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My 1983 Bertram 26 Sport Convertible II was damaged in hurricane Harvey. I have been restoring it ever since, and am just about done. I have a wood guy that does great work on the teak elements in the cockpit. He restored them for me just before the hurricane. He was on the boat doing some repair work to the teak in the cockpit and apparently noticed that there was a fair bit of water in the bilge. The boat is in the yard, out of the water. He decided that it would be a good idea to take a 1 inch drill and drill a hole right through the bottom of the hull and let the water drain out. Which he did. He also decided that he didn't need to ask me about this or even tell me he had done it until he was all done, a couple weeks later. Obviously, there is an existing through hull fitting for the chartplotter, but nothing like this. Some folks are suggesting I find a fiberglass guy to plug it and glass over it. Others are saying to just fit a drain plug. I am leery about fitting a drain plug, and having trouble finding a glass guy who will do the work. Has anyone run across a scenario like this? How would you fix it? How serious do you think the issue is? At the moment, I am probably too p***ed off to see straight.

All thoughts welcome.

Jim R

I would be pissed but it isn't the end of the world, if it were done in a place where you can easily get at it. I take that statement back if it is not in a place where it can be easily gotten to.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade....... my B25 originally had one of these perko garboard drains, it had been a rack stored boat so it kept the boat from filling with water when stored. The drain had been there for a while so I don't think it was a negative for having it. I ended up re-using it for the thru-hull for my livewell and wash down pumps so I wouldn't need to drill another hole.
https://www.fisheriessupply.com/perko-g ... -0363-0370


If you really want it glassed in, bevel the edges and put @5 layers of 1708 on each side at one time as Cap't Pat described on this site.
https://www.bertram31.com/proj/tips/hole_patch.htm

I followed this method to fill in the dual thru-hulls which were installed originally in the boat for the head under the v-birth floor. it really isn't as bad as you would expect to be, 30 min with grinder to bevel the glass, 1 glassing session on the top wait 1-2hrs for the epoxy to partially setup then 1 glassing session on the bottom, then wait 24hrs for the glass to cure and then do 1-2 fill /fair sessions on the bottom. I used all epoxy resin for this repair as it was underwater in a high stress area.

Presumably the hole was drilled at an accessible low point in the bilge in which case I'd install a garboard drain and be done with it.

[ If it makes you feel any better years ago I had a 'worker' Sawzall out a section of one of my stringers instead of unbolting and removing the engine bed 'sister' as he should have...……..fortunately I had the presence of mind to check on how he got on with that first one before he cut the other 3 sections out...…]

Where did he drill the hole?. Near the stern, midsdhip or some place else? If near the stern, put the plug in her, one day you will thank him, if some place else, glass it in.

He probably put the hole where water collects. Where it will always collect.
So, keep this good hole, put a drain plug and use it when you need it.
I have a drain hole on the stern. Very practical. Only I have to make sure the boat is stored bow proud so the water moves back and drains by gravity.

These boats are plastic buckets...don't stress over it.
A little glass n glue n you'll be good as new.


Now do you want to fill in the hole? Its nice to have a drain when on land. Even if your boats covered, a small hole in cover or a sideways rain can dump alot of water inside the boat and that's not good when being held up by a couple stands or just some trailer supports. Hulls are built to hold water out, not in. It gives a piece of mind to remove that plug when its blowing heavy rain. You don't have to worry about boat filling up with water. I put two in my boat just for that reason. Lil silicone and a coupler screws.

Now if you want to fill it in...Capt Patrick has a section on fiberglass repair and filling in holes with pictures...gotta love pictures. KTM_2000 laid it all out for you too. Its not all that hard once you get started. Just use epoxy resin and not the polyester for this job. If hull is cored...which I doubt, as its a Bertram I believe, you'll have some extra work, but again not bad. Stress not, boats integrity is fine taking either path (drain plug or fiberglass in). If it were my decision to make...if water was in there...install a drain plug.


...and yes you have every right to be mighty pissed that someone drilled a hole through the bottom of YOUR boat without YOUR permission.
Unless water was high to the point of causing damage and you were nowhere to be found AND a siphon or pump could not be obtained to remove water. I'm thinking high water with storm coming in or before a big freeze. Doesn't seem to fit his scenario...

Again its an Easy Fix...relax, breathe...it's not so bad.

Bad would be finding the hole on launch day "after" you put boat in the water.
Let that "sink" in. Pun intended.


Need any help or advise there is a ton of great knowledge here on this site just for the asking.

Thank you all for talking me off the ledge. Sometime, I have unreasonable reactions where the boat is concerned. Yes, it is in the stern. I do not doubt him that there was water in the bilge a,d the batteries had been pulled at that time. But there was a hand pump sitting in the boat just for that purpose. I may just fit the drain plug as several of you suggested. Thank you all again. I appreciate it.

Jim

Drilled a 1” hole?! What an idiot. Hit the bilge pumps, siphon, whatever. Anything but a 1” hole.

After slapping him upside the head repeatedly I would install a threaded plug fitting.

Captain Decent wrote:Drilled a 1” hole?! What an idiot. Hit the bilge pumps, siphon, whatever. Anything but a 1” hole.

You say that now...but when its a 2" hole I think it may change your opinion.


But your right, what makes a person decide...1" when a nice 1/2" drill would be so much easier and allow water to come right out.

One of the things that made me shy away from a Bertram 30 was evidence that a foot or so of water had been sitting in it for a while. A drain plug would certainly have helped them avoid that issue.
Good for the plug.

(1.) Fire the worker who did this
(2.) Install appropriate drain
(3.) Move on and enjoy the boat!

Jim,

I have to agree I’d be pissed. However, I have one of the B26 hulls, it might be a good thing to have a drain hole in the bottom, it has to be pretty bow proud to drain at the transom drain.

Glad to hear you are getting her back together after Harvey.

I can’t remember where you are on the Texas coast, I’m thinking Rockport, but there are several folks in Freeport that would knock that out if you didn’t want to do the fiberglass work yourself. Also a little closer to your area is Tran Sport Boats in Palacios. They would knock that out no problem. But I would think there would be plenty shops near you that you could trust to make the repair if you want to fiberglass it. It’s pretty straight forward and Capt. Pat’s instructions are clear.

I think I’d go with a drain plug and call it a day. I have one just like the link above in my 30’ boat.

The guy that has done most of my glass work just laughs at me when he pulls out the sawzall. He always tells me “What the hell they’re made out of plastic”

If you’re ever going to be around Freeport PM me and let me know, I’ll buy lunch. I haven’t done anything with that B26 hull I have and it would be neat to talk with someone that has redone one.

Danny

One more thing, if you go with the drain plug make sure you tie it into the bonding system.

I will admit I did this...

Years ago I was trying to either paint or gelcoat my bilge. Weeks in a row I had cleaned and prepped the bilge surface only to come back too paint it and find it had rained and water was there. I got annoyed and drilled. Not a 1" hole, more like 1/8" or less but a hole regardless. My friends made fun of my big time but my bilge got painted, and I filled the hole. BUT IT WAS MY BOAT!!!!!

You have every right to at least be annoyed!!! But it is fixable.

D

On my B-25 I am adding a garboard drain up front where the head water intake was as that is a low spot when on the trailer. To get the water to drain from there I have to tilt the front of the boat way way up.

Go to the building tips, Pat has articles on filling holes, hull repairs and more.