VBerth Light

kloudie1 · Sep 17, 2012

Yes.. a leak.. water leaching the brown stuff out of the wood core as it starts to rot.. Yes, you are heading in the right direction ! It is hard to tell sometimes where the water is getting in, so re-bed until the goo stops showing up after a rainy spell.. Good Luck with it, Ray

gpd955 · Sep 17, 2012

rpwillia said:
I was thinking about re-bedding my chain plates as they are in the area and I just got some of Maine Sails Bed It Butyl tape which should be the right ticket.

Used the tape rebedding several pieces of hardware. Very easy to work with and it works like a dream.

Joe · Sep 17, 2012

I had a similar occurance.... the leak was from a crack in the deck, not the chainplate... So... it's more likely to be seepage from a nearby overhead deck fitting, rather than the side mounted chainplates. Check your forward hatch, deck mounted blocks, mast step, wiring ferrules, etc....

Lightly tap the area with a small hammer or screwdriver handle. Listen for a dead, dull sound, rather than a crisp, bright sound. Check the deck within a 2-3 foot radius of the light... but mainly "uphill".... because normally, gravity will pull the water down towards the exit at the fixture.

If you think you've found the leak source, go ahead and seal it with some epoxy. (my source was a crack resulting from a tool drop a few years back that I misjudged as cosmetic). Wait a month or so and see if the seepage slows...... then go back and tap tap the area.

Once you think the leak source is sealed, you'll want to repair the damaged core. I ended up drilling a series of 1/4 inch holes in a 1" grid pattern to outline the infected area. (the drill will pull out dry or wet wood)

Anyhow, I ended up with an area about 4" x 9" that extended uphill from the cabin light's location. I let it dry out for a few more weeks, erecting a small tarpolin tent to allow air to circulate, but keep rain and dew off. Then I injected penetrating epoxy into each hole....let that dry... the wood is now like granite.... then I topped off the small holes with regular epoxy. Finally, I brewed up some gel coat, epoxy paint would work also, and recovered the area.

Guess what?........ no more black stuff!

Some might suggest making the repair from the inside.... but that would be if you removed the entire damaged core section.... I can't see doing that with the penetrating epoxy fix... but.... maybe someone has a method they can share.

Andrew2132 · Sep 17, 2012

Do you smoke onboard your boat?
The brown stuff on your light reminds me of tar residue from cigarettes.
If you don't smoke on the boat, it could be a combination of dirt/residue combined with humidity/moisture.
I get the same residue on my C-310 in the same location. Considering that the chain plates are not all that close to the light, I doubt that it's leakage. I would guess that if you wiped down the cabin top in the area above your hanging locker, you would find a similar residue, though not as obvious as what you're seeing on your lights.

kloudie1 · Sep 18, 2012

Ray, looking at the deck layout above the vee berth, I would suspect the front hatch first, the forward portlight next and the lifeline stanchions and aft pulpit mounting fittings.. A leak on the chainplates usually will come inside on the chainplate mounts .. Happy Butyling

VBerth Light

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