Association Forum - Mystery leak

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Mystery leak

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

kevinmac
Admiral

Member Avatar

USA
732 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/28/2006 : 22:56:28

I crawled around my boat today, trying to see where the inch or so of water in my bilge came from. I am mystified.

I had two suspects before I started. First was the ST60 transducers in the bow. Nope, dry as a bone there.

Next was the coaming pockets, or perhaps the socket for the outboard motor wires. Hmmm... The bilge was bone dry aft of the access point in the floor, so it did not seem like any way could have run down that way. And we had SERIOUS rain and wind last night. But I crawled back and looked anyway. The wire from the socket is bone dry. There is no apparent leak anywhere in the aft compartment. There is also no obvious leak anywhere aft. The cushions were not wet. Hmmm...

What there IS is condensation. Everywhere aft of the steps - the berth, the ceiling (base of the cockpit), walls, everywhere had an even layer of condensation, but not even one rivlet or other sign of a leak. Forward of the steps, things seemed normally dry (which in Oregon is probably just slightly damp ;-).

Do you suppose there could be enough condensation to collect in my bilge over the course of a week?

I want to put a heater or dehumidifier in, but I don't have shore power in yet, and I can't figure out how to get power into the cabin until I have time (and dry enough weather) to install the shore power socket.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Kevin Mackenzie
Former Association Secretary and Commodore
"Dogs Allowed"
'06 C250WK #881
and
"Jasmine"
'01 Maine Cat 30 #34

Edited by - on

Al
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
269 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2006 : 00:57:43

Did you taste the water? If it's salt or fresh (I assume you're in the ocean), that could point you in the right direction.

But whether you have a leak or not, the dehumidifier is a good idea. Condensation is just pre-corrosion.

Edited by - on

bear
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2006 : 08:43:14

Can't you run a standard extension chord for now to hook up your dehumidifier?

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2006 : 11:00:47

I had a couple leaks that over time I have fixed.

One was the mast compression post/step. Water would run down the post onto the floor and into the bilge. Removed and rebedded the post/step.

Chain plate through deck, that was found by noticing a wet cushion. (not enough to put a inch in the bilge) Removed and rebedded.

My big leak was the companionway hatch board. Water leaked down over the aft corners of the horizontal sliding hatch and ran down and dripped on the floor and sometimes onto the steps and onto the aft berth cushions. The PO applied a mound of sealer at each corner of the companionway where the vertical board slides in the track to redirect the water down the hatch board track. I never liked that. During a hard rain when the crew were sitting on the settees rain would sometimes run under the sliding hatch and run back forward on the inside of the cabin and drip on the floor. My fix to this problem, a visit to ACE hardware I bought weather striping that was plastic and adhesive on one side. The stripping was a perfect fit on the back edge of the horizontal sliding hatch. I ran it from one side of the sliding hatch to the other on the back edge. About 1/8 of a inch protruded past the lower edge and formed a drip edge to prevent the water from back tracking under the sliding hatch. It also fixed the corners from leaking so the goop of sealer is no longer needed.

Edited by - on

moserd
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
149 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2006 : 12:08:22

Can you send pictures of your fix? I am chasing a leak myself that I just cannot locate. I have discovered and corrected a leak in the cockpit pockets and have poured water everwhere trying to locate the leak. Water shows up ON the aft cushions and under. This is driving me crazy (a short trip!) Thanks for any advice.

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2006 : 15:03:51

Don, Here's a couple pictures of my rain gutter. My leak would wet the aft berth cushions right under the companionway. If yours are getting wet else where I expect you leak is else where as well.
It started as an experiment so I don't know how long this stuff will last but so far its held up for 3 months.

Here's the stuff I used. It was only a couple $ and there's 17 feet so even if it don't last long just peel the old off and stick on new. There's got to be a couple years worth in a box.

There's the strip on the back of the sliding hatch, it prevents the rain from running back under the sliding hatch and from dripping in on the corners.

The only problem, you have to be careful when you slide the hatch back to close up. You have to hold the weather strip up with your fingers so that it doesn't hang up on the hatch board when it slides over. A small thing when its keeps your cushions dry.

Edited by - on

moserd
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
149 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2006 : 17:59:01

Thanks Tom, great pictures! I have a cover on my companionway hatch but the water WAS just aft of the ladder, could very well be what is going on. I am going to try the suggestion of placing a cushion under the cover as a sort of tent and see if that keeps the water off.

Thanks again,

Don

Edited by - on

At Ease
Admiral

Members Avatar

672 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2006 : 18:16:37

Re the condensation...I use the white crystals that you put on the sidewalk to melt ice, can't think of the name. Put a small pile of them on a piece of outdoor screen and put the screen over the top of a bucket. The crystals draw the moisture out of the air and it goes in the bucket. If really humid, may have to replace the crystals once or twice before spring. This works in my boat and travel trailer.

Edited by - on

kevinmac
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
732 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2006 : 21:33:23

Al, I am in fresh water.

Bear, I would, but how do I get the cord from the dock into the cabin in a rain tight way without drilling a hole? If I am going to drill a hole, it will be for the shore power connector. But if you know a way to get a temporary cord down there without creating a leak, I'd love to know about it...

Bert, sounds like a good idea, if you can think of what the crystals are, please let me know. We don't have much ice here, so the only thing I know of to do what you are talking about (melt ice on sidewalk) is rock salt...

Thanks.

Edited by - kevinmac on 01/29/2006 21:35:27

bear
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 01/30/2006 : 08:09:13

Kevin, I run the chord inside the boat at the top side edge of the hatch, right where the aft part of the gutter ends, then inside the gutter down into the boat. On the 95 WB it does work. Tom's third picture shows the area . Some one is going to chime in and say well that blocks the gutter from draining. This has not happened. On her lines at the dock "Brandy" sits just a little bit stern low allowing good drainage, but not so far that it prohibits water around the front hatch from draining into the anchor locker. Also, have you considered the canvas kit for covering the companion way and hatch area from Catalina? I have had "Brandy's mattress get wet no matter what you do if the wind and heavy rain blow right at the hatch board. I also have a plastic tarp under the rear mattress to prevent condensation from getting the mattress wet. Do you have the capability of doing the hose test with you inside the boat with the hatch in place and someone dousing that area with a hose from the outside? "Just my two cents" Bear

Edited by - on

kevinmac
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
732 Posts

Response Posted - 01/30/2006 : 21:09:57

Bear,

I will look at the hatch again, I looked at it over the weekend and could not figure out how to get a cord through there, but now that I know it is possible, I will try again.

I have the canvas cover for the hatch, and am now using Wil's excellent idea about the throwable cushion under it so it accumulates less water on top of it.

Edited by - on

Capt. Kurt
Navigator

Members Avatar

185 Posts

Response Posted - 01/30/2006 : 22:55:23

If you keep your boat dry docked, make sure you jack up the trailer jack high enough so that water will flow out of the hatch gutters. When I first got my boat I didnt crank on it enough and water was pooling in the gutter and not flowing out.

Kurt
#818 C250WK 'Tortuga'

Edited by - on

River Harley
Navigator

Members Avatar

132 Posts

Response Posted - 01/31/2006 : 00:20:36

If I recall correctly, you stated that your boat is on the Columbia River, eh? I live in Vancouver, Wa. and therefore am aware of the endless rain we've been having. Honestly, considering the weather conditions lately an inch of water in the bilge sounds quite reasonable. I've discovered that by its very nature,water will usually always find its way inside a boat somehow, somewhere. It's the degree to which it does that should be evaluated and tolerance levels set. For me, it took having a brand new boat to learn this. I'd always thought that "new boat" and "bone dry" were synonymous concepts.

River Harley

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

Members Avatar

USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 01/31/2006 : 10:34:37

Kevin,
perhaps the referenc to 'crystals' was something like this....

[url="http://www.amazinghomeproducts.com/store/Store_Sub.cfm?Category_ID=12&CFID=2763529&CFTOKEN=30360525"]damp rid[/url]

Edited by - on

kevinmac
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
732 Posts

Response Posted - 01/31/2006 : 10:47:46

Kurt, thanks for the tip. My boat is currently in the water, but when it is not, I will try to rememember that.

River, yes I am on the Columbia, in St. Helens. Boat was dry the first week that I had it in the water. Guess that is all the dry time you get with a new boat... ;-) I am hoping that it is condensation, we'll see when I get the heater in there. BTW, any interest in going sailing on the river some time? It would be great to go out with someone who knows the boat, and it would be a shorter drive for you. Even if the river is microscopic compared to what you are used to...

Britinusa, What caught my eye about his post is that the crystals wick the moisture out of the air, then it drips into a bucket. I am not sure the damp rid will do that, I think it just absorbs, so you would have to change quite frequently...

Thanks everyone.

Edited by - on

River Harley
Navigator

Members Avatar

132 Posts

Response Posted - 01/31/2006 : 19:53:54

Thanks for the invite....never sailed on the river before. Sounds like fun...might just take you up on the offer as the weather improves.

River

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by kevinmac
 Kurt, thanks for the tip. My boat is currently in the water, but when it is not, I will try to rememember that.

River, yes I am on the Columbia, in St. Helens. Boat was dry the first week that I had it in the water. Guess that is all the dry time you get with a new boat... ;-) I am hoping that it is condensation, we'll see when I get the heater in there. BTW, any interest in going sailing on the river some time? It would be great to go out with someone who knows the boat, and it would be a shorter drive for you. Even if the river is microscopic compared to what you are used to...

Britinusa, What caught my eye about his post is that the crystals wick the moisture out of the air, then it drips into a bucket. I am not sure the damp rid will do that, I think it just absorbs, so you would have to change quite frequently...

Thanks everyone.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Edited by - on

kevinmac
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
732 Posts

Response Posted - 01/31/2006 : 20:43:25

River,

My email is kevin@catapult.biz. Send me yours, we can stay in touch.

Weather? Improve? You think it will?

;-)

Edited by - on

kevinmac
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
732 Posts

Response Posted - 02/06/2006 : 08:53:15

Well, it must have been condensation. After another week of rain, including 35 kt winds and many inches on the last day, I went to check on my boat Saturday night, and the bilge was bone dry.

It is also possible that the water down there was the rain I "captured" each time I opened the hatch to go below...

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.