Back in February of this year I purchased a 1983 I-30 Bahama. When I first saw the boat (in February), it basically bone dry with just an inch or two of water in the bilge and it had been on the hard for over a year. When I went to start working on it in April, the cabin was flooded with four inches of water. I attributed that to the scuppers being blocked up by the tarp that had collapsed due to snow and water flooding over the transom into the cabin.
I installed an electric bilge pump (amazed that the boat didn't have one!!!) and sailed through the season. I had installed some deck items like fairleads and clutches. I also repaired a stanchion base. I didn't get around to resealing the chainplates.
With the boat on the hard in November, I checked in after a few rain storms and saw the bilge almost overflowing. Pumped that out and then covered the boat with a tarp (I had the mast down) so almost the entire boat except for the last three feet of the cockpit was protected. Weather has been pretty cold (I'm in NJ) but when I would check the boat, I saw water creeping up in the bilge. With a spate of warm weather hitting us last week, I ended up having to pump out an inch of water in the cabin!
This is driving me crazy as I can't figure out where such a substantial leak can be coming from. I don't see any water streaks on the wood near the chainplates.
Any thoughts on where to look next? (It will have to wait until spring. I'll just be pumping in the meantime. Any preferred techniques for leak detection? I'm toying with one that involves blowing air from a ShopVac into a sealed interior. Anyone try that?
Thanks
I installed an electric bilge pump (amazed that the boat didn't have one!!!) and sailed through the season. I had installed some deck items like fairleads and clutches. I also repaired a stanchion base. I didn't get around to resealing the chainplates.
With the boat on the hard in November, I checked in after a few rain storms and saw the bilge almost overflowing. Pumped that out and then covered the boat with a tarp (I had the mast down) so almost the entire boat except for the last three feet of the cockpit was protected. Weather has been pretty cold (I'm in NJ) but when I would check the boat, I saw water creeping up in the bilge. With a spate of warm weather hitting us last week, I ended up having to pump out an inch of water in the cabin!
This is driving me crazy as I can't figure out where such a substantial leak can be coming from. I don't see any water streaks on the wood near the chainplates.
Any thoughts on where to look next? (It will have to wait until spring. I'll just be pumping in the meantime. Any preferred techniques for leak detection? I'm toying with one that involves blowing air from a ShopVac into a sealed interior. Anyone try that?
Thanks