Leak while under sail.

Sep 15, 2016
7
Catalina 22 Harrison Hot Springs
Bilge is bone dry while sitting in the bay on its mooring. Took it out for 2 days camping on the lake, had some pretty choppy water, and accumulated about 2 litres of water in the bilge by the time I got home. I just emailed the original owner about it and he has not gotten back to me yet. I was hoping someone else might be able to shed some light on the situation in the mean time.
Its a 1985 Catalina 22 Swing Keel.
Generally it is in great shape inside and out, other than this mysterious leak.
Thanks
Side bar; anyone know how to access the eye u-bolt on the bow from the inside? Its the one thing that needs attention.
 
May 12, 2004
1,502
Hunter Cherubini 30 New Port Richey
If you were heeled over very far, then water could be siphoning in thru the bilge pump hose thru-hull on the side. Don't know much about the C-22 but it happens to me if I heel past 25 - 30 degrees even though the bend in the top of the hose is above the thru-hull. Just a thought.
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
Check your keel lockdown bolt for leakage, also your volcano tube, cockpit scupper drains, and your sink drain.

Pull out the teak panel in the forepeak to find the inside of the bow eye. Catalina Direct sells parts to replace/reinforce it.
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
Did it rain at all or did you have any splashing on deck? If no to both, then at least you can eliminate pretty much anything from the rub-rail up as the source of the leak like the windows or deck hardware.
Check all the things Gene mentioned, those are below the water-line issues. The keel lock down bolt should have a nice thick coating of sticky grease or beeswax to keep the threads sealed. The volcano tube is critical, it should have two stainless hose clamps that are tight and not rusted.
Did you put the rails in the water or close enough to get splashing up the hull sides? The adhesive/sealant used to bond the deck to the hull gets brittle with age and cracks, crumbles, and falls out with flexing during sailing. Water can find its way up there and get between the hull and the liner and then end up in the bilge.
 
Jul 25, 2016
197
Catalina 22 Sacramento
I had a similar problem last weekend also. This was the first time that I put my boat in the water. The first day of sailing I had nothing in the bilge. I know this because we had food stored under the dinette seats. After the second day of sailing, when I returned home and was unpacking the boat, there was a lot of water in the bilges (ruined some really good chocolate bars...). I might have some cracks in the keel trunk area. I am going to be checking the above mentioned areas as well. I will also try to post some pics. There has been some obvious work done around the keel trunk area.
 
Sep 15, 2016
790
Catalina 22 Minnesota
I realize I am new here but I had the same issue a couple weeks back. I tore through the whole boat on the next trip after checking everything obvious only to find the leak at the lower gudgeon. With 2 adults and 3 healthy kids on board all sitting in the cockpit it was just enough to put the lower gudgeon under water. We simply shifted the weight and finished our trip with no more issues. Now I get to reseal the gudgeon this winter before next spring. So if you don't find anything obvious try the lower gudgeon.
 
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Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
I realize I am new here but I had the same issue a couple weeks back. I tore through the whole boat on the next trip after checking everything obvious only to find the leak at the lower gudgeon. With 2 adults and 3 healthy kids on board all sitting in the cockpit it was just enough to put the lower gudgeon under water. We simply shifted the weight and finished our trip with no more issues. Now I get to reseal the gudgeon this winter before next spring. So if you don't find anything obvious try the lower gudgeon.

You might be new, but that was a great first post! :thumbup:
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
The keel lock down bolt and the lower gudgeon have already been covered. The fact that it only leaked after sailing, and the age of the boat, leads me to suspect the same issue I had on my original C-22. Check the caulking under the rub rail. The deck to hull joint is a shoe box design, and as the boat ages, the calking fails under the rub rail. When the boat is sailing, and it doesn't have to be healed over that much, water will ride up the side of the hull and come through the deck to hull joint and into the bilge. This will also accumulate under the liner in places like under the dinette area. Make a good inspection under the rub rail, I bet you'll find dry caulking and missing calking also.
The eye bolt in the bow is accessed by removing the wooden trim in the front of the V-berth. There is a center portion that slides up and you pull it out, the main portion is just attached with screws if I recall correctly.

Good luck,

Don
 
Sep 15, 2016
7
Catalina 22 Harrison Hot Springs
The eye bolt in the bow is accessed by removing the wooden trim in the front of the V-berth. There is a center portion that slides up and you pull it out, the main portion is just attached with screws if I recall correctly.
Thanks Don,
I removed the trim, there is a plastic piece behind that which is basically an extension of the ceiling piece. Im thinking I might be able to just unscrew the whole piece or just cut an access hole in it. it will be covered by the wood piece anyway. Tha way it will be easy access.
 
Sep 15, 2016
7
Catalina 22 Harrison Hot Springs
I realize I am new here but I had the same issue a couple weeks back. I tore through the whole boat on the next trip after checking everything obvious only to find the leak at the lower gudgeon. With 2 adults and 3 healthy kids on board all sitting in the cockpit it was just enough to put the lower gudgeon under water. We simply shifted the weight and finished our trip with no more issues. Now I get to reseal the gudgeon this winter before next spring. So if you don't find anything obvious try the lower gudgeon.
Thanks for the tip. Maybe I will get some silicone on it tomorrow to eliminate that as a possibility
 
Sep 15, 2016
7
Catalina 22 Harrison Hot Springs
Check your keel lockdown bolt for leakage, also your volcano tube, cockpit scupper drains, and your sink drain.

Pull out the teak panel in the forepeak to find the inside of the bow eye. Catalina Direct sells parts to replace/reinforce it.
Thanks Gene,
Volcano tube was the first thing I checked. Its a newer tube with relatively new clamps. Seems to be in fine shape and was dry to the touch all around. Also ran some water through the sink and that didn't seem to cause any leakage so I feel confident in eliminating both of those.
The keel locking bolt is the main thing I am unsure about. However, since it is always under water, would it not constantly be leaking, not just when sailing? Or is it slightly above the water line?
 
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Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
It's slightly above the waterline.

I removed the trim, there is a plastic piece behind that which is basically an extension of the ceiling piece.
Hmm, that sounds like you have an '87 or later boat, not an '85. Which will be great in most ways, but it's gonna SUCK if you have to get to the backside of the bow eye. Got a pic of the boat?
 
Sep 15, 2016
790
Catalina 22 Minnesota
I too have an 87 wing keel and access for the bow eye is made through a aces port installed in the chain locker on deck. I am not sure if the access port was installed by someone else or not but it is the Bly way o get there as my deck top is 1 piece.
 
Sep 15, 2016
7
Catalina 22 Harrison Hot Springs
It's slightly above the waterline.



Hmm, that sounds like you have an '87 or later boat, not an '85. Which will be great in most ways, but it's gonna SUCK if you have to get to the backside of the bow eye. Got a pic of the boat?
I don't have a pic but the PO had it listed as a 1985 so I just assumed that was the case. It is the 'New Design' model so I'm guessing built in 1985, 1986 being the model year.
 
Sep 15, 2016
7
Catalina 22 Harrison Hot Springs
I took out the locking bolt, covered it in a wax, put a nut on it to shorten the length that enters the hole (making it useless for its intended purpose and basically now just a plug), and siliconed it after tightening it down. I also siliconed the edges of the lower gudgeon. I won't be able to take it out until next Tuesday at the earliest, so we will have to wait and see if that did it. Thanks everyone for all the help. Hopefully this will work. Next step I guess will be under the rub rails...

Also, as far as the bow eye, the skirt behind the wood panel in the forepeak is fibreglass. Not sure if I am to cut a hole in that to access the bow eye. There is a very small access hole in the anchor locker above for the electrical of the bow light but nothing large enough or low enough to access the bow eye from there either. I think I am left with no choice but to cut a hole somewhere. I am thinking low in the anchor locker.
 
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Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
Okay, since you have a new design, you have a different list of things to check for leaks. They were recently outlined here: http://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/water-in-bilge-area.181229/

As for the bow eye ... you can't access it through that fiberglass panel. You ALSO can't access it through that little inspection port in the anchor locker, unless you're a mouse. You pretty much can't access it AT ALL, without cutting the anchor locker wide open. Sorry man, I hate to be the bearer of that news. Catalina really screwed us on that one.
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
Silicone anywhere on a boat, especially near or below the water line is a super bad idea. Only exception is DOW 795 for window installations. Too late now.
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
Silicone anywhere on a boat, especially near or below the water line is a super bad idea. Only exception is DOW 795 for window installations. Too late now.
I was gonna say the same thing, but I figured my one piece of bad news was enough for one post, and I didn't want to be Debbie Downer. ;)