Bilge Water and pumps

[Milton.Audas]

So, we got the boat in the water this weekend and all went well. But... that pesky bilge water is still getting in from someplace. That has been covered in many threads and I'll be looking for the obvious entry points. No cracks in hull or keel trunk that I can see.

In the port locker under the dinette (where the keel bolt is located) we had about a gallon (not sure if US or Imperial) of nice 'clean' lake water. i suspect that I had not put nearly enough marine grease on the bolt, or sufficiently sealed the thru-hull fittings already in place.

However, in the aft port dinette locker and starboard side lockers (which appear to be connected based on port/starboard tacks), there was a gallon or more of dirty water, somewhat rust coloured. Now the boat was dry before we set out, and we sailed on the same lake and took on what one must assume to be the same Iowa lake water. So how did we get 'clear' water in the for'ard port locker but 'dirty' water in the other two ?? I am perplexed and any good advice much appreciated.

I was also looking at permanently installing a couple of small bilge pumps, one port side and the other on the starboard side. I've seen a couple of small pumps but most either don't state the water level at which they start up, or state around 2". Does anyone know of a small pump that would activate at say 1/2" water level ? I'd plan to T the drain side to a common thru-hull above the water line, just under the rub rail.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Most pumps won't go that low. Only way is a bucket and sponge or a small handy Boy pump. We never had any water in our C22. What holes in the boat do you have that could be leaking?

 

[gpd955]

I keep a turkey baster and a party cup handy to get the annoying bit of water left behind by the pump. Fortunately I don't get water in the bilge unless I put it in there so it doesn't get used that often.

Is it possible that the water you found in the bulge and locker was already in an inaccessible area of te boat only to appear after the boat was sailed (heel, movement, etc.)? After you dry it out, see if it reappears before you go crazy searching! There are hints on how to trace routes o travel of the water all over the site. (one that stands out is colored chalk)

 

[Milton.Audas]

As far as I can tell, there are only 6 purposely included intrusions in the hull - the volcano to raise the chunk of lead, and the thru-hulls for knot meter, depth sounder, sink drain, cockpit drain, and green water intake. Then there is the keel locking bolt in the trunk. I suspect the 'clear' water in the port side dinette locker is probably from insufficient lathering of marine grease. As for the 'dirty' water, it is possible that it has laid in wait for several months and now comes cowardly out of hiding.:naughty: The volcano was replaced a couple of years ago by the PO. The other thru-hulls appear to be OE. I'll recheck the seals around these and liberally apply sealant and/or epoxy on each.

The knot meter and depth sounders are useless anyway and i've replaced both with more modern units (GPS and a 'shoot-thru' transducer). The green water pump shows no sign of life either, but not essential at the moment. The cockpit drains work well and the sink drain is shut off. No obvious signs of anything awry around any of these but again, I'll recheck each carefully.

The rub rails could be another source and so far we have sailed in conditions that have given us a good 20 - 25deg heel. Nothing outlandish as to have the decks awash but still a possible entry point. May have to replace the rub-rail at the end of the season.

the rudder gudgeons may also be a possible location. Now the list starts to add up, and the old boat seems to take on a pin-cushion effect !! The hull appears to be in great shape though for an old duck of 31 years. No signs of cracks or impact around the keel trunk, etc.

Ah the joys of trailerable (or any) sail boat ownership !! Cheers !!

 

[Faris]

Well, there are several possibilities, but none of them are good. I don't know how long it is taking to take on these gallons of water, but my sense is that it took less than 2-3 days? That's WAY too much water and it puts your boat in very real danger of sinking. Read this article: http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/sinking/default.asp

In any case, I wouldn't be thinking about bilge pumps, I'd be thinking about a haul-out, and I wouldn't wait. OK, but here's an answer to your question:

First, it's entirely possible that you have two (or more) leaks. Don't rule this out. I don't know what you have in terms of below-the-waterline fittings, and whether you have a fixed or swing keel. Second, I'm assuming that it hasn't been raining heavily in your area or you've somehow ruled out an above-the-waterline leak.

Now, if you have only one leak, in general, the cleaner water will be closer to the leak. The reason for this is obvious.

But, at that rate of leakage, it shouldn't be too hard to narrow it down. Just pump/sponge out all of the water, then wait 15 minutes and look for water. Use the chalk trick as Jack suggested.

Finally, if you have a swing keel, that opens up the possibility that you only take on water when under way, which can make it really tricky to identify.

Best of luck, but I would seriously take care of this quickly. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that though.

 

[GorillaToast]

Milton,
If you have the same problem I've been describing in my thread "Short of Splashing the Boat" (in this forum), then you not find out anything by looking where you can see with the naked eye. The problem area is probably near the front of the keel trunk, which is hidden by the liner. I've been vacuuming out water for weeks from under the head floor ( the floor just aft of the v-berth) ; about 2 liters a day.

Monday I hauled the boat out and poured half a pail of red-colored water in that area, and none leaked out. That tells me it has something to do with the keel; whether or not it's up or down. I leave mine down all the time.

I'm going to call CD's tech dept today and ask for advice. It will likely involve cutting away the liner around the front of the keel trunk to get a better look.

Good luck, and let me know if you find your leak.

 

[jrowan]

I have responded to many of these leak sources in the past. Check the C 22 site for specifics, but my keel trunk on our old C 25 had a very thin hairline crack which occurred where the last post stated: at the front of the keel trunk between the hull and the inaccessible area between the hull & liner pan. It's a bitch to fix, which requires cutting away the inner pan liner around the trunk penetration to identify where the crack is.
(By the way your keel is cast iron, not lead as previously stated).
It will leak worse when under sail, obviously because of heeling forces. But your leak may just be from the keel bolt fitting as you describe. Place COLORED chaulk around suspect areas so that you can better determine where your leak is coming from. A gallon or more a day is a serious leak. Our leak cantinued for about a week unbeknown to us, & we returned to find 2 feet of water on the cabin. Not a fun thing to find. But worse is to find a sinking boat. Take care of that leak ASAP or get hauled out.