Water buildup in v-berth

Jdtran

.
Dec 2, 2018
6
Catalina 30 Vancouver, BC
Hi. Just bought our boat and after getting into it a bit more, found a little pool of water that builds up in the v-berth, at the back port side adjacent to the bath. Looks like it's coming from the back side panel toward the cieling area.
Since I'm new to sailing and sailboats, would it be a good idea to remove the paneling for further inspection?
Thanks for the help/advice
 
May 7, 2011
281
C - 30 # 3573 Lake NormanNC formerly Bflo NY
Is your anchor locker drain blocked? Water can get into the vee if it backs up.
Also water on my sink top ended up on the vee.
You have a major bulkhead there not “panelling”. This ain’t a 1960’s ranch decor.
 

SG

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
There is a compression post (as I recall) on the Catalina 30's. The mast is stepped on the deck. (i.e., it doesn't come through the deck to rest directly on the keel.)

Is the leak in the vicinity of where instrument wires penetrate or the compression post might have some issues? (That would be at the aft end of the head enclosure, I believe).
 
Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
Leaking stanchion. Likely the one that vents the holding tank - just forward of the port in the head. Tends to leak more often than other stanchions. Will cause water right where you said, and on top of the storage shelf too.

How to find a leak:
Dry everything really well. Everything - deck, cabin sides, overhead, etc.
Watch where it tends to gather and have a helper start hosing off the boat.
Trace the wetness back.

Rebedding deck hardware is pretty easy - look at Mainesail's articles - and buy the butyl tape that he sells. Best thing to bed hardware with.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Yes, the thing to do is find the magnitude, the source and the origination. Let's assume that in that puddling location it is fresh water and that would indicate that the source is either a rain leak or a fresh water system leak. Now you can either drain the fresh water tank or wait for a dry period with no rain. The idea is to dry up the pool of water and see under what single circumstance it reappears. If it does not rain and the puddle is dry then the leak is likely a rain one. To corroborate you may hose down the whole port side of the boat preferably in sections starting from the stern. The likely originating locations would be portholes, deck fixtures, deck drain hoses, anchor locker, stanchions, pulpit, sink drains, etc. Any suspect deck fixture and stanchions should be rebbeded. The leak could be compound so the magnitude may indicate whether it is originating from one or more locations. If the source is on the fresh water system then the leak could be in the tank, hoses, fixtures or connections. Start checking for any hoses or fixtures near the pooling. Some will dry the spot and then lay talcum powder all around the area to determine from which direction the water may be coming. I would advice against removing any of the paneling until you are certain of the originating point and it becomes necessary. The majority of deck leaks can be corrected from the deck without the need to remove paneling. On the unlikely possibility that the pooling is salt water then you would need to look at deck/hull joint or sink drain hoses. It will be assumed that any other salt water intrusion will flow to the bilge. Hunting leaks is not easy, so being patient and methodically following the source and origination is the way to do it. Hope this gives you an idea on what needs to be done.
 
  • Like
Likes: jssailem

Jdtran

.
Dec 2, 2018
6
Catalina 30 Vancouver, BC
Thanks for all the input. Very helpful moving forward.

And thank you Benny for the course of action to follow.

It rains quite bit, but this next week is dry so I'll prep the area to study further.

Thanks again everyone.
 

Jdtran

.
Dec 2, 2018
6
Catalina 30 Vancouver, BC
Adding photos.
Looks like the sink tubing is dry. Isolated leak
to the base just above the puddle.
IMG_20181202_172330.jpg
IMG_20181202_172446.jpg
 
May 7, 2011
281
C - 30 # 3573 Lake NormanNC formerly Bflo NY
If that tight pic is the top of the vee berth liner that’s not a source area. Unless its salt water and you have a hole in the hull. Then you have a larger problem!
Is there staining down the bulkhead (indicating a leak from above like a deck or hatch source) or just water at the bottom (indicating it’s coming 1) under the bulkhead or from 2) the anchor locker or 3) a forward stanchion)?

If you have a bedding leak and n the deck water can travel thru the core and appear somewhere else.
 

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
That looks to me like it could be coming down the bulkhead. The first place I would look is the forward shroud chainplate attachment.
As Ken says, any leak at any deck fittings can travel a bit but this far forward I still think the forward shroud deck attachment. That and the mast tabernacle. Does the mast base look a little sunken, kind of a like a bird bath? If so that is a sign the deck in that area is wet.
 
May 7, 2011
281
C - 30 # 3573 Lake NormanNC formerly Bflo NY
I would try putting powder or a sidewalk chalk line on the vee, or laying paper towels there. That corner was the low spot of my vee, and when my anchor box leaked it puddled there.

C’mon over to the IC30A forum and you’ll probably find an owner with the same year and problem. There’s 34,578.7 collective years experience on that official forum.
 
Apr 6, 2016
24
Catalina 30 Gulfport
I had the same problem and found that previous owner had drilled a drain hole ..DUH straight into the berth ..I plugged it and cleaned out anchor locker drains ..all fixed