After two season I finally found the souce of a leak into the bilge from outside the boat.
I won't go through the long process (two seasons) but am so thrilled to share to solution which I feel may apply to many Beneteau models.
The propellor shaft passes through a tube that exits out of the skeg in the bottom of the boat. This stainless steel tube as it passes though the boat's fiberglass bottom must be properly caulked and maintained. The original caulking I could see from originall photos I took on the hard showed this caulking and when I looked close it looked loose! It was mid-season last year so I had to wait until we ere hauled out.
At the end of last season after I was hauled out I had my son pour some pink antifreeze around the area behind the engine where the propellor shaft exits. In 5 seconds the pink stuff was pouring out where the caulking was below the boat into the bucket I was holding!! I felt I hit upon the problem.
This spring I cleaned all of the old caulk off, cleaned and sanded up the area, and re-caulked with 3M 5200 which I have had great success with in the past.
Moment of truth....When we were launched I went down the next day hoping I would find a dry bilge. Day later...not ONE drop of water. After motoring to the harbor for 4 hours, still no water. So here after 3-4 weeks still dry as a bone!
So problem solved and I did not realize it weighed on me.
Footnote: The part that really ticks me off is I had a full survey. Not only did he not catch this so simple item to fix which cause two season of stress he also did not catch the icebox drain hose was broken of. Which season one I was hoping was the problem which of course wasn't.
Regards,
Craig Bixler
Beneteau 331 "Renaissance"
Chicago - Monroe Harbor
I won't go through the long process (two seasons) but am so thrilled to share to solution which I feel may apply to many Beneteau models.
The propellor shaft passes through a tube that exits out of the skeg in the bottom of the boat. This stainless steel tube as it passes though the boat's fiberglass bottom must be properly caulked and maintained. The original caulking I could see from originall photos I took on the hard showed this caulking and when I looked close it looked loose! It was mid-season last year so I had to wait until we ere hauled out.
At the end of last season after I was hauled out I had my son pour some pink antifreeze around the area behind the engine where the propellor shaft exits. In 5 seconds the pink stuff was pouring out where the caulking was below the boat into the bucket I was holding!! I felt I hit upon the problem.
This spring I cleaned all of the old caulk off, cleaned and sanded up the area, and re-caulked with 3M 5200 which I have had great success with in the past.
Moment of truth....When we were launched I went down the next day hoping I would find a dry bilge. Day later...not ONE drop of water. After motoring to the harbor for 4 hours, still no water. So here after 3-4 weeks still dry as a bone!
So problem solved and I did not realize it weighed on me.
Footnote: The part that really ticks me off is I had a full survey. Not only did he not catch this so simple item to fix which cause two season of stress he also did not catch the icebox drain hose was broken of. Which season one I was hoping was the problem which of course wasn't.
Regards,
Craig Bixler
Beneteau 331 "Renaissance"
Chicago - Monroe Harbor
