- Oct 22, 2014
- 24,454
Like oil and water, a leaky boat and a happy owner do not mix.
Last winter i run up to the boat to get a break and putter about building my check list projects to do. I did not expect that fixing a cabin ceiling leak would be among them. My boat has been bone dry since I bought her. But as is so often the case, the boat has it's own agenda. She decided the original companion way slide fittings had been ignored long enough and leaking was the way to get me to fix them.
I stepped onto the boat and there was water dripping off the ceiling and filling the Nav Station. Fortunately this had not been going on for very long and I was able to clean up the Nav Station and non of the electronics had been affected.
First of all a quick patch to the problem. I spread a tarp over the Cabin roof. This stopped continue flow until I could get past the raging storms and get some warmer/dryer weather to address the issue.
This past week it was time. With @LeslieTroyer providing insight, suggestions and help, the teak bungs were removed.
Then the screws. As is often the case with old boats 40 plus old screws do not always unscrew. But we coaxed them out, only resorting to brute force with 2 of the stubborn ones.
Once the rails and the cover were removed
we cleaned up the deck and started in on the holes.
With a drill bit to enlarge the screw holes to the size of the rasp bit on the router we went about prepping the 23 holes. The Cabin Deck is about 3/8" thick fiberglass plus 1" of plywood and 1/4" bottom glass. Some of the holes were in good shape. Others showed evidence of water intrusion into the plywood. I used the tape on the bit to help me gauge when I was drilling too deep. Did not want to go through into the cabin. (Like I did in the first hole.)
Next step is to dig out the wet wood and create a space to fill with epoxy.
This we did with a hand held router and a dremel bit. Push the bit through the hole run it around in the hole. Vacuumed up the debris and clean the holes. I injected thicken resin into the holes and let them dry overnight. Next morning I sanded the holes smooth. I used a counter sink bit to give each hole a pocket for the butyl to fill. Reset the rails with new screws and butyl as bedding. The slide cover sits about 3/8" above the deck so butyl was not going to be effective as there was no way of pressing the butyl into the holes. So there I used Life Caulk (a polysulfide caulk) to seal the screw holes.
I finished the repairs and will let the area rest a few weeks till I get back to the boat. I'll give it a good dousing of water from the hose to see if my repairs were successful.
Last winter i run up to the boat to get a break and putter about building my check list projects to do. I did not expect that fixing a cabin ceiling leak would be among them. My boat has been bone dry since I bought her. But as is so often the case, the boat has it's own agenda. She decided the original companion way slide fittings had been ignored long enough and leaking was the way to get me to fix them.
I stepped onto the boat and there was water dripping off the ceiling and filling the Nav Station. Fortunately this had not been going on for very long and I was able to clean up the Nav Station and non of the electronics had been affected.
First of all a quick patch to the problem. I spread a tarp over the Cabin roof. This stopped continue flow until I could get past the raging storms and get some warmer/dryer weather to address the issue.
This past week it was time. With @LeslieTroyer providing insight, suggestions and help, the teak bungs were removed.
Then the screws. As is often the case with old boats 40 plus old screws do not always unscrew. But we coaxed them out, only resorting to brute force with 2 of the stubborn ones.
Once the rails and the cover were removed
we cleaned up the deck and started in on the holes.
With a drill bit to enlarge the screw holes to the size of the rasp bit on the router we went about prepping the 23 holes. The Cabin Deck is about 3/8" thick fiberglass plus 1" of plywood and 1/4" bottom glass. Some of the holes were in good shape. Others showed evidence of water intrusion into the plywood. I used the tape on the bit to help me gauge when I was drilling too deep. Did not want to go through into the cabin. (Like I did in the first hole.)
Next step is to dig out the wet wood and create a space to fill with epoxy.
This we did with a hand held router and a dremel bit. Push the bit through the hole run it around in the hole. Vacuumed up the debris and clean the holes. I injected thicken resin into the holes and let them dry overnight. Next morning I sanded the holes smooth. I used a counter sink bit to give each hole a pocket for the butyl to fill. Reset the rails with new screws and butyl as bedding. The slide cover sits about 3/8" above the deck so butyl was not going to be effective as there was no way of pressing the butyl into the holes. So there I used Life Caulk (a polysulfide caulk) to seal the screw holes.
I finished the repairs and will let the area rest a few weeks till I get back to the boat. I'll give it a good dousing of water from the hose to see if my repairs were successful.
