if it's as small as you say it is, I wouldn't worry too much about it.  Take a glob of silicone, smear it on your finger, and stick it in the hole and let it cure.
 
I am headed to the lake now to "gob" it up with silicon caulk. It will cure 2 days before I use it. My mother's 81th birthday is Sunday so I am going out of town to see her.


Can't see where I could sink it with the amount of water it could take on in 5-6 hours at a time. I can lift it and drain it each night. Not like it is sitting there and I don't know it.


Funny thing is our good friend and former neighbors want to go out on it. We invited them on the maiden voyage and told them it could be a great celebration, maybe like the Titanic. Now I am questioning that joke.


But maybe I might just wear a life jacket and stay close to shore.   :D
 
I had one compartment completely flooded about 4 years ago, and she still stayed afloat.  That was with a 7" vertical tear in the pontoon.  Your pinhole will be fine - even below the waterline.
 
It seems like this would be a fast repair. Over a week to fix a pin hole leak????????

I agree. I work in power plant maintenance and I believe the welding is about 15 minutes. It's the testing that will take a while, but if their welding contractor is that backed up, maybe they need more than one sub. 
 
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+1 on the J B Weld. The material is nothing more than a one part epoxy. And that would be able to be scraped off the toon. Just keep it small and smooth. If anyone would complain about it being done. Tell them it was an emergency fix. And that's the truth!
 
I had a pin hole in a weld for a couple years before I even knew it. Boat sits on the trailer when not in use though. Pin hole was a couple inches up off the bottom. Took years for it to fill up to the hole to where it leaked out and I noticed it. You could just barely force a toothpick through the hole, that's how small it was. When I finally noticed it, I drilled a bigger hole to drain it. 3/16 inch bit maybe. Took and hour or two to drain. There's a post on that here somewhere with photos. 


If it was me, I'd try good Gorilla tape first and see if it stayed on after a trip out.  Then caulk. Either way, I'd fix it in the fall, not during boating season. 


If you were not in a lift, it would be a different story


I guess the main question is whether you boat is listing or not. If not, you should be good.  Just keep an eye on it.
 
Kaydano, I have put silicone caulk in the hole. I will see how it does over the 4th week. If I do not see it drain, I may wait as well. 


Just got back from a 1 hour sunset ride on the Waverunner. I happened to think, the service manager told me that it wasn't safe to use with a hole in the toon. He didn't offer to come get it. He just told me that the marina dock was open until 8 tonight and he sure to cover it and leave the keys. 


I guess it was a CYA thing in case it failed and left me floating in the lake.  :wacko:
 
Floating -haha!


Yup, CYA.
 
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Kaydano, I have put silicone caulk in the hole. I will see how it does over the 4th week. If I do not see it drain, I may wait as well. 


Just got back from a 1 hour sunset ride on the Waverunner. I happened to think, the service manager told me that it wasn't safe to use with a hole in the toon. He didn't offer to come get it. He just told me that the marina dock was open until 8 tonight and he sure to cover it and leave the keys. 


I guess it was a CYA thing in case it failed and left me floating in the lake.  :wacko:

Did you come by our cove?!? Saw a jet ski come in and circle. We were supposed to go to dinner by boat tonight but our neighbors invited us for salmon on the grill instead.......
 
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