Hobie leaking from rudder shear pin?

[Romo]

I have had a mystery leak in my 2015 revo 13 almost since I got it. It leaks at the rate of about a gallon every 6 hours which is a pretty good amount to me.

I was fishing yesterday and I leaned the nose of my revo up on the roof rack and then got distracted by something for a minute. When I turned back around I noticed water trickling at a pretty good rate out of the bottom of the shear pin assembly area by my rudder. Has anyone else experienced a leak here? Is this common? Is there a fix I hope? I did some googling and couldn't find any similar stories. I plan on taking it to DPS but that's a 2 hour ride for me and I still have some fishing left to do this year.

Someone please tell me a story with a happy ending!

[Mark]

That would be a disturbing sight. I'm glad I have never seen water run from my Revo during loading.

Your leakage rate is well beyond normal in my opinion and I would check various pressure points in your hull for cracks:

1. Near the Mirage Drive.
2. Near the scuppers.
3. Near the rudder assembly.
4. Near the base of the sailing mast.

I would probably key on the rudder area. The fact that water is exiting there indicates water may also be entering there. You may have to remove the rudder assembly to determine if the hull is intact under it. Perhaps there is a crack inside the hole where the rudder pin is inserted. Or perhaps the rudder hinge is hiding a slight crack in the hull. In looking at the assembly on my Revo I cannot see any other areas where water could enter. There are no screws penetrating the stern other than for the back handle. They are likely not your problem. But check to make sure they are tight.

I get a trickle of water in my hull during sessions in rough water. I believe it seeps in where the rudder cables exit the hull as waves slap the stern. But I have never seen the volume of water you mention even after hours in very choppy water.

I hope you get a resolution.

[chimo]

I get a trickle of water in my hull during sessions in rough water. I believe it seeps in where the rudder cables exit the hull as waves slap the stern. But I have never seen the volume of water you mention even after hours in very choppy water.

I have had a similar experience to Mark with both my 2012 and 2015 Revo. They take on a little water and most of it I believe has been from around the rudder cables. Some also comes in around the front hatch when I'm taking swells over the bow. I don't think I have ever taken in more than maybe a half gallon over a 12-14 hour day though. Making sure I balance the load bow to stern and keeping the cables higher up out of the water has helped with that leak a little.

[Romo]

Thanks for the replies guys. My kayak is always loaded with water after a full day of fishing. I had a deep gouge in the keel plastic welded, added epoxy around the rear scuppers and added more rubber to the seals in my front hatch so I've eliminated all those potential entry points to my satisfaction. I know the rudder cable holes are a possibility but if you saw how fast the water was coming out that shear pin hole you'd be sickened like I am. I gotta get this figured out before spring.

[Mark]

...but if you saw how fast the water was coming out that shear pin hole you'd be sickened like I am.

I think you've found the general area of your leak.

Good luck.

[Hemingway]

Just a little more input, since I have a 2015 Revo that was leaking. I thought it was coming in the rudder cable holes when I was backing her in on the cart since I also saw water exiting those when I was loading her back on the vehicle. That can happen if you have a lot of gear causing her to sit low, and if you leave her at the ramp with her butt in the water while you do other stuff. In fact, I did find my rudder was a little loose, and I tighten and Gooped it to be sure. However, in my case, the mystery leak was finally found in the fish finder cable cap in the right pocket. The threaded nut under the cap was not tight. It is surprising how much water sits in that pocket if you are in a little bit of chop. The Revo sits low in the water, and she will get a fair amount of splash over the gunnel. So if you have not checked how snug that nut is on the cap, it is worth checking. Since doing that, I only get about 4-8 oz. of water a day. Most of that comes when I am opening the floor hatch to access gear, a little water always sits in the hatch latch recess and runs into the hull when I open it. Good Luck.

[Mark]

However, in my case, the mystery leak was finally found in the fish finder cable cap in the right pocket. The threaded nut under the cap was not tight. It is surprising how much water sits in that pocket if you are in a little bit of chop. The Revo sits low in the water, and she will get a fair amount of splash over the gunnel.

A somewhat related Revo story...

I have never liked having my VHF radio clipped to my PFD. This year I had the bright idea of keeping my Standard Horizon in my cup-holder which sits behind the pocket Hemingway mentioned above.

I soon noticed during my trips that the strobe light on my radio would come on and stay on. I could not turn it off. I read the radio's manual to find a solution. It turns out that as water splashed over the gunnel, the cup-holder got wet and of course my radio got wet. I learned from the manual that there is a safety feature on the radio to automatically turn on the strobe light when the radio gets wet.

The radio is back on my PFD. But my radio experience validates Hemingway's observation that more water comes over the Revo's gunnels than you might think.

[whenican]

I have noticed that I get a lil water in my '15 Outback's hull too at times
but I havent figured out how it is getting in. After removing the rectangular hatch gear tray
I usually can wipe up a lil bit of water with my fish rag. A bit more investigating is needed by me.

[JohnE]

I have never noticed any issues around shear pin. Rudder control lines seem to be a common problem. They have a tendency to pop out a bit, so I have a habit of checking the inserts every time I go out. One thing to check that I have not seen mentioned here is the rear hatch gasket. Had a problem with mine not sealing well within first year. A little water is considered normal...up to about a coffee can. I have not really had more than that since I pressure tested and filled hull with water to find problems 8 or 9/2015. Good luck. Here is another thread from last year on potential leak spots:
http://www.snaggedline.com/showthrea...t=outback+leak

[plastic boat]

take a shop vacuum and pressurize the hull then check for leaks with s spray bottle of soapy water. mine was leaking in at the scupper hole and would drain out the cables for steering if I sat it on the end while loading.
Delaware paddlesports and Hobie replaced the hull for me