Hi,
My 1984 boat has a leak at the joint, near midship on the starboard side. Water shows up in the pocket behind the seat cushion, not on the top shelf. The water coming in is crystal clear, ( no wood stain ) and shows up after rain. I did a quick test by adding food dye above the rub rail on a rainy day, and sure enough the water coming in shows the dye. Of course it might not be leaking at the point where it shows up, it might be forward or aft of there, but I can see it running down the hull behind the liner. It's not really a huge concern as the incoming water is nicely corralled in the pocket, and I just sponge it out after rain, but I'd like to fix it if I can. However, I'm not about to go pulling the rub rail off. I appreciate that the shoebox joint design implies the leaking water has to flow upwards, but it could also come through one of the through bolt holes. The boat does also have a small impact "dent" in the rub rail and some surface stress cracks just aft of where leak shows up, which might be an area where the seal has been compromised/damaged. I've purchased some capt tolleys and am thinking to apply to the area near the damage, ( from above only ) to see if that helps. If no change, then complete the treatment all around the boat.
Are there any other ideas, or concerns with my approach ?
Thanks, Andrew
My 1984 boat has a leak at the joint, near midship on the starboard side. Water shows up in the pocket behind the seat cushion, not on the top shelf. The water coming in is crystal clear, ( no wood stain ) and shows up after rain. I did a quick test by adding food dye above the rub rail on a rainy day, and sure enough the water coming in shows the dye. Of course it might not be leaking at the point where it shows up, it might be forward or aft of there, but I can see it running down the hull behind the liner. It's not really a huge concern as the incoming water is nicely corralled in the pocket, and I just sponge it out after rain, but I'd like to fix it if I can. However, I'm not about to go pulling the rub rail off. I appreciate that the shoebox joint design implies the leaking water has to flow upwards, but it could also come through one of the through bolt holes. The boat does also have a small impact "dent" in the rub rail and some surface stress cracks just aft of where leak shows up, which might be an area where the seal has been compromised/damaged. I've purchased some capt tolleys and am thinking to apply to the area near the damage, ( from above only ) to see if that helps. If no change, then complete the treatment all around the boat.
Are there any other ideas, or concerns with my approach ?
Thanks, Andrew