Mysterious seawater leak 1984 Morgan 323

[mveerman]

I have a 1984 Morgan 323 and we have a mystery leak. Maybe a gallon an hour of ingress. All the known through hulls and sea cocks are dry and in good shape. There’s a small sole hatch cover next the head door just in front of the mast. This is where we have our speed paddle wheel plug. In this hole a 3/4” pvc pipe terminates and routes forward, It’s even glassed in towards the front of the hatch, so almost certainly original. There’s a hole in the bottom of our anchor locker that's also 3/4" round, and my assumption was that this is the foward end of that same pipe. There’s no other way to see this pipe as it’s under all v-berth hatches, possibly built into the hull?? We have a steady drip of brackish water dripping out of this pipe. I poured a big cup of water in the anchor locker hole and the flow did increase from a drip to a very thin stream for a little while, so they appear connected, but the distance is likely 10 feet, so I’d have expected the whole cup of water to shoot out noticeably. Before I poured the cup, I confirmed the anchor locker was dry, and this isn't fresh water, which is what I'd expect from there. Other than the speed paddle wheel sensor hole in the same compartment, our depth transducer is the only other through hull further forward and that is also bone dry.

We just finished hauling out 2 days ago, and have a freshly repainted bottom. We have zero blisters and no damage to the hull that I’m aware of.

Does anyone know anything about this pipe or the construction of Morgan’s that might know how or where seawater is getting into this pipe??

 

[dlochner]

A couple of places to look, the stuffing box and the upper rudder bearing. Also check the seawater side of the engine cooling system.

 

[jssailem]

The Morgan is a solidly built boat. I have not seen the pvc pipe you are identifying. Does not mean that it was added to the design.

You identify the water as brackish. That either is water from outside the hull or it is rain water that has become brackish from accumulated debris from inside the hull.

You had the boat out of the water. Are there any through hulls inline with this pipe? Are there any dings or cracks associated with the hull in the area of the pipe? Can water get into the area of the pipe from outside (I.e.anchor water splash or leaks from the deck)?

Persistent water leaks are never easy nor the same on all boats.

 

[shemandr]

It kinda sounds like an anchor locker drain since you poured water in and it came out in the paddlewheel compartment. I agree with John that a cup of water would be brackish after running thru a 40 year old drain with the salt that could have accumulated there.
Is there a limber hole in this compartment to drain into the bilge or other means to be de-watered? Now that the boat is on the hard I would take a hose to the anchor locker - with a way to remove the water in that compartment - and send gallons of water thru. I think you'll be able to tell if the hose is the drain for the anchor locker.
Over the winter, while on the hard, you can monitor the water accumulation in that compartment. Presumably it can't be coming from the thru hulls. So it could be a leak in the anchor locker hatch or surrounds. There's a lot of hardware in the bow of a bow that are subject to leaks.