Leaks on a O'Day 22

[AndyS22]

Hi,
I have a curious source of water so here's the history.
Two weeks ago I pulled the boat out on the trailer late on a Sunday and didn't put the cover as it was dark. When I left her she was completely dry. The following week had some heavy rain so I learnt I have leaking deck fittings which I will reseal this winter.
So having got her home and put her in the tent on Saturday I once again pumped and sucked up all the water. Went back 1 hour later and there's more water did this five times and she seemed completely dry on Sunday so I left a heater running just to be sure.
I just went in and took a look and there was 1/8th inch of water in the bilge so just leaned that up.
So obviously the water is seeping out from somewhere I just have no idea from where.
Sorry for the long story, and thanks for reading.
Ay ideas and input would be appreciated.

 

[Joe11688]

Hi,
I have a curious source of water so here's the history.
Two weeks ago I pulled the boat out on the trailer late on a Sunday and didn't put the cover as it was dark. When I left her she was completely dry. The following week had some heavy rain so I learnt I have leaking deck fittings which I will reseal this winter.
So having got her home and put her in the tent on Saturday I once again pumped and sucked up all the water. Went back 1 hour later and there's more water did this five times and she seemed completely dry on Sunday so I left a heater running just to be sure.
I just went in and took a look and there was 1/8th inch of water in the bilge so just leaned that up.
So obviously the water is seeping out from somewhere I just have no idea from where.
Sorry for the long story, and thanks for reading.
Ay ideas and input would be appreciated.

Leaks are hard to find in these boats Andy. You're going to have to get in there and just feel around for moisture. One of the places to check in the cabin is under the wooden toe rails. I found two leaks this past year on my boat, one near the Port bow and one near the Port stern. Sometimes the screw under the bung gets loose and pops up a little and water gets into the screw hole. If you feel moisture in an area under that screw, take note of it and grab the toe rail where the screw is and try to wiggle it. It shouldn't wiggle but if it does, you need to remove the bung to get the screw out. You may be able to caulk under it without having to remove the whole toe rail by lifting it with a putty knife blade and sliding a thinly shaved Popsicle stick with 3M 4200. This worked for me and I was able to stop both leaks. The leak near my bow was really pouring into my boat on a rainy day. Have someone run some water over the deck with a garden hose in different areas of the boat. Stick your head into the lazaret hatch while someone runs water into the cockpit and see if the water leaks into the bilge. If the trailer is raises at the bow, the water should flow back toward the stern if the self bailing hose is leaking. Check it with a flash light.

If you feel moisture in the cabin where the hull and deck is joined together, chances are you have leaks coming in from your gunwale molding. It this case, you would be better off removing it and re-caulking the whole thing. When I re-caulked under my gunwale molding years ago, I just did one side of the boat at a time and reinstalled the moldings as I went along, rather than remove all the moldings at once. You only need to caulk where the screw holes are. I used BoatLife Boat Caulk I think. Don't use silicone.
If it turns out to be a lifeline stanchion or other metal hardware, I like to use Butyl Tape. I used it on my mast tabernacle and my bow stem plate this past spring it worked out great, no leaks.
You may want to also check out the self bailing cockpit hose or hoses. This alone is a likely area for leaks, more so than any of the areas I just mentioned. I would check this out first. All I can say is good luck, and if you are persistent, you will find these leaks. It just takes some hunting.
Joe

 

[AndyS22]

Thanks Joe,
Fortunatley I got inside not long after the rain so I have a pretty good idea where the water (or at least some if it) was coming in from the.
Whats confusing me is where the water soaked into such that it is still appearing days after the boat is stored insdie a dry tent. Its almost as if its seeping out form the bottom of bilge but this doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

 

[Joe11688]

Thanks Joe,
Fortunatley I got inside not long after the rain so I have a pretty good idea where the water (or at least some if it) was coming in from the.
Whats confusing me is where the water soaked into such that it is still appearing days after the boat is stored insdie a dry tent. Its almost as if its seeping out form the bottom of bilge but this doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

From what I understand about the O'Day 22, they had foam insulation through out the inside of the boat and it's possible that the water is entrapped in it and leaking out slowly. The O'Day 222's have no foam insulation.

 

[AndyS22]

Thanks Joe,
There a sealed conpartment with foan under the v berth, it could be leaking out from there, theres also some under the cockpit sole but thats not fully sealed and I think I'd see water in the stowage locker.
Thanks

 

[Joe11688]

I guess you're just going to have to hunt around for them like I did. If you're persistant in your search, they can be found and stopped. Good luck Andy.

Joe