What is this under the floor?

[wheresbob]

After reading the Opening the Belly of the Beast thread, I had to show pictures of my own beast, a 1966 Sea Devil. I bought the 14' runabout cheap and now wonder what I've gotten myself into! I'm very new to boats and I have a couple of questions and hope someone can answer them. Thanks so much!

1. What is this pipe that is moulded into the floor? This part of the floor is usually covered with a plywood/fiberglass cover.

It looks like the pipe is plugged with cork or something. The AA battery is just for scale.

2. Also, what are these holes for? I've tipped the boat after having it in the water (it's a hoot to drive!) and plenty of water drained from the holes...Is there supposed to be water up there?

3. Has anyone heard of a Sea Devil? It looks like it was made by K&H Industries in Oceanside CA, but I can't read the label that's on the boat that clearly, it's kind of corroded.

I am planning on sanding the hull and filling in some blister marks but I don't want to fill anything until I know it's dry inside. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
~JT

[hansp77]

Just as guess Wheresbob,
but the pipe in the floor looks to be prop shaft for what would have been an inboard motor.
Can you see anything under the hull where it comes out?

If it used to have an inboard then it probably would have had a through hull fitting somewhere for the water intake to cool the engine- unless it was air cooled (unlikely). Can you see any of these?

Don't know what those holes are,
but in general there should not be water up there.

The main concern is how the water got there.
If you are sure the water wasn't already there when you purchased it, and it hasn't simply gotten in from splashing water, then you may have a leak under there somewhere.
Can you locate any cracks or holes underneath?

Good luck.

P.s. Someone who actually knows what they are talking about will probably clear this up for you soon...

[Corpus Skipper]

That's definitely a shaft log from an inboard engine. As for the holes, ???? Water may have splashed in, or chech the bottom for cracks, ets. A small crack can let in a disturbing amount of water.

[wheresbob]

Thanks for the reply. There is nothing visible under the hull where the pipe comes out. Would a 14' boat ever have an inboard?! I cannot see any through hull fittings.

The water could have been up there before I bought it. It appears to come in through the transom area, maybe even the plug hole. There are a lot of "blisters" on the port side of the hull. Some show fiberglass fibers but most seem like they are only through the gel coat and paint layer (?). Can water be entering from these blisters? There is one small hole (about 3mm) in the deepest part of the hull up front that looks like it's been drilled. Maybe they were trying to drain it?

Should I cut open the floor to see how much water is really in there? Or is it worth it. Can I just have a wet boat and not worry about it? Thanks again, very much for your reply. Any other input will be great, too. JT

PS - I'm JT, Where's Bob is the boat.

[Corpus Skipper]

Would a 14' boat ever have an inboard?! I cannot see any through hull fittings.

I've seen a 12' boat with an inboard. The through hulls were most likely patched when the boat was converted to outboard.

The water could have been up there before I bought it. It appears to come in through the transom area, maybe even the plug hole. There are a lot of "blisters" on the port side of the hull. Some show fiberglass fibers but most seem like they are only through the gel coat and paint layer (?). Can water be entering from these blisters?

Water entry through any of these is possible. They're easy to fix, just grind them out to a shallow "dish", careful not to go all the way through, and fill them back up with a couple of layers of cloth or mat and resin. Sand smooth, then paint or gel coat (still leaving a small "dish" for gel coat.)

Should I cut open the floor to see how much water is really in there? Or is it worth it.

I wouldn't. Just drain out what's there, repair your leaks, and go with it. Maybe if you decide to do a full blown restoration you can cut the floor open.

[wheresbob]

Ah! The voice of reason! Thank you, Craig.

That cracks me up... that my little boat had an inboard at one time.

As far as filling the blisters, can I use the 3M Marine Premium Filler product? I was given a gallon of it!

[Corpus Skipper]

As far as filling the blisters, can I use the 3M Marine Premium Filler product? I was given a gallon of it!

You can, so long as they're not too large or in a highly stressed place. Also, I'd use epoxy if you ever plan on leaving the boat in the water. It's much stronger and more water resistant than polyester.

[wheresbob]

Thanks again. The boat will stay in the driveway on the trailer for as long as my neighbors don't complain! Maybe if she starts to look good, it'll be an improvement. It sure would be nice to know more about the history of this boat. Am I pathetic or what? But it's my first one! JT

[hansp77]

Not pathetic at all JT,
especially for your first,
these things are like babies- haha
keep looking you'll find wheresbob's history someday,

If you have been driving it in salt water, then taste some of the water that comes out.
If it is salty, well you know it is coming from under.
If it is fresh, then you probably just have rain leaking in somewhere.

Good luck.

[Ike]

definitely an inboard at one time. Those two things that look like ramps in the photos of the holes are the base for the engine mount. the holes. Just a wild gues but it probably had a fuel tank forward of the engine under the floor. Thos holes could be where the fill, vent and fuel lines went through the structure.

All boats leak. Check too see if it's salt or fresh. If it's salt you have a leak. Probably thorught the old shaft log. I would simply remove that old shaft log and fill the hole. I would also take a look under that forward deck and see what's under there. There might be and old fuel tank in there.

There was a K & H in Seattle that went out of business in 1979. I don't know if this is the same outfit. The only other K & H I could find was in Belle Isle California but according to Coast Guard records they didn't go into business until 1984.