Water in bilge

Joe11688 · May 6, 2009

Gene Lovelace said:
I have a great 1975 o'day 25... that I have been restoring for several years( and sailing it almost weekly)... I noticed that the port cushion gets wet.. especially after rain.. I suspect a small leak either on the toe rail but have not taken the time to find it.. I tried on other boats for years to try to find the leak..

Most recently I noticed water in the bilge.. it sponged it out ..went on a sail.. and no water... they next weekend.. after much more rail.. a little more had collected in bilge..

Anyone else had this problem.. I will watch it.. especially to see if it surfaces after sitting in water without any rain..

The diver I had who cleaned my bottom last week.. suggested that I needed to swing the keel up after each sail.. to eliminate growth.. and possible damage if it broke loose. I have always felt that I was asking for trouble to swing it up and down.. since I sail almost every week 20+ weeks a yer..

Any ideas on the water... It really does not bother me... and I would like your opinions of the swing keel..

Thanks Gene in Nashville TN

Gene,
I delivered a 1975 O'Day 25 for a friend from Cape Cod Ma. to our club on the Taunton River in Dighton Ma. several years ago and that boat sailed like a sweetheart. It had some growth on the centerboard and we couldn't get it down. It's possible that the PO had left his board down too.
The diver is right. You should always pull the board up whenever you moor, anchor, or put it on a slip. I know that it's a pain in the butt to go down below and raise the board, but that board needs to be up because it has a fiber pivot pin that can wear out faster when the board is left down at the mooring with nothing to do but swing. As for the water problem, I can almost guarantee you that it's coming in from the rub rail. So, you need to pull it off and re-caulk that area of the boat under the rub rail. As I remember, your rub rail is PVC and you're going to need a caulking like Dow Corning 795. A regular Polysulfide caulking will cause the plastic to dry out and crack, so I'm told. My rub rail is aluminum and I was able to use 3M 4000. Check the archives on this site for threads on caulking under the rub rail. My biggest problem was the rub rail. The caulking is only good for about 10 years. You need to also be mindful of certain types of hull cleaners that can literally eat out the caulking. Even household cleansers with Oxalic Acid can eat out the caulking. I found that out the hard way. It's OK to use it on your hull, but don't use it on your deck. I've been using good Ole soap and water for my deck, and so far I haven't had any leaks thank God.
Smooth Sailing!
Joe

sailormanbigd · May 7, 2009

I doubt its from the rubbrail. I would look at the toe rail the hand rail and the slidding hatch rail. I had alittle gap under mine- all of them and just caulked them up with exterior house caulk-NOT SILICONE. They don't leak no more. Also, are the wood bungs coverring the screw holes on the rails tight with no gaps or spaces? Water can get in there and trickle down the screw into the cabin. Patrick

Joe11688 · May 7, 2009

Gene,
If you remove the rub rail, remove one end of the rubber from the stern, just far enough to do one side of the boat depending on where the moldings come together, and remove the molding or moldings to that point, cleaning the old caulking out and applying the new. Then reinstall everything back in, and remove the other end of the rubber in the stern and do the other side in the same manner. I found this to be easier than taking all the rubber and moldings completely off the boat. Also, there may be extra holes in the molding that are not being used, so it may be a good idea to pencil mark above every area where there is a screw, so that the screws go back into the right holes. This really isn't a hard job. I was able to do it with no problems in my yard years ago. I would rather do this first than remove lifeline stanchions which really takes two people. If you have PVC moldings, silicone is very friendly to plastics, but silicone acts more like a gasket. It doesn't stick all that well. This is why I mentioned the Dow Corning 795. The 795 has silicone and a combination of ingredients that will adhere to plastics and not do harm to it. If you get this done and your leaking problem is cured, you will have avoided a lot of needless work removing rail stanchions or removing and replacing bungs in toe rails. I'm not saying that a leak can never be coming from a toe rail or a stanchion, but you should only mess with these particular items if you absolutely have to. Stainless Steel bolts have a tendency to break when you try to remove them, and bungs are an absolute pain in the butt to remove and replace. Look at it this way; when it rains, your deck is like a sink and the water runs over and also into the rub rail which acts as a drain. The deck and the hull come together under the rub rail not to mention all those screw holes, and if the caulking is gone, that water has to go some place like down the inside of the walls of your cabin and into the bilge. Let us know how you make out.
Joe

LordNelson · May 11, 2009

i don't have a 25, but i would also check the chain plates along with the hatch only because i'm lazy and wouldn't want to rechauk the rubrail unless absolutely necessary. you don't mention if your at a dock or moored. if at a dock the boat can't swing into the wind and may be more likely to leak around the sliding hatch or hatch door/boards when it rains. you might try covering the hatch and boards with a small tarp and see if you get any water in the bilge. that might isloate the problem if it's the hatch.

Joe11688 · May 14, 2009

Re: To all who have given great advice

Gene,
The best way to really find out if it's leaking right now is to go into the cabin and have someone hose down the top of the cabin. Try running your hand along the fabric in the suspected area to feel for moisture.
Joe