When we acquired our 1977 Thames Marine Mirage 28 in February we had water in the bilges, and a little in the bottom of both inside and outside storage lockers. We thought the water was salty. After draining the bilges, hauling the boat in May, and refinishing the hull and keel, we had dry bilges and thought that we had solved the water problem. Three weeks ago in early October it started raining again for the first time since early April. Once again we had water in the bilges and storage lockers both inside and outside, but this time we are certain it is sweet water from rain. We have recaulked around the mast and around the cabin roof, but the water continues to enter. We have checked for leaks by spraying the deck with a hose, but have found no indication of water leaking into any visible area. Another previous owner of a similar, but newer 1982 Mirage 28, told us that he always had a similar problem when it rained. He never found a solution for it other than using his bilge pump and a sponge. Does anyone know how we can stop rain water from entering the boat?
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These are the ways that I use to find leak points
1st. Determine how much rain fell. Total inches or centimeters. 2nd. Determine how much volume you got in the boat. If during the rain you received a total of two inches of rain and you had five gallons of water inside the boat, then you collected water from five square feet of exterior surface. Since you didn't leave a hatch open then it follows that there must be a place that serves as a funnel, collecting water from a large surface and leading it to a small hole in the gaskets.
1st. Determine how much rain fell. Total inches or centimeters. 2nd. Determine how much volume you got in the boat. If during the rain you received a total of two inches of rain and you had five gallons of water inside the boat, then you collected water from five square feet of exterior surface. Since you didn't leave a hatch open then it follows that there must be a place that serves as a funnel, collecting water from a large surface and leading it to a small hole in the gaskets.
Rebedding all your deck items
Steve - I hate to tell you this but you probaly have rain-water leaking in from various points. Your best bet is assume everything that is attached to the deck with a screw leaks....on my catalina 30 which is a '78 - that was the case and I have been rebedding all the fittings over the past several years. Over-time, all deck fittings leak with the natural breakdown of the sealent and constant vibration and flexing of the deck. Good luck...you will be glad you did it. Rob
Steve - I hate to tell you this but you probaly have rain-water leaking in from various points. Your best bet is assume everything that is attached to the deck with a screw leaks....on my catalina 30 which is a '78 - that was the case and I have been rebedding all the fittings over the past several years. Over-time, all deck fittings leak with the natural breakdown of the sealent and constant vibration and flexing of the deck. Good luck...you will be glad you did it. Rob
How Did You Rebed your Fittings?
Apprciate your response, since we believe the problem is associated with rain water, but we are uncertain how to go about "rebedding the screws. What exactly has to be done?
Apprciate your response, since we believe the problem is associated with rain water, but we are uncertain how to go about "rebedding the screws. What exactly has to be done?
Remove the item that needs rebedding
clean the base of the item and the surface that it mates to. Apply a generous amount of bedding compound to the base of the item being reset. Carefully press the item into the bedding compound and insert the screws and tighten them evenly. The excess bedding compound will squeeze out and may be reused. Dolphinite is an American brand. There are no doubt other brands that work as well. Some wooden boat owners use plumbers putty. Plastic boat owners seem to prefer the polysulfide caulking type materials, even neopreme foam from a wet suit will do the job.
clean the base of the item and the surface that it mates to. Apply a generous amount of bedding compound to the base of the item being reset. Carefully press the item into the bedding compound and insert the screws and tighten them evenly. The excess bedding compound will squeeze out and may be reused. Dolphinite is an American brand. There are no doubt other brands that work as well. Some wooden boat owners use plumbers putty. Plastic boat owners seem to prefer the polysulfide caulking type materials, even neopreme foam from a wet suit will do the job.
lots of possibilities
Check your outside locker covers, and port lights. Also how is your deck joined to the hull? Alot of water can come in around a deck joint. Look at your cockpit drains. Are they bedded? Are the hoses tight to the drains? Do you have dorade boxes? Are the funnels tight to the box? Does your anchor locker open to the bilges? Is the seal good? How about your deck hatches? Check the seals. Hatch boards installed right side up? Chain plates are a sure bet. They can develop huge gaps that can't be seen. Often, water hitting at high pressure will bounce off with out running in. Constant flow at low pressure can seep into minimal cracks at a huge volume. Is your mast up or down? Water could be running down the interior of the mast, and into the cabin top, then seeping from there. I had this problem on my late 70's Columbia. It was enough to warrant replacing the mast support bulkhead and compression post because of rot. Have fun, and remember that it's only water. Install an automatic bilge switch and keep your batteries charged. There should be evidence of water tracks somewhere. This should give you some indication of where the water is coming from. If you can isolate a general area, you can sprinkle talcum powder in the area, and at least check for obvious leaks.
Check your outside locker covers, and port lights. Also how is your deck joined to the hull? Alot of water can come in around a deck joint. Look at your cockpit drains. Are they bedded? Are the hoses tight to the drains? Do you have dorade boxes? Are the funnels tight to the box? Does your anchor locker open to the bilges? Is the seal good? How about your deck hatches? Check the seals. Hatch boards installed right side up? Chain plates are a sure bet. They can develop huge gaps that can't be seen. Often, water hitting at high pressure will bounce off with out running in. Constant flow at low pressure can seep into minimal cracks at a huge volume. Is your mast up or down? Water could be running down the interior of the mast, and into the cabin top, then seeping from there. I had this problem on my late 70's Columbia. It was enough to warrant replacing the mast support bulkhead and compression post because of rot. Have fun, and remember that it's only water. Install an automatic bilge switch and keep your batteries charged. There should be evidence of water tracks somewhere. This should give you some indication of where the water is coming from. If you can isolate a general area, you can sprinkle talcum powder in the area, and at least check for obvious leaks.
Check the rub rail/hull to deck joint.
I just looked at photos of the Mirage. The rubber rail covering the Hull to deck joint may be your problem. If the joint is not tight, and well sealed, the rub rail can be channeling alot of water into the boat. That would explain the water in the lockers. If this is the case, it's alot of work, but not an impossible task. E mail me with results. Radicalcy(at)yahoo(dot)com.
I just looked at photos of the Mirage. The rubber rail covering the Hull to deck joint may be your problem. If the joint is not tight, and well sealed, the rub rail can be channeling alot of water into the boat. That would explain the water in the lockers. If this is the case, it's alot of work, but not an impossible task. E mail me with results. Radicalcy(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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