How much should rain fill the bilge due to the keel stepped mast? My bilge stays dry when it doesn't rain, so I know my shaft packing is not leaking. However after a rain, I am amazed how much water is in the bilge. After a good rain, there is several inches of water in my bilge, plus I do not know how much water the bilge pump has already pumped. My schedule has not allowed me recently to go to the boat when raining to help isolate any leaks. But I have used a hose and wetted down topside and discovered and corrected a couple minor leaks. How much water do other 37C owners see after a rain. Does this much rain really come through the mast, or do I need to keep searching for other leaks? Mark
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Lots!
It is amazing how much water gets into the bilge through(around?) the mast. Like you, in the five years I have had the boat I have not witnessed a downpour. But I'll go up there after a week of light rains and find it at the limit of the float switch. Really should have a bilge pump cycle counter I guess. Some does get in on the outside of the mast since I unstepped one winter ago. Still have not gotten a good seal. But right now the boat is covered and there is a tight seal of the cover around the mast above the winches. I cut out a section of the sail track cover at the bottom. I can then slide it up or down, there is a separate section below the track gate. I slide it down to expose an opening below the gate and slop in some sealant. This helps direct water coming down the large wire conduit out of the mast. But most, I guess, gets in around the sheaves at the top and it is a straight shot to the bilge. Another H37C owner in my marina always wintered with a cover over the top three feet of the mast. Never asked him if he had a dry bilge.
It is amazing how much water gets into the bilge through(around?) the mast. Like you, in the five years I have had the boat I have not witnessed a downpour. But I'll go up there after a week of light rains and find it at the limit of the float switch. Really should have a bilge pump cycle counter I guess. Some does get in on the outside of the mast since I unstepped one winter ago. Still have not gotten a good seal. But right now the boat is covered and there is a tight seal of the cover around the mast above the winches. I cut out a section of the sail track cover at the bottom. I can then slide it up or down, there is a separate section below the track gate. I slide it down to expose an opening below the gate and slop in some sealant. This helps direct water coming down the large wire conduit out of the mast. But most, I guess, gets in around the sheaves at the top and it is a straight shot to the bilge. Another H37C owner in my marina always wintered with a cover over the top three feet of the mast. Never asked him if he had a dry bilge.
Thanks Ed
I guess I can stop being concerned of having a large undiscovered leak. I still find it hard to believe that gallons of water can come down through the mast - but I will push the "I believe button". I have asked Santa for a small wet/dry vac to assist in drying the bilge after a rain. Ed, I have really enjoyed reading your forum articles over the last year since I purchased my 37C. You seem to be the 37C resident expert. Where do you keep your boat? My parents are living in Marblehead just outside of Lakeside. Mark
I guess I can stop being concerned of having a large undiscovered leak. I still find it hard to believe that gallons of water can come down through the mast - but I will push the "I believe button". I have asked Santa for a small wet/dry vac to assist in drying the bilge after a rain. Ed, I have really enjoyed reading your forum articles over the last year since I purchased my 37C. You seem to be the 37C resident expert. Where do you keep your boat? My parents are living in Marblehead just outside of Lakeside. Mark
Getting test right now
I'm still tracking down where the water comes from, but it does get in: - Through the portlights, which leak some; - Through the packing gland, though minor; - From the mast, though apparently from the top down (through the sheaves); - And apparently through the joint at the toe rail, or around stanchions, though I am still chasing that down. We had six inches of rain in the past seven days, and my wife is at the boat today to check on it, mop up, and make sure the bilge pump is working. I believe a large part of the problem is the old portlights that trap water, which then invades. The last big wet storm showed me new leaks in the V berth on the port side, plus the moisture creates condensation at higher than normal levels. I would be interested in suggested cures for the toe rail/stanchion leaks if anyone has a suggestion. Meanwhile, I plan to pray for sunshine.
I'm still tracking down where the water comes from, but it does get in: - Through the portlights, which leak some; - Through the packing gland, though minor; - From the mast, though apparently from the top down (through the sheaves); - And apparently through the joint at the toe rail, or around stanchions, though I am still chasing that down. We had six inches of rain in the past seven days, and my wife is at the boat today to check on it, mop up, and make sure the bilge pump is working. I believe a large part of the problem is the old portlights that trap water, which then invades. The last big wet storm showed me new leaks in the V berth on the port side, plus the moisture creates condensation at higher than normal levels. I would be interested in suggested cures for the toe rail/stanchion leaks if anyone has a suggestion. Meanwhile, I plan to pray for sunshine.
Small world Mark.
Ladylove is at Harbor North on the Huron River right in Huron, Ohio. We love Marblehead but it would add 30 minutes to the trip from Canton. Used to live in Virginia Beach.
Sanders, about the toerails. Lots of things one can do IF you can get to all the bolts. My first attempt was simply to tighten them. Since the deck overlaps the hull the only way in is through the bolt holes. If they are kept tight this should stop any ingress. Use a 7/16" deep socket and various extensions. Someone on deck has to hold a large phillips with visegrips locked on. Some owners have completely lifted the stanchions and rail and loaded it up with sealant. I would never have the time or patience for that. Others have loosened a few bolts at a time and tried to get sealant into the bolt holes. I might try this if tightening did not solve the problem. When I know that tight bolts do not leak I plan to add a fiber locknut to every third or fourth bolt. Hoping that this will keep them from loosening in the future. Mark, I am not the expert. What I know I have learned from the guys on this website. That and the fact that I am too cheap to let anyone else work on the boat. You learn a lot when you DIY. Expert #1 is in the Related Link, see "Upgrades and Repairs. . .".
Ladylove is at Harbor North on the Huron River right in Huron, Ohio. We love Marblehead but it would add 30 minutes to the trip from Canton. Used to live in Virginia Beach.
Sanders, about the toerails. Lots of things one can do IF you can get to all the bolts. My first attempt was simply to tighten them. Since the deck overlaps the hull the only way in is through the bolt holes. If they are kept tight this should stop any ingress. Use a 7/16" deep socket and various extensions. Someone on deck has to hold a large phillips with visegrips locked on. Some owners have completely lifted the stanchions and rail and loaded it up with sealant. I would never have the time or patience for that. Others have loosened a few bolts at a time and tried to get sealant into the bolt holes. I might try this if tightening did not solve the problem. When I know that tight bolts do not leak I plan to add a fiber locknut to every third or fourth bolt. Hoping that this will keep them from loosening in the future. Mark, I am not the expert. What I know I have learned from the guys on this website. That and the fact that I am too cheap to let anyone else work on the boat. You learn a lot when you DIY. Expert #1 is in the Related Link, see "Upgrades and Repairs. . .".Water down the mast...
Let me add my two cents worth... Living in Florida where it rains every day during the summer and having lived aboard the boat for an extended period of time I can testify to the fact that the amount of water coming in through the mast is tremendous. Ed is right (as usual) in that the ingress is predominantly through the sheaves and the sail track internal to the mast. I have modified my deck plate at the mast partners when I refurbished my mast during the time it was removed. I welded a collar completely around the deck plate that tied into the existing bolt tabs that secure the mast at the partners. This allowed me to completely waterproof the deck seal using a boot rather than relying on sealant around the mast. I thought this would eliminate my water ingress but I was wrong. It did however stop the drip on the table at the partners but water still flows out from the sail track and inside the mast itself. Don't worry about your bilge pump as although there is a lot of water there it takes about a month of frog drowners here in Fl. to cycle the pump once. Typically, my pump needs about two inches in the bilge to cycle. I do however keep it pumped out by hand to keep the excess water out once a week or so but I can tell you that it is totally possible to see 5 gallons or more during an extended downpour of a couple of days. I am happy to report that I have chased down and stopped every other leak on the boat at this point in time. (hope this doesn't jinx me!) As a result of previous owners' neglect to keep the bilge clean and dry, I have had to remove a couple of inches off the bottom of the mast due to corrossion and re-fabricate a mast step. It now stands above the standing water and shouldn't ever be a problem on my vessel again. This is not a typical problem on 37C's I believe if they are maintained properly, but I have heard of a few instances where the mast has corroded as a result of dirty bilge conditions. Gene did a similar rework on "Rainbow Chaser" if memory serves me correctly. Hope this helps! Tom Hadoulias S/V Lite Chop WB4PAP
Let me add my two cents worth... Living in Florida where it rains every day during the summer and having lived aboard the boat for an extended period of time I can testify to the fact that the amount of water coming in through the mast is tremendous. Ed is right (as usual) in that the ingress is predominantly through the sheaves and the sail track internal to the mast. I have modified my deck plate at the mast partners when I refurbished my mast during the time it was removed. I welded a collar completely around the deck plate that tied into the existing bolt tabs that secure the mast at the partners. This allowed me to completely waterproof the deck seal using a boot rather than relying on sealant around the mast. I thought this would eliminate my water ingress but I was wrong. It did however stop the drip on the table at the partners but water still flows out from the sail track and inside the mast itself. Don't worry about your bilge pump as although there is a lot of water there it takes about a month of frog drowners here in Fl. to cycle the pump once. Typically, my pump needs about two inches in the bilge to cycle. I do however keep it pumped out by hand to keep the excess water out once a week or so but I can tell you that it is totally possible to see 5 gallons or more during an extended downpour of a couple of days. I am happy to report that I have chased down and stopped every other leak on the boat at this point in time. (hope this doesn't jinx me!) As a result of previous owners' neglect to keep the bilge clean and dry, I have had to remove a couple of inches off the bottom of the mast due to corrossion and re-fabricate a mast step. It now stands above the standing water and shouldn't ever be a problem on my vessel again. This is not a typical problem on 37C's I believe if they are maintained properly, but I have heard of a few instances where the mast has corroded as a result of dirty bilge conditions. Gene did a similar rework on "Rainbow Chaser" if memory serves me correctly. Hope this helps! Tom Hadoulias S/V Lite Chop WB4PAP
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