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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Deck leaks

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esailor
Navigator

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USA
118 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/14/2007 : 21:33:02

Good evening everybody,
The boat is on the trailer in the yard. I did a thorough cleaning yesterday and dried everything. I has been raining. There was a small puddle on the port side at the back of the swing keel hump. In other words if you reach through the cabinet door just to the port of the steps the puddle is there. It could be coming from the cockpit locker along the bilge pump line. I noted some water staining the other day in the cockpit locker down near the bilge pump line. I will check this tomorrow in the day light. Where are some other possibilities of leaks that might gather in this area? Is there something I can put down like blue chalk dust to see where the water might wash away?

There is a Harken cleat to port of the pop top that I am leary of the seal could it be that? Maybe the stantion to port just aft of the cabin?

There are no visible signs or wet areas in the cabin itself.

One very small leak I believ is unrelated is coming in the starboard corner of the companion way. I see darkening of the wood and drips of water. I was going to remove the wood and seal with boat life and replace. Is that the right way to go?

So basicly I believe I have 2 small leaks, one port unknown, one starboard known, any help is already appreciated.

Thanks,

Pete Hagar
Dayton,Ohio
Indian Lake
2770 82/SR/SK/9.9 evinrude

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2007 : 22:27:19

If your C-25 only has two small leaks, you are to be congratulated!

More typically, these boats come equippped with lots of small, difficult to trace rain leaks. they're all curable, most are easy to fix. But they're not all easy to find. And water leaking in from deck hardware, portlights, or pretty much any deck penetration can travel between the liner and the deck or hull for considerable distances, making it difficult to identify the source. Many of us have resorted to thoroughly rebedding EVERYTHING.

-- Leon S.

Edited by - on

danc
Deckhand

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USA
22 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2007 : 23:34:47

Our C-25 gets a puddle in the same place when it rains, even with a tarp over the boom extending back over the companionway. I counted the number of penetration points into the deck/cockpit and stopped at 200. We have two AC air dryers that are plugged in all the time and hopefully this will prevent serious damage while we leak-proof, prioritizing the most likely leakers, including replacement of seals around the windows. I figger if they're not leaking now they will leak eventually. Will get started as soon as it stops raining! Good luck to you Pete.

Dan C.
C-25 SK "Keta"
Seattle

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2007 : 16:37:54

To keep water out of the cockpit locker, I fashioned a barrier out of stainless steel for the forward facing, port clamshell vent. Now water doesn't go down the clamshell vent so easily when it rains or when I'm washing the boat.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2007 : 17:07:56

If your windows "ain't broke", I wouldn't "fix" them. Some have reported replacing the seals and still having leaks--that suggests to me that if you take them apart and reseal them, you could end up with leaks you never had before.

Stanchions are one of the most common sources--every time they're stressed a little, the seal can be broken. I'd start there. Do you have a compass in the starboard bulkhead? That would be a location that could contribute to that puddle you saw...

People have indeed used colored chalk (sticks or powder) to draw lines in strategic places so that any trickle of water will create a break in the line. A couple of parallel lines will give you an idea of the direction. As Leon says, however, the path can be meandering! I found one leak around the brass cocpit drain tubes thru the transom. Water ran from there all the way into the bilge--quite a bit, in fact.

Welcome to the Old Detectives Society!

Edited by - on

esailor
Navigator

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USA
118 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2007 : 17:45:39

Starboard leak is definitely coming in through the very bottom of the companion way trim. Upon removal of the trim piece at the interior base of the CW I found dampness and funky wet adhesive. I can see light coming through the lower trim piece.

Question, I assume the exterior hatch board slides are held on by the same fasteners that secure the interior wood slides?

Next I definitly have water getting into the cockpit locker, then draining into the bilge via the bilge pump hose pass through. I am suspecting the elctrical port as I found water droplets on the wire in the locker. However when I removed the 4 exterior screws the fitting was dry, it had been 24 hours since the rain though maybe the outside dried... The upper deck in the locker is totall dry as there is a little dirt there that would hold water for a little way anyway.

What Sealant is recommended for sealing the stantions?

Edited by - on

mashedcat
Navigator

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USA
194 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2007 : 19:09:49

3m 4200

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2007 : 19:14:46

The exterior hatch frames are held by screws that are covered by the interior boards--not the same screws. As for the leak in the port locker, the winch could be another suspect. Beyond that, you may just have to follow the ealier advice: rebed everything. Boatlife Life Caulk is my staple, except for anything plastic, which polysulfide caulks can melt--LifeSeal is better there (and probably good everywhere else as well). None of the 3M caulks I know of are recommended for plastic, either.

When bedding hardware, hand-tighten only enough to squeeze a little bit of the caulk out, let it cure completely (2 days or more), and then use a wrench to tighten the nuts from below, thus putting pressure on the "gasket" you've formed. Then you can practically zip off the excess around the hardware with your fingers. If you try to wipe away the excess before it cures, you'll just make a mess.

Good luck in your detective work...

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 04/15/2007 19:17:44

danc
Deckhand

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USA
22 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2007 : 22:56:34

Responding to Dave Bristle, center and aft starboard windows had visible leaks until I slopped on 3M 4200 as temporary patch. Today I pulled out aft starboard windows and could see where water got around the soft plastic glazing channel that fits around the glass which in turn fits into the aluminum frame. The exterior aluminum frame was recently repaired with plumber's putty and there was no sign of any sealant anywhere else. Looks like Catalina didn't use sealant in 1980 except under the exterior aluminum frame. I suspect port windows leak also as water accumulates in port lazarette after rain.

When the window is out you can see a space between the exterior fiberglass and the interior surface were water can travel down, eventually to the bilge. I'm using he Catalina Direct aluminum window reseal kit, which has new glazing channel, a tube of 3M 4200 and a tube of Boatlife and assorted stuff to do the job without going to the store.

Compass has been sealed, stantions are next on the list, then the chalk trick if still leaks. Kind of dreading examining the swing keel suspected leak areas as fixes can be difficult and expensive. Hauled it out last summer but didn't know what I know now about swing keel inspection, mostly from this Forum.

Dan C.
C-25 SK "Keta"
Seattle

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2007 : 08:21:43

Boy, I guess I need to count myself as very lucky. I haven't found any leaks on Bamboo at all except I seem to take on a small bit of water when out in rough seas. I think that's due to the hull/deck seal not being perfect but not sure.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2007 : 08:28:46

Dave,

You could indeed have a leak where water collects in a hidden area and only becomes apparent after you've sloshed the boat around allowing the water to work its way down to the bilge.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2007 : 08:42:15

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DaveR
 Boy, I guess I need to count myself as very lucky. I haven't found any leaks on Bamboo at all except I seem to take on a small bit of water when out in rough seas. I think that's due to the hull/deck seal not being perfect but not sure.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Reseal around your cockpit scuppers and bilge through-hull, make sure your motor mounts bolts are secure and bedded, see if that helps.

Edited by - on

farrison
Navigator

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USA
166 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2007 : 10:37:05

Pete;

I have a 82 wing and I also had a small leak that came from the back of the boat, through the locker. It took me two seasons to figure out where it came from. I turned out that the sealant arround the cockpit scuppers, the brass tubes that pass through the hull, had failed and it was allowing water that collected in the cockpit to seap arround the scupper and between the hull and liner. They can't be removed, so I just had to work silicone in between the flange on the scupper and fiberglass with my finger. It worked.

Paul

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2007 : 08:27:04

Thanks for the ideas Don and Frank. I'd say it was probably no more than a quart, and was salt water. I've been through pretty much all the bilge areas so don't think it was a trickle down thing. I did find a busted anchor locker drain hose last year that had been leaking rainwater into the v-berth area and repaired that, I think I'll check that thru-hull and make sure it's sound. If all else fails I'll just peak around next time I'm in that situation.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2007 : 09:22:29

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 Reseal around your cockpit scuppers and bilge through-hull...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Another thing that can help in places like cockpit scuppers (that you can't or don't want to disassemble) is Capt. Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure. If can flow into tiny voids, and dries into a flexible seal--neater and more effective than smearing stuff on the outside. It's on p. 323 of the '07 West catalog.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 04/17/2007 09:23:31

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