Fiberglass missing near driveshaft?

[Pullen724]

Can anyone with around a 2016 242 Limited or Limited S take a look below their clean out tray for me and advise if the fiberglass is solid beneath the port side driveshaft? Ive had a few leaks on this boat and have had my clean out tray removed which allowed me to easily take these pics. See pics in reference to a void I have in the fiberglass which allows water to get in between the fiberglass layers.

Im assuming this should be solid but just want to confirm with someone with a similar boat.

 

[Bruce]

Am I seeing water in that void?

 

[Seadeals]

I don't have a similar boat to check for you; but I would be cleaning it out and at least filling with resin and chopped glass fibers. I had a nickel-sized void under the gel coat near the port jet that eventually cracked. I had to open up the whole void, fill and gelcoat over it. It seems like the automated "fast" build process and spotty quality control make these boats like a box of chocolates. Easy to fix, especially on the inside.

 

[Pullen724]

Yes. There is water in there. I dont think it is coming in through the hull at that area. Ive had two main leaking areas fixed (rear rub rail and both driveshaft seals) and with the clean out tray lid removed, water easily enters the bilge area from above when swimmers enter the boat. Is the water getting in that void potentially harmful to the hull/fiberglass? Its such a tight void with virtually no air circulation around it so any water that gets in there doesnt dry up very quick at all. In fact, I think it would take weeks to dry out if I didnt use my extractor pump to suck it out. It probably holds 1-2 cups of water inside the void.

 

[Pullen724]

@Bruce , what were your thoughts?

 

[Bruce]

@Bruce , what were your thoughts?

Only that I would want to make sure it is not soaking in and damaging the hull in that area. I would be going to the dealer for a warranty repair. It is likely that simply filling the void with epoxy would be sufficient assuming no water damage has occurred.

 

[swatski]

@Pullen724 I know it looks kind of scary, but I personally don't think it is a big deal. This is the area of a bulkhead dividing the engine compartment and the bilge, and it does not look like you have anything to worry about. I would inspect (visually) the inside of the intake tunnel - under the shaft (covered in rubbery tube) - make sure there are no voids in the tunnel and between the transom/wear ring (inside the tunnel). Other than that, there is not much that can be done, the entire bilge is just all raw fiberglass/FRP. Good news is there is no wood (that could rot) in those bilges - even all the embedded plates are aluminum.

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