Water in bilge

hvbaker · Jan 5, 2013

acox271929@aol.com said:
My Catalina 30 accumulates about 2 gallons of water every 3-4 days. Water is perfectly clear. None comes from engine or prop shaft area. When I dried it out, I noticed a very little bit of seepage around the forward keel bolt.
Can the keel bolt be tightened with boat in water ? What are other sources that are in the forward part of boat? All connections in head area appear not to leak. What about fresh water tank? Where does it drain?
Thanks for any suggestions, Al Cox

Taste the water is it fresh or salt? If it is fresh its from inside if it salt it's from outside.

hvbaker · Jan 5, 2013

Taste the water is it fresh or salt if it is fresh it is from inside if salt from outside.

dj2210 · Jan 5, 2013

Do you have two fresh water tanks? Under V berth and one under the starboard settee?
Maybe the forward tank is leaking into the bilge.

Patrick S/V Shangra-La · Jan 6, 2013

If it is salty you have the keel bolts, also in the forward birth in the bilge are the transducers for the speed and depth. They may be leaking.

philliz · Jan 6, 2013

On my boat the ice box drained into the bilge until I changed it, if you use a lot of ice this can soon add up to a lot of water in the bilge.

Johnnie Walker Black · Jan 6, 2013

Taste the water in the bilge? Oh boy

hvbaker · Jan 6, 2013

Johnnie Walker Black said:
Taste the water in the bilge? Oh boy

Taste don't drink. A drop or so on the tongue. If it is salt water one will taste the salt.

Another source of fresh water could be due to leakage from the anchor locker. There is a drain in the bottom that goes to a hose that leads to a through hull on the starboard side.

Spindrift NH · Jan 7, 2013

I discovered on my MK II that the stern lazarette sits atop 4 rubber grommets, two of which were missing, the seat did not line up with the rain channels well, and there is no drip edge along the bottom back edge, most rain water that landed on the seat drained back and down into the locker underneath then into my bilge. I made this discovery while putting the boat away for the winter. I came up with a temp fix for the winter but will need to find a more permanent fix this spring. Something to take a look at!

rbmcintire · Jan 7, 2013

All of the cockpit storage hatches should have water-sealing gaskets and "active" hasps that can be dogged down (and should be, when underway).

That keelbolt seepage sounds familiar...

Rob

jrowan · Jan 9, 2013

Yep, got that same seepage around my forward port side keel bolt too.
Sounds like a familiar problem. Guess our boats are all gettin old.
But so am I! I won't give up on her, if she doesn't give up on me.

As far as seepage, its a continual process of keeping out the enemy of water.
Damn near impossible. Another area that I didn't see mentioned is water migration from the mast: the wiring penetrations can allow water in. Easy way to cross that tank leak of your list of culprits: empty them. They should be empty of the winter anyway to prevent frost damage. If the water stops after empying, there's your source. But if its leaking at 2 gallons per day, the tanks would aready have been drained after about two weeks time frame. They only hold about 20 gallons each. Haulouts are another good way to catch leaks. Any water that gets in the boat is leaking from above, not below on dry dock. From above: re-bed all of your portlight seals, deck fill plates, chainplates, any fitting on the deck. I also sealed around the sea hood perimeter, & the small 8" center overhead hatch perimeter where I found leaks occurring. Look for tell tale leak marks, like brown stains lines under fittings from the deck penetrations. The water mixes with the rotting balsa core to produce a brown weep stain, which is a sure sign of a leak. Good luck & tell us what the culprit is when U find it.