Mystery Liquid

[Manny]

So I have a mystery leak that I've had trouble locating, it runs down the cabin liner on the starboard side and can drip anywhere from the main cabin bulkhead back to the galley along the edge of the liner (which makes it hard to locate). I'm thinking it is from the cabin hatch and have hopefully sealed it properly.
Anyway, this is the substance that leaks out... It looks like and has the consistency of soy sauce, but no odor.
Is this what it looks like when water is running through the core? Depending on what it drips on, it dries up into a crusty hard film...

M

 

[gpd955]

Is the leak near or do you expect it passes by any brightwork? Could it be from wood you may have finished?

 

[kloudie1]

That is fairly fresh water that has run thru a part of the core that has been saturated. It picks up the mess left behind by water that had been sitting and partially dried.. In the core.. for sure.

 

[RAD]

That is fairly fresh water that has run thru a part of the core that has been saturated. It picks up the mess left behind by water that had been sitting and partially dried.. In the core.. for sure.

Agree with that.....I know that soy sauce all too well, before redoing all the stanchion bases I had the same brown stains running down the inside hull toward the bilge and I just noticed a new one from the fuel deck fill so thats on the top of the list

 

[Cool Beans]

That is the harbinger of rotting wood core

Finding the source of the leak will slow down the rot, but it will have to be repaired eventually*.

*eventually could mean years from know, depending on where and how bad it is.

 

[Manny]

ugh... I'm really surprised how dark it is. I figured the color would be a lighter brown. I really hope I have it nailed. I resealed the hatch that I suspect is the cause, I also created a sunbrella cover for it to help keep water off the area. This leak has been around since before I replaced the hatch but it seems to be worse now. The problem with this is that since it stains everything it touches, it's basically limiting all the starboard side storage to items that can be stored in freezer/sandwich bags. I guess it is going to be hard to locate the severely rotted wood also...

Thanks,

M

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Old boats ... leaks are not uncommon. My fixed lights on both port and stbd leaked (probably for years) on our boat. I have some softness in the deck immediately below the lights that I will eventually want to repair. I slowed down the leaks with liberal amounts of sealant but I still find traces of those brown water stains from time to time.

 

[RichH]

That is the harbinger of rotting wood core

Finding the source of the leak will slow down the rot, but it will have to be repaired eventually*.

*eventually could mean years from know, depending on where and how bad it is.

Yup, 99% of the time one sees 'brown' water, its a quite good indication of deck core rot.

If this has 'just started', there are some 'wood rot chemotherapy' formulas that can be injected to stop the beginnings of rot ... and so you dont have to go through the total agony of a deck rebuild. Tin containing compounds used for "Athletes Foot" fungus work well if the rot area is 'small'. Entry points for water can be handrails and hardware on the coach roof, leaking portlights/windows, chainplate through holes, as well as deck hardware and genoa tracks.

 

[Ted]

RichH,
Can you elaborate on your comment "Tin containing compounds used for Athletes Foot fungus work well if the rot area is 'small". Is there a product that would stop/prevent core rotting?

 

[Manny]

Rich, I'm also curious also about the compounds...

M

 

[RichH]

Here's an article on compounds for wood rot: http://www.acbs-bslol.com/Gadgets/D97WoodRot.htm
do websearch for "chemotherapy" + "wood" + "rot"

The use of Tin Compounds (stannic or stannous) was recommended to me by a biologist - who specializes in plant pathology --- obviously not the 'greasy' kind of athlete's foot or 'jock itch' remedy compounds. When digging out rot from chainplate through hulls, I now 'paint' the dug out surface before filling with epoxy, etc. with the 'athletes foot compounds ... just to 'be sure'. Tin compounds are a 'killer' for the fungals that cause rot.

FWIW - the roof of my house would always become stained with black fungus (probably artillery fungus a common fungal on tree bark) mold, and 'moss'. I noticed that the roof would never be infected down-slope of bare aluminum 'vents', etc. .... I laid small strips of bare aluminum flashing along the ridge line; and, no more roof staining! ... no more 'mold' nor 'moss'. So, if you dont have tin, it seems plausible to include a wee bit of aluminum drilling debris in any epoxy fill used to repair deck core rot.

 

[Jackdaw]

Rich that's very informative. Thanks for sharing.