3000 express hull vent

[idylmoments]

Fished last Sat came back to the dock and the side vent fell off who knows where. The engine room vent on the hull, approx 8" x 4'. I have read that the mold is not available. Any ideas where to begin?

[MarkT]

I heard the molds get ruined in a hurricane, so you are out of luck with that. I wonder if a good fiberglass shop could make a mirror image from the other vent? There was a guy on here a while back parting out his boat, maybe you could find a boat junk yard with parts? I have a feeling you may end up putting metal vents in, either off the shelf or fabricated. Good luck and keep us posted on the solution.

[idylmoments]

I called the factory and they directed me to the closest dealer which is in Ohio. They are checking on it, but I did read the mold was destroyed. Like you said, I can fab one out of aluminum or stainless but was wondering if it needs to be raised somewhat do redirect spray from below or divert from above since the deck drains down the hull directly above the vent.

[Estimator]

Try http://www.raybomarine.com/ I think they made new molds for the 3000 Express vents in 2010

Ask for Rob and be sure to tell them the you heard about them at PursuitBoatOwners.com

[Raybo Marine NY]

I had a pair of vents off to perform some balsa core repairs and to fix water leaks that when the boat was not fully fueled the water would end up in the cabin.
While they were off the owner wanted any chips and cracks repaired, so we did and than I made a set of molds for port and starboard side.

To other owners reading you NEED to remove your vents to insure you will not lose them one day, and to perform some preemptive repairs to the exposed balsa core along the cut out. With a handful of modifications you can fix any leaks and insure your balsa core will not get compromised.
Some easy modifications to your current vents will insure you will not lose them as they rely on a very thin bead of adhesive to hold them onto the hull.

Basic modifications to the drainage/water issue:

Install a strip of clear isinglass run-off under the stainless steel insert, this will divert water away during heavy rain and washing of the boat

Clean the bead of sealant on the inside of the collector boxes, on some this is low or not sufficient, so water can drain into the engine compartment, when not loaded up the water can sometimes make its way into the cabin. Clean the area, try to mask it off as good as you can, its a little tough reaching in there. Apply a generous bead of sealant along the bottom where it wont allow water to pond.

Install a 2nd thru-hull fitting forward in the box. The vents themselves are not symmetrical but the collector boxes are. Pursuit installs a thru-hull fitting and a hose only in the aft end of the box. There is a provision to install another one forward. You can use a plastic fitting and just allow the hose to run down low into the bilge. Remember this is only for what little bit might make its way forward during certain weather conditions and the way the boat might be loaded up so a little bit of water in the bilge is better then in the cabin. You can try to route this hose somewhere but it is TIGHT in that engine compartment.

With those modifications you will have a leak free boat, as evident by this testimonial:

Thank you again for the great job you did solving the leaking problem on my boat. It is now almost 2 years since you have done the work and everything is perfect. Not only did you solve and fix my problems but you also restored a number of cosmetic issues that I had. My boat is a 2002 Pursuit that looks brand new thanks to your work. I always recommend you to all my boating friends. Regards, Basil

Those who contact me and say they heard about the vents through this forum I will make a donation on each sale. I had told Ty in parts I have a set of molds for the 3000 but I guess he doesnt remember.

Thanks Pursuit Owners

[Trpntj]

Awesome information, Thanks!!

[Service call]

Ask obys p... Pursuit dealer new on the forum, or call boat us and ck sandy list

[idylmoments]

Received the new vent on Monday and it's a perfect match. Thanks to Rob at Raybo Marine. He's been great about responding to emails and as seen in his post has some good info for installing. The new vent has the edge filled to give it more bonding area, an nice extra Rob added.
I would recommend that anyone who has an a Pursuit model with these side vents to pull them off and re-seal. As good a boat as Pursuit makes, I can't believe what a half azzed install job they did on the side vents, leaving the core exposed. I pulled (very carefully) the STB side vent off and the core was soaked there also.

[Trpntj]

Thanks for posting a conclusion, great to confirm information!

[BigGame]

Sorry to bring up an old post, but this has me thinking. I have a 2005 3100 Offshore....essentially the same boat as a the 2004 and older 3000 Express. One difference is the side vents. Do you know if the 3100 Offshore has the same issues with water entering the core through the vent? Are the vents just held on with adhesive if I want to remove them and re-seal?

Thanks!