Water in bilge

[Sonny10775]

Ok as I am new to sailing, I don't know much about water inside a boat. I noticed last weekend I noticed water in the bilge area, not alot mind you, but enough to get me curious. How I am wondering did the water get there. The boat has been sitting throughout the winter, with tarps all over her. My wife seems to think that it blew in through the hole, where the throttle cable from the outboard enters into the starboard side stowage compartment.

 

[Stephen OBrien]

Deck scuppers?

Does your boat have deck scuppers? Mine does and one of them had a broken hose. As a result, everytime it rained, water went from the scupper directly to the bilge instead of outside. Also, stanchion bases are prone to leakage.

 

[Bill O'Donovan]

Forget the scuppers

Water can leak in from everywhere, hopefully not so much from below when in the water. Check the gunwales for leakage by spraying water along the side and see what seeps in. Also leaks through the top of the boat, most notably at the mast if it's through the boat. Water also seeps in while loading freshwater. To avoid water seeping in from below, make sure the keel is fastened tight and sealed. Barrier coats on the hull work wonders, too. In the final analysis, boats leak. Don't worry about it.

 

[Wright Ellis s/v Whiskey II]

I bought a leaky 26.5 ...

... and found several sources. 1)Seals on both port lights. Removed plastic on outside and resealed. 2)Leak around chain plates. Sealed with silicone at the deck joint. 3)Tiny holes in the fiberglass mat in the anchor locker from sloppy factory layup. Sealed with 5200.I now have dust in my bilge. 26.5's don't leak, there are no through hulls or stuffing box and the cockpit is open to the sea, aft.As for your wife's concern, wrap and tie a towel around the grommet extension and cables on the inside at the quarter berth. It'll catch the tiny drops that migrate in in a storm and keep your cushions dry. Since you must move the shift cable in and out through the grommet each time you raise and lower your motor, you can't seal the grommet.Feel free to e-mail me for more discussion on making your 26.5 mucho better.