Schools Out
- Thread starter damaris
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A lot of leaks come from the hardware on deck that needs to be resealed. Also the rub rail traps water and it can come through the caulk that has aged. I removed my rub rail and filled the holes with 4200 caulk and drilled new holes and caulked them as I added new screws and almost all my leaks went away. The hatch is usually a very solid design to keep out water. It can be windows but usually is not. The most guilty area on our boats is the rub rail and deck hardware.
Make note of how much rain on the outside and the amount of water on the inside. It will give you a clue as to where the leak is. look for a place that can be looked upon as a funnel. If there was only a half inch of rain but five gallons inside it didn't just come through a hole in the deck, it drained a large area.
sprinkle some talcum powder around the outside of the bilge area and then hose down your boat..... look for water tracks in the powder... once you find where it enters the bilge, work your way backwards towards the leak... using the talc method again.
I'm assuming you checked to make sure that it is fresh water entering the bilge... rather than salt water.
I'm assuming you checked to make sure that it is fresh water entering the bilge... rather than salt water.
leaks specific to your boat
if you have a deck leak, it almost always leaves a stain on the liner cloth on the inside hull sides. Any thing bolted to the deck can leak. Look for stains directly under stanction posts. Additionally look carefully where chain plate(flat steel) bolts to bulkhead- it can enter from deck and drool all the way down. Also look at top and bottom of mast compression post for signs of darker (wet) wood that means water intrusion under mast plate.. If you don't see any stains in cabin, then suspect the cockpit drain connection between inner and outer transom- use a flashlight to look in lazzeret under this - look for water stains where it would trickle down hill towards bildge. Good luck
if you have a deck leak, it almost always leaves a stain on the liner cloth on the inside hull sides. Any thing bolted to the deck can leak. Look for stains directly under stanction posts. Additionally look carefully where chain plate(flat steel) bolts to bulkhead- it can enter from deck and drool all the way down. Also look at top and bottom of mast compression post for signs of darker (wet) wood that means water intrusion under mast plate.. If you don't see any stains in cabin, then suspect the cockpit drain connection between inner and outer transom- use a flashlight to look in lazzeret under this - look for water stains where it would trickle down hill towards bildge. Good luck
To further what lance is saying, run a garden hose in your cockpit and see if you are getting any water coming from the short piece of hose that connects inner and outer transom. Once you rule out the cockpit, you can focus on other areas of the boat.
In windy storms, our O'Day 25 gets some water through the two cowl vents and even the little vent on the hatchboards if the wind is right. I don't think there's much you can do about it except replace the cowls with a covered vent or add a dorade. But that didn't explain the water we used to get in the engine compartment. I put a bright light in the engine compartment at night, went in the cockpit and, where the light shined through, found two holes on the cockpit deck, one on each side. Look carefully in the corners where the front and side bulkheads and cockpit floor meet. The holes were easy enough to plug with a dollop of epoxy putty, but we still get a little water in there after big storms.
With cowl leaks when the wind blows the rain in just hang a small plastic pail under the opening. If you had a 1 1/8th inch hole in your deck at the high point and you had a storm that dumped an inch of rain you would get about a half ounce of rain water through the hole. BUT if that hole was at your toe rail you might get several gallons of drainage water in through the hole.
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