Ballast water flowing through into the boat

[Capt. Allan]

All, Put the boat back in the water last Monday after painting the bottom. Everything seemed fine while motoring back to the marina. Got back to the boat on Friday for the weekend and noticed the bilge pump ran frequently which is unusual. Realized that water was flowing from the ballast tank valve and vent hole into the boat. I've experienced a very small amount of water but have never seen this happpen. I assumed these were above the water line. It continued to slowly flow all weekend. Anyone have an idea as to why the water keeps flowing?

 

[Mark]

This will be interesting

For in my humble opinion the only way water can continue to flow into the yacht via the vent or the thumb screw hole is if she is either 1) sinking (water coming in from somewhere else) or 2) Grossly overloaded.

 

[BIGUMs]

tighten the plug?

have you checked to unsure that when the plug is in its "locked" position it is watertight? the have a screw system so the rubber gets pinched, making it wider, or you can lesson the pinch and make it skinnier. maybe it just "got skinnier" through normal use. I know it seems unlikely but I did it to mine. Just a thought, but good luck finding the solutionBrad

 

[Jeff Peltier]

Have you added weight to the boat?

If enough weight or people are added (especially to the rear of the boat), the vent will be below the water level.

 

[Capt. Allan]

thanks for the replys

All, Thanks for the replys. Everything seemed as always with the plug and valve closed tightly. I anchored and looked at the boat from my dink and it seemed to float in the water normally. I haven't added more weight that I can think of (excluding the several pounds I've gained!). Again, thanks for the input.

 

[Jonathan Costello]

Something is definitely wrong

Teh boat was designed so that withthe valve open it will only fill to a certain level and stop. In my opinion, the plug on top really doesn't do anything except keep the water from sloshing out when you heel. The plug does not hold pressure. I have to agree with Mark and ask how much "stuff" do you have in/on the boat. You may have it overloaded. If that is not the case then you have water coming in from somewhere else.

 

[Rick Macdonald]

How much stuff

...do you have to take _out_ of the boat before the water stops flowing out of the vent hole?The only other thing that makes sense is that there is a leak somewhere else that accumulates enough weight in the bilge areas (and the pump can't keep up) that it is sitting low enough in the water for the vent to be below the water line. If you plug the vent hole and no water comes from elsewhere, then this can't be it either.Since the only thing you did was paint the bottom, that must be the cause of the leak! ...RickM...

 

[Arturo DeVitalis]

Another Possibility

Might consider a sepaaration at the seam in the tiller area; where the hull is mated to the topside. Dunk the rear end with excessive weight and check for water coming from under the aft berth.

 

[Rick Macdonald]

Was the boat hoisted?

When you painted the bottom, was the boat hoisted out of the water or off the trailer? Could having the lift straps in the wrong place have stressed some joint such as the stern seam as Arturo suggested?...RickM...

 

[alan]

r u sure that the water is comming from...

...the valve and vent plug (other's have already hinted about that)? I keep DRY paper towel wrapped around those always. If they ever become wet then I know a problem is developing with the seals. The tank DOES become a bit pressurized at times due to hull flexing. Those seals need to take a little pressure without leaking. Like the others said though, under normal conditions the level of the water in the tank should be a few inches below the top of the valve and vent hole (unless heeling). If not then the boat was manufactured wrong (doubt that) or it's overloaded AND your seals are bad. The boat can be overloaded from accumulated water in compartments or on top of the ballast tank.The level of the water in the tank WITH the valve open is exactly the waterline level. The marina put my boat WITH ballast on a trailer once (bad). I knew the seals were good cause there were no water leaks. The trailer seemed to sit a bit low so I checked the vent. When I pulled the plug water welled out after a short rush of air, so it was under a tad of pressure. With the valve closed even overloaded the level should not go up IF your lower seals on the valve cover on the bottom of the hull are intact. Again some flexing of the boat can pressurize it slightly. alan

 

[Calvin]

Leaky tank

I had the same problem when I forgot to close the seal and motored at 6 knots in a coppy bay. Got about 2 inches of water in the boat before I realized what had happend. I would check the seal on the thru hull valve.

 

[soling42]

Center board-compression post fitting sealed well?

Completely dry the bilge then Seal that leaky tank valve fitting and get a tight fit on the vent plug. Then look for other leaks that might be adding weight.Seems to me someone recently posted something about a leak at the bottom of the compression post at the centerboard area that looked good but would leak like a sieve especially when underway. Any damage visable or suspect when you were doing the bottom, or did you hire it out. Was the valve open underway like Calvin implied? A dry bilge with a few paper towels or sprinkled lightly with baby powder is a great way to reveal a supect area like the through hull fittings or the stern deck to hull joint.Interesting issue. Let us know what you find.Michael

 

[Drew]

Michael's Got It

I remember a long back and forth a year or two ago between Crazy Dave Condon and someone with a similar problem. If I remember right, it is a mast compression/keel retraction box issue on the 260.I remember Crazy Dave laying out the solution and saying DO NOT DRILL ANYTHING, for what it's worth. I'd scour the archives - I'll bet you find it.

 

[Nelson]

craked hull?

Several years ago I had a crack in the hole from twisting of centerboard on bottom at mooring which I wasn't aware of until I got water coming out of vent hole. If vent hole is sealed, no more water can enter the ballast area. All fixed years ago.Just last night I started getting a little water in cabin from little access port on cabin floor starboard of companionway stairs. Hunter thinks it is from leakage in centerboard bolts under table which drain into area between floor and above ballast tank. I have been getting a little water in bilge area which may be flowing from the just above described leakage. I only get water after being underway.

 

[Ross]

Piling On

Try adding food coloring into the ballast tank through the vent hole. This will let you know if the water you find in the bilge is coming from the ballast tank or outside of the boat. Good luck.

 

[BrianW]

Did Boatyard Place Boat On Blocks?

In addition to placing your boat on stands, did the boatyard first lower the boat onto blocks placed under the boat? Some boatyards are not experienced at lifting and blocking water ballasted boats. If the weight of the boat is lowered onto blocks placed aft of the "keel", the boat's own weight could crack the ballast tank or a joint. I had a "near miss" of this type this summer while preparing for a bottom paint job. A "heads up" yard employee caught my boat just as it was being lowered onto blocks as described above. He told me that if the boat were actually lowered onto that "soft spot", it could have cracked the ballast tank. BrianW

 

[Bob]

Don't suppose you forgot to open the valve

Don't suppose you left the valve closed and they lifted a full boat. This extra wieght and blocking with hull only with pop-its may have cracked the inner tank... very bad.. I can hear the sawall probe working over time to find!

 

[nelson]

cracked hull

typ0 corrections to previous post:Several years ago I had a crack in the hull from twisting of centerboard on bottom at mooring which I wasn't aware of until I got water coming out of vent hole when boat was moving. If vent hole is sealed, no more water can enter the ballast area. All fixed years ago.Just last night I started getting a little water in cabin from little access port on cabin floor starboard of companionway stairs. Hunter thinks it is from leakage in centerboard bolts under table which drain into area between floor and above ballast tank. I have been getting a little water in bilge area which may be flowing from the just above described leakage. I only get water after being underway.

 

[George H260]

Water in H260 bilge

Nelson, Interested in your experience here. I have similar symptoms. A couple of times this year the keel got hung up on the alignment device on my trailer so when I pulled the boat most of the weight of the boat (with ballast tanks draining) was resting on the keel rather than the bunks.I've sealed the leak at the base of the compression post but still get a little water in the bilge after sailing. It stays dry on the mooring. How did you get this "fixed"