I've got a leak going on in the aft/owners cabin of my "new to me" Legend 40.5 The rear bulkhead around the access panel is moisture damaged at the bottom from water AND when I topped off the fuel yesterday, some leaked in at the port side locker. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Owners cabin leak
- Thread starter ajonesey402
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This is a problem a few of us have had - the most common source of the leak is the aft cleat or the area immediately aft of the aft cleat where the hull/deck /transom joint is caulked.
Our boat never leaked a drop when we were in Seattle, where it rains all of the time. We them move to sunny S. California, and we will get the occassional leak when it rains hard. During one particularly hard rain, we also did have a small leak entering the aft cabin at the rear wall to port of that rear access panel (to the battery charger and fuel tank area). It wasn't a large leak, but the mattress didn't appreciate the water.
Since it doesn't rain often, while trying to find the exact exterior leak location, I have made two easy modifications which to date has solved the problem.
1. I used marine silicone around the top of the aft interior wall that separates the aft cabin from the fuel tank area. While probably not solving where the water originally enters the boat, since doing this, no water had made it into the bedroom.
2. Just in case my fix ever decides to fail, I also made sure that no part of the mattress touches the wall or the area under the mattress. I used dri-dek (www.dri-dek.com) under the mattress and up the bottom 12" of the aft wall. That way, even if some water were to get inside, the mattress would stay dry. This was easy, since we already had dri-dek under the mattress (because of condensation) and just added a small additional amount against the aft wall.
It's a boat and there's always something to look for. Just replaced the hot water heater, so that leak is gone for another 17 years I suppose, LOL.
P.S. A great way to locate a leak is to sprinkle a fair amount of talcum powder on the area you think the leak is coming from. If you put talcum powder on the rear wall before it rains the next time, you will see the path that the water uses to get to the floor. More importantly, you should be able to see where the water first enters the cabin.
Since it doesn't rain often, while trying to find the exact exterior leak location, I have made two easy modifications which to date has solved the problem.
1. I used marine silicone around the top of the aft interior wall that separates the aft cabin from the fuel tank area. While probably not solving where the water originally enters the boat, since doing this, no water had made it into the bedroom.
2. Just in case my fix ever decides to fail, I also made sure that no part of the mattress touches the wall or the area under the mattress. I used dri-dek (www.dri-dek.com) under the mattress and up the bottom 12" of the aft wall. That way, even if some water were to get inside, the mattress would stay dry. This was easy, since we already had dri-dek under the mattress (because of condensation) and just added a small additional amount against the aft wall.
It's a boat and there's always something to look for. Just replaced the hot water heater, so that leak is gone for another 17 years I suppose, LOL.
P.S. A great way to locate a leak is to sprinkle a fair amount of talcum powder on the area you think the leak is coming from. If you put talcum powder on the rear wall before it rains the next time, you will see the path that the water uses to get to the floor. More importantly, you should be able to see where the water first enters the cabin.
Yes. So far, that appears to have solved the problem.
I never could trace the leak with a hose or while raining but I guess I guessed right (and learned from others' experience)
I also have had recurring problems with the swim step shower fitting leaking. I currently have it capped off. I intend to add Qest valves under the aft cabin basin to shut off the feed lines when I am not using the shower. The joint aft of the cleat has obviously been re-done when I got the boat 11 years ago. Probably a warranty deal. It looks like a leak source to me. Good luck!
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