URGENT: Heeling -> water in holding tank... why?

[Harry]

Well we sailed for the first time on our new Cat 30, "Nadine". It was stellar... 20 knts of wind, 70 degrees.... we got EXTREMELY TILTY!!! What a blast!!! After years with a tiller, that wheel is a funny thing !!! At any rate towards the end of the day my wife goes below and says "We've got water down below !!!". I'm thinking we have a crisis. Well it turns out that there was lakewater in the head that was slurping out a little bit. (Forturnately we have not used the head and the holding tank was cleaned out when we got it.)... At any rate the seacock for the intake was closed, and I thought where did this water come from???I lifted up the port side cushion, and knocked on the holding tank, and it sounded full.....On the way home, I realized that the water must be coming either through (A) the vent or (B) the macerator pump - which we never use on an inland lake.Where did the water come from?Is there a seacock for the macerator and should it be closed???Seemed fine when we went home... should I worry about this and make a 2 hour drive up to the lake today, or can it wait until next weekend?Harry

 

[LaDonna Bubak - Planet Catalina]

Seacocks

If you have a macerator, there's a thru hull somewhere for it. Sounds like that probably the culprit. As a new owner, it might not be a bad idea to make a little chart/sketch of where all your thru hulls are so you or crew can close them all before leaving the boat (this MUST be done every time - don't want a call from your marina saying your boat's on the bottom of the lake!).As far as driving over there today, that's up to you. You probably won't have a problem but if the macerator isn't the problem, you might be interested in finding out what is before next weekend. Good luck!LaDonna

 

[jamie]

water in the holding tank

Hi Harry i think that every plumbing system is different but if the holding tank was added after manufacturing there should be a thru hull discharge for the original and thru hull intake these must be closed check for y valves that may have been added to divert the direct discharge to the holding tank

 

[Richard]

might be a different problem

I have a problem on my 30 when the water tank is full the sink in the head overflows for no reason. Must be a bad sink pump (manual and original) to allow that to happen. My maceator pump through hull is next to the fuel tank on my boat. I doubt that is the problem. The water tank should be vented to at least deck level so that should not be the culprit (you should check just in case since on my old 27 at excessive heel it would vent into the bilge).

 

[John Mavrovich]

Macerator

Check the condition of both seacocks. The one in the head may be the problem. Remove the hose with it in the closed position and see if water is seeping through. Do the same on the discharge side of the macerator. That's the one inch diameter outlet on the side of the pump. It leads to a thru hull. If it's seeping water and if the macerator impeller has some vanes missing, it'll fill your holding tank. Good luck.