Novice owner looking for best way to patch a sink drain thru hole suspected of causing water to come back up leak in bilge. Never takes on any leak when its in a slip with no waves or up/down pressure. Also crack/ hairline smile cracking. Can I get away with sand and sealing back up?
Thru hole and keel crack,
- Thread starter babadu
- Start date
The drain looks fairly good to me. Why do you suspect it is the through hull? If water is entering there, then it would be my guess to look at the hose.
It is not uncommon for condensation to collect behind the pan and then get shook loose while sailing. If you are slipped in salt water, then you can test the water in the bilge for salinity. If it is salty, then it is a leak from someplace but if it is fresh, then it is most likey not your drain.
It is not uncommon for condensation to collect behind the pan and then get shook loose while sailing. If you are slipped in salt water, then you can test the water in the bilge for salinity. If it is salty, then it is a leak from someplace but if it is fresh, then it is most likey not your drain.
Welcome to SBO.
The hairline crack is a pretty common issue on boats with a bolt on keel. It is caused by the differential expansion rate of fiberglass and lead and the flexing that occurs between the hull and the keel. Most of the time it is not a serious issue. First, make certain to properly torque the keel bolts. This job must be done while the boat is on the hard. West System G-flex epoxy seems to be the current favorite for repairing the crack. G-Flex is a flexible epoxy that can move with the flex between the hull and keel. Check on the West System website for instructions.
As for the sink drain, is there a seacock on it? Is the drain attached to the sink? Are all the connections tight? Is the drain hose in good condition. Removing the through hull and patching the hole is a fairly involved job.
The hairline crack is a pretty common issue on boats with a bolt on keel. It is caused by the differential expansion rate of fiberglass and lead and the flexing that occurs between the hull and the keel. Most of the time it is not a serious issue. First, make certain to properly torque the keel bolts. This job must be done while the boat is on the hard. West System G-flex epoxy seems to be the current favorite for repairing the crack. G-Flex is a flexible epoxy that can move with the flex between the hull and keel. Check on the West System website for instructions.
As for the sink drain, is there a seacock on it? Is the drain attached to the sink? Are all the connections tight? Is the drain hose in good condition. Removing the through hull and patching the hole is a fairly involved job.
Searched all over for a water trail leak but couldnt find anything. Only moisture was water beading every couple seconds running down the pipe associated to the drain. With no water in sink or water in a holding tank. Could be condensation but when under way it would also take on water and no water sitting still in a slip. Could be when it was rough waves or underway pressure of the boat coming down was pushing water up the drain?
Since the outlet is always under water, there is always water in the drain hose. When the boat heels, the bottom of the sink may be going below the waterline, water will then enter the sink. If the sink is off center or along one side of the hull, water may enter on one tack but not the other.
It would probably be worthwhile to replace the hose with one rated for use underwater and replace the hose clamps. Sailing the boat flatter will also keep the bottom of the sink above the water line.
Repairing crack all around. Any idea ls for short term cosmetic repairs on the cabin deck? Mostly dirty, but flakey paint
