Some sort of leak coming from the wall in the v berth?

Dec 24, 2017
139
O’day 27 Oklahoma City
ive been redoing the v berth on my newly boughten O’day 27. The starboard side had “line marks” down the wall I noticed before I started cleaning and you could tell it had gotten very wet in there at times. I assumed it was coming from the hatch. I sealed the hatch very well and also know we really didn’t get much rain since I sealed and re painted. Anyways, went back Friday to do the second coat of paint and noticed I had a couple drip lines that were very rusty/orange in color coming down thee starboard side again. Is it possible the leaks not from the hatch but the side? And if so what do I do?
I hope this makes sense.
Thanks
Mike
 
May 17, 2004
5,032
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Other possibilities are the lifeline stanchions (the poles that hold up the lifelines), or the bow pulpit (stainless tube that runs around the front of the boat). You could try re-bedding those. Unfortunately it's also possible that previous leaks saturated the core and what you see is just the water coming out of it.
 

SG

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
How far aft of the forward foot of the v berth are the drip lines? I don't recall, but is the underside of your foredeck just the fiberglass, or is it lined with something?
 

Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Sounds like you might have water in the deck core and it is weeping it's way towards the hull deck joint where it exits and runs down the inside. Look for cracks and poorly sealed fixtures on the deck... When water gets into the deck's wood core it will rot the wood, eventually turning to a black liquid as it wicks it's way along looking for an exit. I had that issue on my boat and was able to fix it with "minor surgery" . The water was seeping out through a ceiling light fixture's mounting screw hole. So.... inspect your deck closely, also check the port lights (windows) a very common source of leaking.... Once you determine the entry point get back to us and we'll carry on with solving the problem.
 
Dec 19, 2006
5,809
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
Look where ever you have something that is bolted to that area
and plan to reseal,had the same rust looking drip lines from leaking.
Nick
 
Apr 26, 2015
660
S2 26 Mid On Trailer
On our boat we had a strange leak that would only appear when we washed the boat. It turned out to be a hull to deck joint leak. If water gets in behind the rub rail holder it can find it's way through a bad space in the joint. When I replaced the rub rail and holder, on our O'Day, I found the sealant material in the hull to deck joint hard as a rock and cracked and broken from age. But knowing how these boats are built, my first thought is a stanchion base is leaking. Use a water hose on specific areas and see if this helps locate the area. Don't just spray the whole deck but a specific area (Stanchion base) and wait.
 
Dec 24, 2017
139
O’day 27 Oklahoma City
So is good advise check and seal everything I see on the deck?
 
Aug 2, 2009
637
Catalina 315 Muskegon
So is good advise check and seal everything I see on the deck?
Oh, yeah. I tend to think of decks as a sailboat's achilles heel. An outer layer or fiberglass, an inner layer of balsa, and an inner skin of fiberglass. It's a sandwich that's light and strong, but anyplace it has been drilled through for a fitting is a place for water to eventually get in. If the balsa core becomes saturated, the deck is compromised, and it's not a fun repair.

There has been plenty written on the proper way to bed hardware, and the proper way to drill/redrill holes in the deck "sandwich". For many, me included, butyl tape has replaced 3M 4200 and other goops as the go to for bedding hardware. I highly recommend marinehowto.com as an excellent source for information on bedding hardware and dealing with deck penetrations. As you encounter jobs on your new vessel, you would do well to consult the same site for know-how.

If I was the new owner of your boat, I would develop a list of items that need attention soon. Rebedding hardware, one or two pieces at at time would be very high on the list. Also high on the list would be to tend to the standing rigging. The previous owner can tell you if and when it was last replaced. Opinions will vary on how often it should be replaced.

With regard to the decks, if you had the boat surveyed prior to purchase, a careful inspection of the deck with regard to whether there has been water penetration/delamination would have been important. Ditto, if you inspected it yourself. If it hasn't been inspected, at this point, cross your fingers and start inspecting. A Google search will bring up methods you can employ, which will include walking the deck and seeing if you detect any sponginess underfoot and tapping the deck with a screwdriver handle.

Here's a link to an article from West Marine that does a pretty good job on the subject of decks and core saturation.
https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Deck-Leaks
 
May 17, 2004
5,032
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
The circle is the exact spot the leek is coming down the wall in the v berth
Well that's a promising location. Hopefully just re-bedding the stanchion will take care of it.

You may want to check the deck in that area to see if it's spongy, which would mean it's waterlogged and bigger repairs may be in order.
 
Dec 24, 2017
139
O’day 27 Oklahoma City
It’s all super solid. I checked. Not one spot feels soft or spongy
 
Jul 1, 2014
252
Hunter 34 Seattle
So is good advise check and seal everything I see on the deck?
Well that's a promising location. Hopefully just re-bedding the stanchion will take care of it.
You may want to check the deck in that area to see if it's spongy, which would mean it's waterlogged and bigger repairs may be in order.
Be sure to properly rebed rather than just seal. A bead of sealant around the stanchion base will not fix your leak. Pull it off, fix any core rot and rebed with a non hardening sealant. I like butyl tape. Check out http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/rebedding_hardware.
 
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Mar 11, 2015
357
Hunter 33.5 Tacoma, WA
The circle is the exact spot the leek is coming down the wall in the v berth
It's under the rubber rub rail. From the rear of the boat, pull it out on a warm day all the way to the bow and check/reseal each screw. On my boat, there were 3 holes that didn't have screws... All hidden from a previous repair or when the boat was manufactured. On a cold day, you can use a heat gun to initially warm it up.
 
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Mar 11, 2015
357
Hunter 33.5 Tacoma, WA
Thanks!
Use tape to temporary mark (every 3 feet) on the rubber and the hull so when you reinstall it will match the original spacing. Otherwise your rub rail may end up short (or long) when you reinstall.