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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Leak

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DonMilligan
Deckhand

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USA
8 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/23/2006 : 22:15:15

I have a 1986 Catalina 25. I have some type of leak that seems to be below the waterlinge. It collects in the bilge near the swing keel and has rotted out the wood insert on the floor closet to the marine head. Are there any common issues with these boats that causes this? It seems to be worse when the boats heels over because the water overflows into floor of boat. Any help would be appreciated.

Donald Milligan

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 04/23/2006 : 22:36:44

Don,
welcome to the forum.
I'm sure that you'll get some valued replies from the owners of the c25.

Stick around, there's a lot going on here, and the daily additions will add to the ejucashun of us all.

Paul

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 04/23/2006 : 22:38:31

First, you don't have a leak below the waterline, if you did your boat would have sunk. You have water in the bilge, that can come from a million of different locations. First and foremost being the window, but the jib tracks, deck hardware, stanchions, rub rail screws all come into play. Any water that finds its way to the bilge is going to go in that area. Water It doesn't take long to fill it up either. A good rain while the boat is on the hard for a long time can do that.

The water overflows into the floor of the boat because when the boat is heeled you have more water in the bilge all moving to that area.

You have 2 things to take care of - get rid of the water and keep it from returning.

Can you elaborate futher on the 'Wood insert on the floor closet'? It doesn't sound original.

dw

Edited by - on

DonMilligan
Deckhand

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USA
8 Posts

Response Posted - 04/23/2006 : 23:36:36

Duh of course your right about the waterline sorry. My boat has two wood panels in the floor. One runs along the middle of the cabin and is the longest. The other one offsets that one and is about 2 ft long it runs along side the keel housing. Both panels are removable and expose bilge area. The shorter one is the one that is rotten.

By the way sorry if my nautical lingo is a little off this is all new to me. I sail with friends who are way more experienced but I am trying to learn and do things for myself. Thanks for the help.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2006 : 06:38:25

I'm not familiar with that access to the bilge. Anyone else?

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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2006 : 06:50:00

Don,
this would be an ideal time to figure out how to add a pictue to a forum post (try it in the test forum first).
A pic of your cabin floor panels would help enormously.

Paul

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1768 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2006 : 07:24:32

Hi Don,

Like Paul said above, a picture is worth a thousand words. If you have a digital camera, it would be a big help if you could take a photo or two and post them here. I sent you an email with photo-posting instructions ... please let me know if you have any questions.

I also have a swing keel, and it sounds to me like you are describing the two standard bilge-access panels. I suppose what has us confused is that you described the panels as running "along side the keel housing." The standard panels are on the top of the keel trunk, not the side.

As Duane suggested, the source of the water is most likely rain water. These are great old boats, but unless someone has kept up with resealing windows, deck hardware, etc. you'll get a lot of water in the bilge every time it rains.

If you have access to a wet/dry vacuum, do your best to get rid of all that water. You'll find that water collects in pockets all over the place ... you'll have to go sailing and heel the boat, or rock the boat while it's sitting in the slip, etc. to get the water to migrate into places where you can vacuum it out. Once the bilge is dry, it'll be a little easier to start tracing the sources of the leaks.

Don't let a little water get you down ... these are GREAT boats, and you're going to love yours ... it'll just take a little time & effort to get her back into shape.

Ask as many questions as you can think of ... this is a great group of sailors who are willing to help. Welcome to the group!

Edited by - Buzz Maring on 04/24/2006 07:26:57

SailormanCGA72
1st Mate

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77 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2006 : 07:27:45

My boat has the two wood access panels in the deck and I have replaced both of them over the years. If the old one is completely gone, use a stiff piece of cardboard for a template and the cut out a new piece to fit. It should be marine grade plywood. The teak is a little pricey, but if you can find white oak, it will work just fine. You will have to do some sanding around the edges to get the new insert to fit within the curves of the fiberglass recess. Hope this helps.

Edited by - on

DaveC25
Navigator

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USA
152 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2006 : 07:55:01

My boat also has water in the bilge sometimes, and I've come to believe that some of it, maybe most, is caused from condensation forming and then running to the floor. My boat sits on a trailer most of the time and lately the weather has been dry, but water still keeps getting in! :)

I live in Florida, by the way. During our thunderstorm seasons not much more water gets in than normal, which makes me think it's not leaks, but just condenstaion.

Any thoughts?

-DaveC25

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1768 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2006 : 08:12:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DaveC25
 My boat also has water in the bilge sometimes, and I've come to believe that some of it, maybe most, is caused from condensation forming and then running to the floor. My boat sits on a trailer most of the time and lately the weather has been dry, but water still keeps getting in! :)

I live in Florida, by the way. During our thunderstorm seasons not much more water gets in than normal, which makes me think it's not leaks, but just condenstaion.

Any thoughts?

-DaveC25<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That's a good point, Dave. There is a C-27 that has been sitting idle at our marina for years, and it is completely rotted out inside because of condensation. When the weather conditions are just right, you can see it "rain" inside that boat!

I would think that in a high-humidity area like Florida, condensation could be a big problem. In the summer I keep an electric fan blowing inside the boat when it is closed up, and in the winter I keep a dehumidifier going ... they seem to do the trick.

I still think Don's boat has rain leaks, but condensation certainly could contribute to the problem.

Edited by - Buzz Maring on 04/24/2006 08:13:00

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2006 : 08:14:46

Don,

You may also be experiencing water entering the boat through the head. This may occur when the boat is healed and the through-hull valve is open. Make sure all the through-hull valves are closed, dry out the boat, then sail again to see if this solves your problem.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2006 : 12:36:16

In addition to the leak sources Duane and others mentioned, I found that the cockpit drains through the transom can be a major source. My '85 transom is cored with foam, and the drains are flared copper tubes that have corroded through on the bottoms--probably due to acid rain. Since the cockpit collects quite a bit of rain and it all heads to the drains, a tiny leak there can funnel a lot of water down the centerline to the bilge--a straight, unimpeded run. I need to replace the tubes, but for now I smeared some polysulfide caulk on the cracks and the bottoms of the flares.

An old salt's trick for hunting down leaks is to draw lines on the inside of the hull with colored chalk, perpendicular to the suspected flow. After the next rain, look for breaks in the line, indicating that water ran through there and washed the chalk away. Anyway, join the club--most of us are chasing leaks now and then--hopefully all above the waterline!

Edited by - on

Trust Me
1st Mate

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USA
71 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2006 : 15:56:10

Donald:
I have a 1985 Catalina 25 with the same long and short wood panels recessed in the floor that access the bilge area above my fixed keel. All the tips you have been getting are good and by pursuing each you narrow the problem by the process of elimination.
I offer one more source of leaks which is the anchor locker at the bow of the boat. The opening to that locker on the deck had the strangest ability to let water in to the inside of the boat that ended up in the bilge. A small sponge wedged into the opening solved that "leak" for me.
Ron

Edited by - on

DonMilligan
Deckhand

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USA
8 Posts

Response Posted - 04/25/2006 : 01:17:22

Thanks for the info guys. I've got the water out and will start on the leak problem. It appears I've had a lot of moisture around the deck hardware and I will probably start resealing it and going from there. Again thanks for the tips.

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