Short of Splashing the Boat...

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Sep 2, 2011
1,041
Hunter 27 Cherubini Alum Creek State Park
...does anyone have any tried and true ways of testing for hull leaks while on the hard?

I know, I can pour water into all the bilge areas and look to see if any leaks out, but darn! I just got all the water that was migrating from under the dinette and other hidden places out of the boat. I don't want to go through that process again.

I've used a garden hose around the transducers, the rub rail, and deck fittings, and up around the keel hangers, and even shoved it up inside the keel trunk to no avail - no water came inside. I also sealed up the boat with visqueen, and blew air in with a leaf blower. That helped me find a couple of places under the rub rail that need caulked.

But last year, when I launched the boat there was immediate water in all the bilge areas. A knowledgeble friend, who also has a Catalina 22, helped me launcher her, and he thought the water was just migrating out from under the dinette floor due to the angle of the ramp. But, I continued to mop up water all season long. I tried to track down leaks, above and below the water line, but found nothing to account for all the water.

This winter, in an effort to stop any water intrusion, I've:
  • re-bedded all deck fittings with butyl tape
  • re-bedded gudgeons, motor mount, above water thru-hulls
  • removed the waste holding tank and glassed the rotted out area below it (I could see the roving)
  • installed and bedded new transducers
I just don't want to launch in April and find I have to pull it right back out again.

Thanks,
Bill
 
May 23, 2007
1,306
Catalina Capri 22 Albany, Oregon
Are you sure it's not condensation? I usually get to deal with that for the first half of the season. Once the lake warms up it's no longer an issue.
 
Sep 2, 2011
1,041
Hunter 27 Cherubini Alum Creek State Park
Some of it might be, but I can't imagine condensation would accout for
half a bucket full every couple of days.
 
Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
If the boat sets for 3 or 4 days does it accumulate water? Is it more likely to accumulate water in the bilge from use? Or is it rain that is giving you fits?

I have had two separate C-22's and neither even had a bilge pump. From my experience if someone asked me I would tell them the C-22 is the driest boat in existence. Like storing paper towls on the floor under the dinette seats kind of dry...

With an '82 model, I might look to the keel cable volcano and its hose, and I would also loook to the cockpit drain system.

Short of splashing the boat I have no firm recommendations... Your positive pressure methods seems best to me to attempt to find the leaks that your volume suggests.
 
Nov 16, 2010
81
Catalina 22 Mactaquac Headpond
Keep a close eye on the windows - they are notorious for leaks. Do you still have the keel lock in the boat? This can sometimes leak through the threads. Just back it out a bunch and smear bees wax on the threads and turn it back in...but keep an eye on it.

Also check the bottom rudder gudgeon for watertightness. The C22 can hide a lot of water that shows up when sailing or just bobbing on a mooring. I had to take a wet vac with a piece of garden hose juryrigged on to all the little spaces everywhere the first season I bought it and wound up with about 5 gallons from under the dinette and cabin sole and v-berth. Now I just spunge up a bit from condensation every few weeks.
 
Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
Oooh. Good call. Totally forgot bottom gudgeon...

Based on what you shared so far GT I would make that a priority.

Completely agree
 
Sep 2, 2011
1,041
Hunter 27 Cherubini Alum Creek State Park
The boat accumulates water while in use. I have let it set for a few dry days after sponging it dry, and no water. Then took 'er out for a spin, and voila! - water. I spent several afternoons sitting in the cabin during all-day soaker rains looking to topside leaks. Found a couple of small ones that have been addressed (hopefully) by rebedding with butyl tape. I saw no signs that the windows were leaking, unless the leaks aren't visible on the liner.

Already re-bedded the bottom and top gudgeons. And I liberally greased my keel bolt. There was little more than a drop or two there. Not enough to account for the volume I was sponging up every day. I'm still undecided about glassing it over. Not because I ever use the keel bolt, but the next owner may decide he needs it. I also rebedded the thru-hull for the manual bilge pump. I fixed a couple of small leaks where the scupper nipples are glassed in last summer. When it warms up, I'll flood the cockpit and check them again.

When I first got her into the garage, I lowered the bow and jacked up the rear of the trailer, so that any water would flow to one spot. I drilled a small opening in the forward corner of the dinette floor to allow water to flow from under the dinette into the port forward settee locker. Same for the corner of the pan where the cockpit floor meets the bilge under the portside gas locker (no, not into the open cockpit; rather into the area under the gas locker liner).

The volcano appears solid. I see no signs of leakage like the rust colored stains that were at the corner of the cockpit sole and bilge

I think I was able to get any remaining water out of the boat.

Once I get the companionway trim back on, and the pop-top, I'll redo the positive pressure test. Then I'l just be prepare to pull the boat right back out of the water at the dock and take'er home, if I see any water at launch time.

Thanks,
Bill
 
Dec 16, 2006
353
Hunter 25.5 Cayuga Lake, NY
In my line of work, heavy duty truck repair, small air leaks are an issue. To help find these I use an ultrasonic leak tester. It senses the sound leaking air makes and amplifies it thru head phones. The unit also comes with a "chirp" module that can be placed in interior areas while you scan the exterior for leaks, ie windshields and doors. I'm thinking it will work well on finding nagging boat leaks also. I plan on doing some testing sometime soon before spring launching and will post results here.
 
Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
Bow eye been re-bedded recently?

Do you have an anchor locker? Later models, (post '86) had an integral locker in the bow that would notoriously leak in at the foot of the v-berth, due to failure of the locker drain. I don't recall what year they started doing lockers, so I thought I would ask.

At this point it sounds you have been very thorough and we are running out of ideas, but these two come to mind as we continue to narrow options for testing and inspection.

scratching head..... :D
 
Sep 2, 2011
1,041
Hunter 27 Cherubini Alum Creek State Park
Bow eye been re-bedded recently?
You know, I don't know. Not by me yet. I'll put it on my list.

Do you have an anchor locker? Later models, (post '86) had an integral locker in the bow that would notoriously leak in at the foot of the v-berth, due to failure of the locker drain. I don't recall what year they started doing lockers, so I thought I would ask.
Mine's an '82; no anchor locker.

Hopefully, I have been thorough enough that I won't have to spend an hour every day sponging up water.

Thanks for your ideas, Phil.
 
Mar 19, 2011
225
Catalina C25 Eagle Mountain Lake
Are you absolutely sure there has never been a keel drop? Even unreported by the PO?I know on the C25 swingers, this is an issue. When it happens, for whatever the cause, that heavy keel slamming into the trunk almost always causes a crack. This crack may not be visible, and may not leak when just sitting there....but under sail, heeled over with stresses on the hull, it can open enough to seep water in.
 
Sep 2, 2011
1,041
Hunter 27 Cherubini Alum Creek State Park
Joe Diver said:
Are you absolutely sure there has never been a keel drop? Even unreported by the PO?I know on the C25 swingers, this is an issue. When it happens, for whatever the cause, that heavy keel slamming into the trunk almost always causes a crack. This crack may not be visible, and may not leak when just sitting there....but under sail, heeled over with stresses on the hull, it can open enough to seep water in.
The guy I bought it from said he owned it for a year and never sailed. I have no way of knowing what any other PO might have done. I stuck a garden hose up inside the keel trunk and didn't get any leaks, but I can see what you're saying about a crack opening up under the lateral stresses of heeling.

How could I test for that? Or do I need to completely remove the keel and add some new glass to the trunk?
 
Mar 19, 2011
225
Catalina C25 Eagle Mountain Lake
The guys I've seen it happen to on the C25 would dry everything out and monitor it....then go sailing and check it frequently on each tack. In one case, it only opened enough for water on a port tack, so it's very tricky.

I think the only way to really check is when the boat is out, have a boat mechanic or yard do a Fluorescent Penetrant inspection....unless the crack is obvious of course....
 
Sep 2, 2011
1,041
Hunter 27 Cherubini Alum Creek State Park
Okay. I'll keep an eye on it in a couple of months when winter goes away. I don't have access to a boatyard, so I can't get the florescent penetrant inspection done.

Hopefully, the lower gudgeon was the problem all along, and all will be dry this season.
Thanks
 
Dec 16, 2006
353
Hunter 25.5 Cayuga Lake, NY
As I promised, info on ultrasonic tester test. I'm suspecting I'm getting water intrusion somehow around the rudder tube on my 28.5. I placed the chirping device just aft of the shaft seal assembly and went to the exterior of the hull (on the hard btw) and found that apparently the fiberglass doesn't block the signal enuf to make a good diagnostic. It was worth a try tho.
 
Mar 8, 2012
446
Catalina 22 trailer sailor
I got a question concerning water entering the bilge while on the trailer. In the port aft corner, there are two vents on my Catalina 22. One faces forward, one faces aft, my trailer sits at an angle when parked in the driveway. If it rains, is there anything preventing water from running down the rail and into the vent facing forward? Is this a possible location for water to enter? I'm in the process of creating mosquito screens for my Catalina and remembered those two entry points for mosquitoes and this thread popped into my mind. It's raining cats and dogs here in the Raleigh area right now and so I'm not venturing out to look.
 
Sep 2, 2011
1,041
Hunter 27 Cherubini Alum Creek State Park
CaptGregg said:
I got a question concerning water entering the bilge while on the trailer. In the port aft corner, there are two vents on my Catalina 22. One faces forward, one faces aft, my trailer sits at an angle when parked in the driveway. If it rains, is there anything preventing water from running down the rail and into the vent facing forward? Is this a possible location for water to enter? I'm in the process of creating mosquito screens for my Catalina and remembered those two entry points for mosquitoes and this thread popped into my mind. It's raining cats and dogs here in the Raleigh area right now and so I'm not venturing out to look.
Stuff a rag in there to keep most of the water out. Just be sure to remove them if you put your fuel tank in that locker. Do you have hoses connected to them? You should. If so, you could drop the ends into a bucket when on the hard.
 
Mar 8, 2012
446
Catalina 22 trailer sailor
No, I have no hoses in the locker, I was planning on putting my outboard's fuel tank in the floor of the cockpit under the tiller. I was looking at my two port aft vents as being a mosquito door and how to resolve that issue. I was also thinking if that rail went under water, that could be an serious issue since I don't have hoses connected to stem the flow of water coming in.
 
Mar 8, 2012
446
Catalina 22 trailer sailor
HA! Since I purchased the boat without an outboard and no funds to obtain one, fuel tanks and fumes are a non-issue right now.
 
Mar 8, 2012
446
Catalina 22 trailer sailor
Hey GorillaToast,

Found a leak today, my compass seal is broken and the starboard settee cushion is soaked on that end. One of the projects tomorrow, seal that leak.
 
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