H260 drain plug

[David Oberholtzer]

I am having problems with the water fill under the companionway step. When I have the boat loaded with people or gear the water ballast valve bolt tends to leak water ending up with water in the bilge under the rear berth cushions. Has anyone found a way to seal this effectively? If i put a towel there it just becomes soaked and if it is more than a few hours it becomes saturated and still leaks into the bilge.

Thanks
Dave O.
2001 H260 "Andiamo"

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

two things to look for. First, the air vent is sealed by a drain bail plug that you can enlargen by turning it to see if that is it or is simply worn out.

The second item is the neophrene gasket that is attached to the underside of the large washer under the tightening screw is loose/worn or whatever which needs to be reattached or replaced. Suggest replace it and glue it into position.

It is one or both items. Are you tightening the wing nut enough?

crazy dave

 

[Hugh Straub]

+ 1 to Dave's points. I believe your vent plug is similar to that on a 23.5. You can soften up the rubber seal on the plug with a dab of silicone grease and tighten it up by adjusting the plug's base screw. Or you can take your old vent plug to West and buy a replacement. They're cheap. Next time your boat's on the hard, drop out the bottom valve and renew the valve gasket. I glued two mouse pads together an glued those to the valve plate, foam side up. Works a treat.

Kind regards

Hugh

 

[Deucer]

Ok..somebody help me on this one. Why would the fill plug gasket being bad lead to water in the bilge? I understand the air plug below the step. But you'd have to have almost 90 degrees of heel for the fill plug to come out of the water, ergo, air could not enter.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Deucer;

Law of physics. If you take the bail drain plug out of the air hole as you state, generally the water level is near the top, generally two inches below that air vent hole. When you add weight particularly in the cockpit, the boat lowers into the water and thus if the air vent and/or wing nut will now be below the water line due to the added weight and water will find any source to leak thru. Hope this suffices.

crazy dave condon