Leaking foot strap screw holes?

[theq]

I have a 2012 Simmer FSW that has gained a pound over the past year and a half. No dings, other than pressure, so it's not taking in water from such things. This board has a Goretex vent-plug, so I'm limited in what type of treatments I can use to dry it out, no?

The screws that I used may have been slightly longer than the ones that came with the Simmer straps. Well, after the weigh-in, I put the board in the sun for a few minutes. Soon I could hear squealing coming from around the front left footstrap area. I think I've found the culprit. The board was never what I'd consider a lightweight, but now its extra weight has taken away the edge that was the whole reason I went FSW instead of full-wave for this 95L board.

I thought of the RTV fix, and will certainly do something like that once I get the board dried out a bit.

Any suggestions for techniques to dry out a board with a GoreTex vent-plug? Cut a hole in it somewhere? Thanks all.

[keycocker]

You may be surprised how easy it is to change the insert with a new one from chinook. In our shop we would remove the old one and leave it to dry for months. Chisel gently, wrap the new one in a u channel of four layers of soaked resin cloth and weight it down until it sets.
Put some resin in the hole too.

[theq]

Thanks, keycocker. That makes sense. Removing a strap insert, or two, or three, will allow some drying to take place. I guess I'll prepare to do it during the Fall, when the wind in these parts is sporadic to non-existent. I think I have a few of the black, waffle-sided, plastic Chinook inserts left from when I made a board back in the early nineties. I'll have to check to see if the technology/material has changed since then. I do remember them being deep enough to have accommodated the screws I used. Thanks again.

[theq]

I may be mistaken on the weigh-in numbers. I recently purchased a Pelouze shipping scale to weigh other things with, analog technology. The board weighed in at 18 lbs. when last year it weighed 17 lbs., but using different scale and technique. Last year I used a human-body weighing scale, weighed myself with and without board, and came up with the 17 lbs. I just got my hands on that same scale again, used the same method, and it still showed 17 lbs. In other words, the board may not have taken in water.

That said, I have very acute hearing and I know that I heard a squeal, the kind that you ear when water is seeping into very dry concrete. However, once I removed the front foot-strap screws, the noise abated. Is it possible that the noise was from air being drawn past the coarse threads of the screws? That seems like it would be one heck vacuum leak to be occurring past the threads. Maybe I should try using some sort of thread sealant in the holes being used, and Marine Goop in the non-used holes, just to be safe?

Sorry about the weigh-in error. Unfortunately though, I probably trust the Pelouze a little more. This begs the question: Is 18 lbs/8.17 kilos heavy for a 95L thruster with chinook 2-bolt base, DaKine Supremos, and thruster fins? It seems that I read that the spec's called it out a bit lighter than that. Any input is appreciated.

Yes, I'd be sailing today, despite the monsoon, as the thermal seems to have defeated it here in SoCal. Unfortunately an arm injury that got more aggravated from sailing yesterday, kept me out of the water. More waves for the other guys.

Cheers.

[kmf]

Try this....Duct tape a piece of clear plastic film over the suspect footstrap hole, and put the board in the sun for a bit. If there was a leak, water vapor will exit the hole, and show up on the plastic film as drops of water or fog....No fog or water inside the plastic cover, no leak.

One can also purchase a pinless moister meter which turns out to be a great way to check out used boards also....

KMF

[theq]

Thanks. I'll try the cellophane trick.