B24 - Deck is leaking. Bad

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Apr 6, 2013
25
Bristol B24 Friendship, Me
I went into my boat this last weekend and she had a good 4" of water in the cabin. She's still covered up for the winter with a frame and a big tarp that covers her completely.

The deck leaks during big rain storms, but, I was very surprised to see it so full of water while covered up so well.

I have planned to strip everything off her this spring so that I can give her a new coat of paint and rebed everything.

Do you think paying for shrink wrapping would be worthwhile? I know that tarps are not 100% waterproof, but, there is good pitch to the frame and the tarp was tight.

I guess I just don't get where all that water came from.
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
You may want to check out your drain hoses (anchor locked and cockpit). Sometimes they crack/break (freeze/old age).
 
Apr 6, 2013
25
Bristol B24 Friendship, Me
Thanks Steve,

I am pretty concerned about freeze damage. Gets cold here in Maine.

I am doing a bit of restoration over the spring but would like to not add too much to the list. Painting/re-bedding, re-doing the bright work, adding a chart plotter, stereo and solar panel. I am trying to have her floating in the third week of May.

I'll be checking all the hull penetrations (and the hoses). Hopefully, no cracks....

Thanks again,

Dan
 

CalebD

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Jun 27, 2006
1,479
Tartan 27' 1967 Nyack, NY
I'm not a fan of shrink wrapping for a variety of reasons.

A few thoughts.
Garboard plug. You can add a bolt/plug to a low point in your bilge so that you can remove it for the winter season. Removing the bolt will allow water in the bilge to run out of the hull; in effect a drain. I am considering doing this with my own boat of similar vintage (1967).
Some simply drill a hole each year at this chosen low spot in the bilge and re-fill it with epoxy each year.

Deck hardware/cored decks. Over-drilling each deck penetration and filling with thickened epoxy would be a good start. Then re-bed all deck hardware with butyl tape. This should help if your cored decks are not already "spongey". "Re-potting" all deck penetrations on my deck is on my to-do list after I finish re-coring my beam decks.
 

beast

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Apr 5, 2013
27
Bristol 24 home
check every place anything passes through the deck, like those pretty wooden handrails, or the posts for the rope fence, i know everyone of those spots leaks on my boat. it also looks like one of the drains from the cockpit may be leaking. dont worry guys, i'm still just looking and making a list, not doing any actual work yet other than cleaning so i can see better...lol
 
Jul 5, 2007
196
Kenner Privateer 26 schooner, Carlyle Illinois
I've had water "catch " in the tarp, and find it's way into the cockpit, where it leaked into the boat via a leaking drain line. Drove me crazy until I finally found it. A tarp can actually funnel more water into a boat than if there was none.

I have drilled out several of the stantion base holes on my B24, with a 3/4" spade bit, only going through the top layer of glass, and the balsa core. I taped the underside of the hole, and filled the large hole with thickened epoxy. I then drilled a new, close fitting hole for the bolt. Stops the leak, and makes a solid foundation for the stantion.
 
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Apr 6, 2013
25
Bristol B24 Friendship, Me
Thanks Okawbow,

I'll do that same thing when I have everything stripped off her. I plan to add butyl tape, too.

When I sailed her home last fall, she had quite a bit if water in the cabin and I knew I'd be re-bedding everything on the deck this spring. Maintenance.....

I'm going to repaint topsides while she's bare. Can't think of a more opportune time.
 
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