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Beneath the bilge?

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dmarion
1st Mate

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Canada
67 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/03/2017 : 05:53:01

Can someone tell me what lies beneath the bottom of the bilge on a 250 WB? Is it the ballast? I ask the question because, since I put the boat into the water and opened the ballast intake valve, water seems to come through the bottom of the bilge. Why? I have no idea.
Thank you.

Daniel Marion
Zendo
Cat 250 WB 2001 Hull #592
Valleyfield, QC,
Canada

dubedoo
1st Mate

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68 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2017 : 06:53:08

Hi Daniel,

The ballast tank does sit below the floor of the boat. I don't know that the tank extends to below what I recognize as the "bilge" or the low area below the aft berth that has an access opening and wood cover. Do you see the water coming up through the "bottom of the bilge" or are you assuming that it is coming from that area because water is accumulating there? How much water? Once the water ballast tank is filled do you close the valve, seating the wing nut with rubber washer/gasket and check to see that water does not come in from around where the valve bolt comes through the valve box?

Steve
C250 #702 wb

Russ.Johnson
Commodore

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USA
833 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2017 : 08:20:02

I agree with Steve.
There are several reasons why you can get water in the bilge.
The ballast tank valve has a gasket the can leak. You can see a drip on the valve shaft.
When you launch the boat, water can enter the centerboard line tube, but this is a one-time event.
The cockpit cubbies can leak, so when you wash down the boat, water drips near the battery box. Open the aft battery box access and check for drips.
The ballast tanks itself can leak.
If you tell us how much water and if it keeps leaking, we can help you.
Thanks, Russ

Russ Johnson
2005 C250WB Hull 793

dmarion
1st Mate

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Canada
67 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2017 : 09:04:49

Hi, Thanks for the quick replies. Yes, that's the place. Right under the stairs where there is an opening with a wooden cover. I can see water coming up through the bottom. A trickle really that keeps coming through until it reaches 4-5 inches in that pit and enough to trigger the pump. It can take a few hours. It is worse under motor as I suspect that th e water gets pushed towards the rear of the boat. It does not come from the valve as the compartment under the stair step is dry. I do not filled the ballast completely and closed it tight. If the water ballast is under the floor and it leaks, I plan to wait until the level of the ballast makes it to a low level so that the leak stops and that the surface is dry enough to cover it with epoxy. I do not know if it is a good plan.

Daniel Marion
Zendo
Cat 250 WB 2001 Hull #592
Valleyfield, QC,
Canada

dmarion
1st Mate

Members Avatar

Canada
67 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2017 : 09:11:25

If Catalina could provide us with some kind of design diagram, it would help. It could tell us for instance if the water ballast extends to the rear or if there is a gap between the ballast tank top and the bottom. But from what I understand, Catalina is not too cooperative in that matter...

Daniel Marion
Zendo
Cat 250 WB 2001 Hull #592
Valleyfield, QC,
Canada

Russ.Johnson
Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
833 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2017 : 20:25:41

Daniel,
The wooden cover under the stairs is the bilge access.
Directly below the bilge access is only the hull.
Just forward of the bilge access is the ballast tank.
The end of the ballast tank is only about 4 inches deep and it gets deeper the farther forward.
There is only the hull from the transom to the bilge access.

You can use a mirror at the ballast access and see there is about 1-inch gap between the floor and the ballast tank.
You can also see the ballast tank fill valve.
There are also grooves on the top of the tank to help find the leak.
Check under the seats and forward to see if there are any puddles or leaks.
Another idea is to pour a dye down the ballast tank vent in the anchor locker.
You can look for dye stains on top of the ballast tank.

There are a few posts about leaking tanks.
You can use the search feature
Here's an example
http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=15892

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=16006

Russ Johnson
2005 C250WB Hull 793

Edited by - Russ.Johnson on 06/03/2017 20:50:44

dmarion
1st Mate

Members Avatar

Canada
67 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2017 : 05:25:05

Thanks, Russ. With this information I can narrow my search for the cause of the problem. One thing I know is that there is no water under the seats or forward. It is confined to the bilge.
Have a great day.

Daniel Marion
Zendo
Cat 250 WB 2001 Hull #592
Valleyfield, QC,
Canada

mdidomenico
1st Mate

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71 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2017 : 15:57:03

quote:
Originally posted by dmarion

Thanks, Russ. With this information I can narrow my search for the cause of the problem. One thing I know is that there is no water under the seats or forward. It is confined to the bilge.
Have a great day.

do you have thru-hulls for depth/speed sensors in your bilge? you said in a previous msg, it trickles up from the bottom of the bilge, which sounds more like a leaking sensor thru-hull

dmarion
1st Mate

Members Avatar

Canada
67 Posts

Response Posted - 06/05/2017 : 06:43:38

Thanks for your suggestion. No, the depth sensor is in hull further ahead. Maybe the water 'seems' to come from the bottom of the bilge. I will check further this week for a leaking ballast.

Daniel Marion
Zendo
Cat 250 WB 2001 Hull #592
Valleyfield, QC,
Canada

dmarion
1st Mate

Members Avatar

Canada
67 Posts

Response Posted - 07/08/2017 : 05:30:41

I found the leak and fixed it.

As Russ suggested, I poured some dye into the tank and watched the pinky water come out in the bilge. It was exactly as described in the post

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=15892

The challenge was that the boat is in the water and I had no desire to haul it out. So, I drilled a 1 inch hole into the ballast tank and used a small utility pump to empty it. After I fixed the crack with some Aquamend epoxy, I tested for leaks by allowing water to enter the ballast. Satisfied that everything was dry, I plugged the hole with a drain plug and filled the ballast to the top. I rocked the boat several times to ensure there was not a single drop of water coming out.
That will do for the season and, although Aquamend is a permanent epoxy solution, I plan to finish the job with resin when the boat will be on shore.
Thank you for the advice I have received on the forum. It saved me a lot of money and I will enjoy the rest of the season sailing on the St-Lawrence River... if only it could stop raining...

Daniel Marion
Zendo
Cat 250 WB 2001 Hull #592
Valleyfield, QC,
Canada

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.