Taking on water...

LakeShark · Mar 17, 2018

How about the anchor locker drain. It's notorious for leaking and it may just tak time for the water to settle. Also check for any speed / depth transducers etc... last year I had a small leak from my lower drudgeon and a speed transducer. I trailer so an easy fix either way but it sure was a pain to find.

Capt Robbie · Mar 17, 2018

Not to sound foolish but did you check to see if the water collecting after going sailing is sea water or fresh water. If fresh water maybe simply a water tank issue.

If you are sure that the water is coming from outside then I don't think that the keel bolts can be properly checked when the boat is in the water. That is a lot of weight being put on the bolts suspended when the boats in the water.

I have never checked my keel bolts when in the water. I have always done it when boat is on the hard. I have only done it when 90% of the boats weight was on the keel when setting on the hard.

I would also check the packing on the shaft log for obvious leaks.

5 gallons within a few hours of sailing seem to be alarming to me and if the water is not coming from the water tanks I would not play around with it and haul the boat and check all thru hulls. Not worth sinking.

Doug4bass · Mar 18, 2018

This is a C-22, no water tanks , per se, or shaft logs. Only through hull is the sink, which the OP has inspected.
I would agree with the anchor drain theory.

MitchM · Mar 18, 2018

the question is whether it's coming UP from the keel bolts or weeping down into the bilge from a loose water line , bad chain plate or the like. to answer this question get some water soluble kids finger paint and draw a line around the bilge area. if water is coming in from higher up you will see paint streaks. (this trick helped me to diagnose both a small split in a toilet raw water feed hose and water weeping in form the refrigerator drain hose. )

Gene Neill · Mar 18, 2018

Based on everything you said, my money would be on the through-hull anchor locker drain. That's the only thing I can think of that would leak on a calm day of sailing, but not while sitting at the slip.

Will Gilmore · Mar 19, 2018

How did your dock mate go about checking the keel bolts? If he only gets a spongefull after sitting at the dock for a day or two, he may not see active ingress of water. Did he have someone watch a dry bilge fill while under way?

The fresh vs sea water needs to be answered. I'm incline to think it is condensation collecting, because of the cold weather season, and sailing causes it to settle from an upper section to a lower section, unless it is sea water, then I would blame the keel bolts. The stress of sailing would open them up, where, sitting at the dock doesn't. A thru hull wouldn't act like that.

The only other possibility, I can think of, would be a delamination or hull crack below the waterline. Did he suffer a freeze this Winter?

- Will (Dragonfly)

Displacesailor · Mar 19, 2018

I have a 1972 Catalina 22 upside down in my driveway. I was in the processes of removing and replacing the headliner that was only being held in place by the mast post in cabin. We had rain and followed by a freeze that formed ice in the keel case. Most of the case was filled with foam to prevent ice damage but when we have a thaw I have water leaking from my keel case. When I cut away part of the case I found a crack (almost a split) in the case around the area of the lock down bolt and at the top rear of the case. I think it was cause by a sudden dropping of the keel that cracked the case.
I have hear of leaking keel bolt on 22's before so if the water is in the bolt area and or the bilge look to the keel bolt and the keel case if the water is worst after a nice days sailing.

A free boat may not be worth what you payed for it.

Mark

Gene Neill · Mar 19, 2018

Can't wait to hear the verdict!

greg_m · Mar 20, 2018

How about cockpit drains?

greg_m · Mar 20, 2018

Gene Neill said:
Based on everything you said, my money would be on the through-hull anchor locker drain. That's the only thing I can think of that would leak on a calm day of sailing, but not while sitting at the slip.

Even though it may be a calm day of sailing the boat will be healing due to weight distribution if not the actual wind.

Water molecules are pretty small and all the keel has to do is flex a bit to allow the little buggers to pass through the cracks!

LakeShark · Mar 20, 2018

Excerpt from a thread on another forum about Wing keel and the question of them falling off (I removed all posts not pertinent to the discussion & the link is below) I am not so sure if there was an issue with the keel it would only allow a small amount of water into the boat and not have more catastrophic results:

Ben Kimball
Winthrop, MA
Boat Name: Della Mae
Model/Year: Catalina 22/1990
Hull No. CTYH5083A090
Hailing Port: Winthrop, MA

06/02/2006 5:46 AM Pacific Time
I've just purchased a 1990 wing keel model boat. My first project was to strip all the bottom paint in preparation to inspect the bottom, make necessary repairs and apply fresh anti-fouling paint. Before I started I noticed a horizontal row of 4 or 5 rust spots in a line about 1/3 down the keel.
I also noticed a significant bulge in this area. After stripping the paint I discovered the gel coat is intact near the top of the keel but is worn away near the middle exposing the fiberglass matt beneath, as if a previous owner started removing the gel coat and then changed their mind. (Just a guess on my part).If I'm understanding correctly I have a lead ballast keel with a fiberglass jacket. I think my symptoms may indicate a keel that had water penetrating the fiberglass jacket and causing the interior to rust which caused the bulge. I don't know if I'm on the right track or what my next step should be. I'll be gratefull for any advice and I'd like to learn all I can if there is a source of information on this subject. Thank you!

PHILIP & SHARON MERLIER
FELLSMERE, FLORIDA
Boat Name: SWIZZLE STICK
Model/Year: 1990 C22
Hull No.
Hailing Port: FELLSMERE, FLORIDA

07/02/2008 6:38 AM Pacific Time
Ben Kimball:
I am familiar with at least part of your problem.

Our lead wing keels are bolted to a fiberglass stump that extends down from the hull (actually about a 1/3 of the way down --- as you described). I also developed a line of small rust spots at the line where the lead joins the fiberglass. I suspected it was due to the keel bolts rusting. However, there was no movement of the lead keel in relation to the fiberglass stump mount and the keel nuts were tight. Since we were sailing the boat to the Bahamas we were very concerned about the integrity of the entire unit so we called Catalina Yachts and mentioned that we were wondering if it was a "safety issue". Well that got everyones attention. Frank Butler (Mr Catalina) himself called me on the phone and explained how the keel is constructed and answered our questions. He said that the stainless keel bolts are J shaped at the end where they are embedded in the keel and there is no chance that they will ever come out. He also reassured me that the rust of the bolts will never be a cause for concern in our life time. In other words don't worry about it which is what we did. It has been several years now and I have seen no change at all. The spots are not bigger and no looseness has developed.
If I was retired and had lots of patience and free time to blow I would consider dropping the keel, cleaning up the keel bolts, and then remounting it with lots of good sealant and finally refairing and regelcoating. But that is not the case so I am just watching, watching, watching, it.
As far as you buldges are concerned I don't know what they are since I did not experience that.
Hope this helps.

https://www.catalinadirect.com/forums/fr_topic.cfm?topic_id=3425

py26129 · Mar 20, 2018

My dad had a Bayfield 23 with exactly the symptoms you describe. In his case the leaks stopped after we dropped the keel, cleaned off the old sealant and re-bedded the keel with 5200.

Just my $0.02

Matt

Will Gilmore · Mar 20, 2018

py26129 said:
My dad had a Bayfield 23 with exactly the symptoms you describe. In his case the leaks stopped after we dropped the keel, cleaned off the old sealant and re-bedded the keel with 5200.

Just my $0.02

Matt

The problem with this issue is the real solution is likely the last one you want to address. So people put off spending the money to haul, drop, rebed and reattach the keel until all other possibilities have been looked at. This serves to add time and expense to an already expensive problem. However, there is the benefit of getting to know your boat a lot better.

-Will (Dragonfly)

Gene Neill · Mar 20, 2018

Will Gilmore said:
The problem with this issue is the real solution is likely the last one you want to address.

I'll drink to that! I'd definitely rather put a new hose on a locker drain.

py26129 · Mar 20, 2018

Definitely check / do the easy thing first

Matt