splattering stains from forward hatch

[Rick]

Has anyone had a brown-colored stain splatter down from the forward hatch. I discovered this past weekeend in my H-27 (1990) a significant amount of splattering stains (fortunately it washed away with cleaner). It's not water coming in directly. It almost looks like a rust stain from within the edging inside of the hatch as if water has gotten up inside the edging. Has anybody experienced this and how to address it?

 

[Ron]

I think its Rust

Had similar problem on my 1984 H22 with the cleat on starboard side. I siliconed where the cleat meets the bulk head and it seems to have fixed the problem. Was getting the brown stain in the cabin area.

 

[newly anonymous]

didn't he say "brown" ???

I'm colorblind, but I recall reading somewhere that rust is red. So wouldn't brown be mildew?(Have never actually seen the color brown, but I've seen mildew form on hatches in the winter months many a time.)

 

[jk kudera]

Is it possible

That you have a leak where the hatch attaches to the hull, and the brown is wood stain from between the deck and the inner pan? That wouldn't spatter, just form brown lines, then drip.

 

[Rick]

I think you're right

What you theorize about the wood stains makes sense. It's not rust per se, it's a brown color. I think I need to remove the inner pan and try and figure out how water has gotten there.