Check the caulking around your chainplates
Bobby: You didn't say whether the crack was in the hull or not, although I suspect that if it were in the hull and you are talking about the storage compartment beneath the port settee, your boat would have sunk by now (this area is at, or just below, the waterline). I had a similar problem last year and traced it to the caulking around the chainplates. The caulking was old and no longer flexible, so it let water in when it rained or when I washed the boat. The water seeped down the chainplates and the wooden bulkhead into the storage area under the settee. It collected against the rear bulkhead by the companionway, because there was nowhere for it to run out into the keelbolt area. If the bulkheads under your chainplates shows signs of watermarking or staining, that's your problem. Until you can re-caulk your chainplates (check the seal of your windows as well while you're at it), inspect all the compartments on both sides of the boat every time you go aboard. A sponge and bucket will get rid of any water in a jiffy. Good luck. Peter s/v Raven
