water in aft birth

[robert feld]

I am a recent owner of a 1996 28Mark ll. I have noticed small amounts of water in the aft berth, adjacent to the bulkhead panel. It would seem to be rainwater. I have seen references to leaks around the pedestal. Is there an easy fix for this such as recorking the bottom of the pedestal? Does the bulkhead panel provide structural support for the cockpit area? I find it nearly impossible to put back into place after removing. Any help would be appreciated.Bob

 

[George B., s/v Freya]

Leaking Pedestal

Quite possibly you are leaking from either the pedestal joint or the pedestal guard and the water is accumulating in the steering linkage cover and then dripping down the aft bulkhead. Test it by taking the cover off and running some water in the cockpit. If it is a slow leak, glue in a low "dam" across the back end of the cover. This will hold the water inside the cover while it waits for evaporation to take place. If the leak is steady, you will need to rebed the Pedestal and guard.

 

[Bob Camarena]

Another Stopgap

If the pedestal is leaking too much for George's solution and you don't want to tackle it right now, you could install a drain tube in the bottom of the cover that George mentioned in his posting. You would then run the tube to drain into the bilge.