Well Dave...if you are reading, it doesn't look like the leak has anything to do with the Compression post. All is well there ...dry as a bone on both tacks and under power. Seals are secure and dry. Seem to have confirmed the leak is under the cabin floor as can see the water slosh around on both tacks, down the side of the ballast valves. I can see it with a flashlight also when a person lightly bounces on the teak floor. Water is the same red or brackish color as I've been getting in the bildge. I guess the question now is...."Can the floor of the H26 be taken up? If so how? Has anyone done it." By the way I also checked all through-hulls closely and there doesnot seem to be a problem. Does not appear to be anything that may have punched a hole in the tank either. Any input will be appreciated. Regards: Dean
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Unwelcomed Water
Sorry to hear about your troubles. Another thing to consider is water sitting on top of the ballast tank that got there during launch or if the tank plug or controls were not sealed while sailing or when walking heavy on the floor. My floor has a little spring and one day when the plug was out and the kids were jumping about I got a face full, yuk. Water from those areas will pool on top of the tank and only appear when heeling. That's apparently what happened to me this spring. I bought a 26 from a dealer and he launched it. Each time I went out sailing there was less and less water until there was none. I had to keep the bilge covers off and stair teak cover off after each sail. Now when I look between the access cover extension and the inside of the step there is no more water sloshing around and it's barely moist. Hopefully it will be bone dry soon. It took two months to get the water out. The dealer told me not to worry but as it tasted salty I figured it was a leak. In the end It looks like he was correct. I have since sailed at 35 degree heels with all areas remaining dry. I tried dye also but the salt water "ate" it after one day. One additional thing to do if you have not already is to wrap dry paper towels around the controls and plug to see if water is leaking from there. Good luck! P.S. Does anyone know how much clearance there is between the teak sole and ballast tank top? Is replacement of the teak a preventative maintenace issue? What if anything supports the teak?
Sorry to hear about your troubles. Another thing to consider is water sitting on top of the ballast tank that got there during launch or if the tank plug or controls were not sealed while sailing or when walking heavy on the floor. My floor has a little spring and one day when the plug was out and the kids were jumping about I got a face full, yuk. Water from those areas will pool on top of the tank and only appear when heeling. That's apparently what happened to me this spring. I bought a 26 from a dealer and he launched it. Each time I went out sailing there was less and less water until there was none. I had to keep the bilge covers off and stair teak cover off after each sail. Now when I look between the access cover extension and the inside of the step there is no more water sloshing around and it's barely moist. Hopefully it will be bone dry soon. It took two months to get the water out. The dealer told me not to worry but as it tasted salty I figured it was a leak. In the end It looks like he was correct. I have since sailed at 35 degree heels with all areas remaining dry. I tried dye also but the salt water "ate" it after one day. One additional thing to do if you have not already is to wrap dry paper towels around the controls and plug to see if water is leaking from there. Good luck! P.S. Does anyone know how much clearance there is between the teak sole and ballast tank top? Is replacement of the teak a preventative maintenace issue? What if anything supports the teak?
plug...
Dean, Make darn sure that the ballast tank plug is not leaking (mine was) take the plug out, hold onto the black rubber part and screw the handle tighter. I did that, which makes the plug fatter, until I could just shove it in the hole and get the lever flipped down. No more leak. Good luck. Tom M.
Dean, Make darn sure that the ballast tank plug is not leaking (mine was) take the plug out, hold onto the black rubber part and screw the handle tighter. I did that, which makes the plug fatter, until I could just shove it in the hole and get the lever flipped down. No more leak. Good luck. Tom M.
YIKES!
Yikes! Does not sound good at this point. The teak sole is a simple thin veneur glued into a slight recess in the sole pan. There is only 1" or so clearance between the sole pan and the tank top. I remember some support grids in the tank top the sole sets on, I suspect some water is trapped in these "squares" and will come out on hard sails, making leak tracing much more difficult. The fix is really a glass job with the teak area pryed out and reglued in later. The problems is where do you start cutting before you end up removing the full pan at the floor level. This was done on my 26 fresh from the factory, apparently someone dropped or jumped onto the tank top before the sole pan was installed leaving a long invisable(3 ft) crack from the base of the stairs to just port of the foward teaked area. They cut the full floor out, glassed the tank top over, replaced the floor, and reglued in the teak. You would never know they did it. "So it can be done"!!! However, I was fortunate to be under warranty...and working with expert fiberglass folks. Good luck.. do dye the tank to be sure! Also check with Dave on addtional issues to check, give him a call! Steve
Yikes! Does not sound good at this point. The teak sole is a simple thin veneur glued into a slight recess in the sole pan. There is only 1" or so clearance between the sole pan and the tank top. I remember some support grids in the tank top the sole sets on, I suspect some water is trapped in these "squares" and will come out on hard sails, making leak tracing much more difficult. The fix is really a glass job with the teak area pryed out and reglued in later. The problems is where do you start cutting before you end up removing the full pan at the floor level. This was done on my 26 fresh from the factory, apparently someone dropped or jumped onto the tank top before the sole pan was installed leaving a long invisable(3 ft) crack from the base of the stairs to just port of the foward teaked area. They cut the full floor out, glassed the tank top over, replaced the floor, and reglued in the teak. You would never know they did it. "So it can be done"!!! However, I was fortunate to be under warranty...and working with expert fiberglass folks. Good luck.. do dye the tank to be sure! Also check with Dave on addtional issues to check, give him a call! Steve
Next item
Dean; Check the drain bail plug to see if tight and if not then turn it to enlargen. See if there is any gasket material left on the underneath of the washer and if not then put gasket material there. As for the teak and holly floor, it is a veneer that is glued in place on the floor pan which is above the tank. If water is under the wood floor, then check the seal and around the perimeter to see where broken and reseal it. Get all the water out by pressing down on the floor. Keep me posted Crazy Dave
Dean; Check the drain bail plug to see if tight and if not then turn it to enlargen. See if there is any gasket material left on the underneath of the washer and if not then put gasket material there. As for the teak and holly floor, it is a veneer that is glued in place on the floor pan which is above the tank. If water is under the wood floor, then check the seal and around the perimeter to see where broken and reseal it. Get all the water out by pressing down on the floor. Keep me posted Crazy Dave
To Dave:
Dave: Thanks for getting back to me. Will check the plug as you mentioned but will be working for the next two weeks at a mine and then on a vac trip to Nova Scotia so will not get to this until I'm back. Will try yours and other suggestions then. The water I mentioned is not under the teak floor itself but sounds to be between the tank and floor pan. Wood is dry. I sure hope this is something simple like a bad plug or seal. What concerns me is the amount of water that leaks in and can that volume come from a leaking vent plug.?? Maybe it can as the trip I mentioned in a previous post was a lengthy on with good winds. The b. pump worked for quite a spell to clear it and as mentioned .... water had found its way into the seat storage areas while healed. About 4 inches in there on both port and starboard. I also neglected to check on the screws you mentioned on the compression post when checking that. I remember the holes but not if the screws were in place. Have a freind checking on that. Thanks for the help all.
Dave: Thanks for getting back to me. Will check the plug as you mentioned but will be working for the next two weeks at a mine and then on a vac trip to Nova Scotia so will not get to this until I'm back. Will try yours and other suggestions then. The water I mentioned is not under the teak floor itself but sounds to be between the tank and floor pan. Wood is dry. I sure hope this is something simple like a bad plug or seal. What concerns me is the amount of water that leaks in and can that volume come from a leaking vent plug.?? Maybe it can as the trip I mentioned in a previous post was a lengthy on with good winds. The b. pump worked for quite a spell to clear it and as mentioned .... water had found its way into the seat storage areas while healed. About 4 inches in there on both port and starboard. I also neglected to check on the screws you mentioned on the compression post when checking that. I remember the holes but not if the screws were in place. Have a freind checking on that. Thanks for the help all.
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