Avon Rover 3.4 taking in water.....

[jeffstevens763@g]

dont know if this helps re your gaps they seem tighter on the video than yours hard to tell but same spec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhhh3NNFjvA

[Fenlander]

>>>is it a flooding hull then?, if not you will have a problem somewhere that water underway will move to the stern when you power up making it dig in, it will then slosh about causing all kinds of stability/ trim problems.

Good point Jeff.

Martin you need someone who knows to confirm for sure but I can't find anything online that says this 3.4 has a flooding hull. In fact in an Avon brochure from 7yrs ago it states **foamed hull that provides additional buoyancy**. Usually this foam would be in between the deck and hull bottom which looks just the place your lower drain is draining.

So yep as Jeff says if you have water there and it's not supposed to be it will alter balance and how low your stern sits under way so it needs resolving. As Jeff hints usually it is water ingress from deck fittings and quite often from rainwater when stored outdoors.

[jeffstevens763@g]

if its a flooding hull it will have an inlet at the bow so when you power up air replaces the water or it would glug like a bottle emptying and take a long time to empty i didn't think of a foam filled hull good point by fenlander if it is and not sure of the foam spec but the expanda foam that use to be used is a pig for holding water you will know if it's water logged it will weigh a tonne. just leave the plug out when not in use with the boat lifted at the bow it will drain and dry out as fenlander has said check all the screws etc and re-seal

[MartinG]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

if its a flooding hull it will have an inlet at the bow so when you power up air replaces the water or it would glug like a bottle emptying and take a long time to empty i didn't think of a foam filled hull good point by fenlander if it is and not sure of the foam spec but the expanda foam that use to be used is a pig for holding water you will know if it's water logged it will weigh a tonne. just leave the plug out when not in use with the boat lifted at the bow it will drain and dry out as fenlander has said check all the screws etc and re-seal

Lots to think about there, thanks all. I need to address the things you've suggested.
It's always been a wet hull since I got it and it doesn't seem to affect speed or stability. Water comes through those gaps as soon as I set off so the hull water doesn't seem to be a factor.
Those fins need to come off next time out for a trial.
I'm going to make up some plugs with polymorph for the two gaps, and then sikaflex them in place. Might be a bit of a bodge, but that is where the water is getting in so got to be worth the effort....
It's definitely not foam filled, when I pull the plug the water gushes out quickly and stops suddenly. Foam would slow the flow for sure.

Brilliant knowledge on here!

A question on tube air pressure..... The plate says just 2.5psi. That seems very little, quite soft and when theres no sun on a cold day it's almost flat! Anyone recommend a pressure and do I need to consider the ambient temperature when I setting the pressure?

[beerbelly]

the pressure should be adjusted for ambient temp ie on cold days you will have to pump it up to your 2.5psi on hot days let air out until its at 2.5psi

[beerbelly]

also if the foam in your hull is sodden the hull will be heavier and sit lower in the water giving you less freeboard possibly to the extent water finds its way through areas of the transom tube interface that would not normally be well out of reach of the splashing ??

[MartinG]

Originally Posted by beerbelly

also if the foam in your hull is sodden the hull will be heavier and sit lower in the water giving you less freeboard possibly to the extent water finds its way through areas of the transom tube interface that would not normally be well out of reach of the splashing ??

Pretty sure theres no foam mate. Water only gets in on the plane. I've tried filling the rib with six inches of water and it stays put. And when the rib is moored there is no water ingress.
I'm pretty sure now that filling those gaps will stop the water. But also now think that those wings on the OB leg may play a part..,,,

[jeffstevens763@g]

I pump mine up to 3 psi so when you slap it it sings a little if thier soft the gap you have will be a problem I had a good luck on google for boats like yours it doesn't seem as you have a problem with the gap if your tubes are up to pressure and the tubes haven't come unglued.

[beerbelly]

Originally Posted by MartinG

Pretty sure theres no foam mate. Water only gets in on the plane. I've tried filling the rib with six inches of water and it stays put. And when the rib is moored there is no water ingress.
I'm pretty sure now that filling those gaps will stop the water. But also now think that those wings on the OB leg may play a part..,,,

sorry someone said your hull is foam filled you said every time you use it you drain lots of water from the underdeck area so I assumed that the foam under the deck would be sodden .i would be wondering where all that water was getting in as its not a flooding hull it should be dry and no water should come out when you undo the drain nothing ever comes out of the underdeck drain on my osprey ever.

[beerbelly]

deleted double post

[MartinG]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

I pump mine up to 3 psi so when you slap it it sings a little if thier soft the gap you have will be a problem I had a good luck on google for boats like yours it doesn't seem as you have a problem with the gap if your tubes are up to pressure and the tubes haven't come unglued.

Thanks Jeff, I will have to pay more attention to pressures. The gaps I'm talking about aren't connected to the pressure, they are some design irregularity. Gonna fill them.
No ungluing from what I can see.

[HDAV]

Not a flooding hull I think your missing a drain plug there is one at the bottom of tramsome to let out water that comes Over the tubes and other lower to Drain the inside of hull the lower one screws in the higher one is a lever operated expander (at least on our 3.4m rover had from brand new) on a bit of string to a d ring. Never had any water Coke from the bottom bung when removed.

[MartinG]

Originally Posted by HDAV

Not a flooding hull I think your missing a drain plug there is one at the bottom of tramsome to let out water that comes Over the tubes and other lower to Drain the inside of hull the lower one screws in the higher one is a lever operated expander (at least on our 3.4m rover had from brand new) on a bit of string to a d ring. Never had any water Coke from the bottom bung when removed.

Thanks, but have both plugs. They get some use :-) I always get water from the bottom bung too, but I'm easy with it, seems to have no ill effect....

[HDAV]

That's good then (looked like bung was out in first pics you put up) I've never GPs' fours but will if I take out again should probably sell it as it's hardly getting used has a mariner 25 2T without fins

[MartinG]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

dont know if this helps re your gaps they seem tighter on the video than yours hard to tell but same spec

Both of those Avons seem the same as mine. I would be interested in how dry they stayed at sea?
It's looking more and more like my fins could be implicated......

[MartinG]

Originally Posted by HDAV

That's good then (looked like bung was out in first pics you put up) I've never GPs' fours but will if I take out again should probably sell it as it's hardly getting used has a mariner 25 2T without fins

Do you have a top speed figure by gps? Wondered how much speed gain with no fins?

[jeffstevens763@g]

if it were me before you start glueing stuff in the gap i would let the tubes down and have a good look at the tubes where they attach to the hull and transom if ok i would stick a bit of pipe lagging foam in there to fill the gap and pump up the tubes again to full pressure.

[MartinG]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

if it were me before you start glueing stuff in the gap i would let the tubes down and have a good look at the tubes where they attach to the hull and transom if ok i would stick a bit of pipe lagging foam in there to fill the gap and pump up the tubes again to full pressure.

Thanks. I did try stuffing socks in! :-)
They came out again before I could judge the result...,
I've ordered the polymorph, can't see any negatives at all if I do a neat job. Sikaflex should hold the inserts in place and provide a seal.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by MartinG

Thanks. I did try stuffing socks in! :-)
They came out again before I could judge the result...,
I've ordered the polymorph, can't see any negatives at all if I do a neat job. Sikaflex should hold the inserts in place and provide a seal.

just had a look at that stuff if you put in the gap in a plastic sandwich bag and moulded the two outside edges and pump your tube up pressure i won't need sikaflex to keep it in place.handy stuff though

[MartinG]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

just had a look at that stuff if you put in the gap in a plastic sandwich bag and moulded the two outside edges and pump your tube up pressure i won't need sikaflex to keep it in place.handy stuff though

Brilliant! I didn't think about the polythene bag!
Seeing as how the socks escaped so quickly, I think I will try and remove the polymorph wedges as soon as they have set, and sikaflex them in though.
Thanks for that!