Water in certain storage compartments but not others

[AP0196]

I recently purchased a 1974 Cat 22. It had only been stored outside a couple months before I bought it. Upon a more thorough inspection I found water under the forward dinette bench. Maybe a gallon. One of the POs. had a field day with the fiberglass in there, including patching the shit out of where the keel lock bolt should be.

There was also a good amount of water under the V berth, where someone cut a big hole in the foam, presumably to access the water? None of the other compartments had water. The boat tilts forward a bit on the trailer so it makes sense the water would run to the bow

my questions: how screwed am I? What are the odds it’s coming in from a crack in the fiberglass somewhere below the water line? Should I try to grind out the old fiberglass where the keel lock bolt was and try to reinstall it? It seems a likely culprit for the leak.

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

Well, don't panic yet. I certainly cannot tell you "how screwed" you are based on what you've described. I had a '74 C-22. She was a great boat, possibly a bit later model than yours as there was no flotation foam to be found. Her sail number was 3772. What was a problem during trailer storage as well as not checking the slip frequently was that the front scuppers would often clog with leaves and debris and water wouldn't drain out of the cockpit but rather it would find it's way into the cabin. A royal PIA to be sure, but not the end of the world. My fingers are crossed that this is your situation. If it is, it's absolutely nothing to sweat about. Nothing that a bucket, sponge and elbow grease can't fix. Regardless of if the boat is in the water or on the hard, unless she is shielded from the rain and possible debris/leaves to clog the scuppers, you need to be fastidious about visiting her and clearing the scuppers religiously. That is the key to keeping an older design C-22 dry inside.

Regarding the keel bolt. Frank Butler put it there for a reason. I'm a person that tries his best to follow the engineer's/designer's recommendations. There are plenty of folks on this forum that discourage tightening the keel bolt. I appreciate their perspective and personally I have never tightened my keel bolt so tight that if I hit an obstruction the keel would not ride over it without damage. Having said all this yes, you should put fiber-glassing that gaping hole and probably embedding a threaded adapter for your future keel bolt on your to do list.

Last but not least, spend as much time as you can reading these forums as well as viewing YouTube videos of what others have done to similar vintage C-22's. Your rigging merits close scrutiny and possible replacement and, if not already done, your chain plates and eye-bolts should be upgraded. I hope this helps.

George

 

[AP0196]

Appreciate the reply! Do you have any experience glassing? Im assuming I just go to town with a dremel or grinding drill bit adapter. Do I go all the way through the hull? I can’t see how the keel locking bolt was originally installed, but I know there’s a strap that it was bolted to. I bet thats still there.

 

[ShawnL]

I have a '72. Mine did not have foam in it either -- I believe I read somewhere that it was an option from the factory, but I could be mistaken.
You had mentioned that the boat was 'sitting forward on the trailer' -- do you put it in and day sail, or has it been just sitting on the trailer and getting water ingress?

I'm of the opposite opinion of ...3TacksontheWater (you'll get that on forums). Personally I removed my lock down bolt. It was rusted in place and pretty much broke when I tried to turn it. I just sanded the area flat with pretty heavy grit sand paper so that the epoxy would have something to grab, then cut a couple of circles of fiberglass, saturated with epoxy and stuck them over the hole. A little smoothing work with a plastic scraper and you're done. No need to sand / fair / paint the patch unless you really want to.

In any event, on my '72 the leaks were coming from the cabin top (leaking where the pop-top supports attach) and the life-line stanchions. The life line leak was easy. Remove, add butyl tape and re-install. The cabin top required a complete re-core because I let it go too long before I paid attention and tracked it down.

There's a ton of places water can get into our boats and water runs to the lowest point. The rear lockers are open to the bilge, all the deck hardware, possible window leak, etc. There's also the possibility of leaking along the deck-to-hull joint under the rub-rail. I'd consider getting in the boat and having someone systematically spray it with a garden hose while you watch from inside. I suspect you'll probably find additional leaks.

 

[AaronD]

... having someone systematically spray it with a garden hose while you watch from inside...

Good suggestion. Others have recommended drawing a horizontal line with chalk on the inside of the hull (anywhere you can access and view). Water running down will streak the chalk-line and give you a clue where to look.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

I'd suggest a boom tent or tarp to help keep the leaves out. I am using this one as a boom tent and the quality is shockingly good for the price. Amazon.com. It only has four attachment points but has held up to 30kt gusts. It also reduces the amount of cleaning needed.

The fiberglass work is pretty bad and looks fairly easy to remove compared to a properly saturated repair. An oscillating tool is something you want in your arsenal. I've done extensive work with a $20 Harbor Freight and a $100 dewalt. The dewalt provides superior control, especially when starting the cut

 

[KCofKC]

While the boat was setting on the trailer was any water dripping out of it? If not this would lead me to believe the water is from above. My advice, don't panic, move slowly and methodically and find the cause. Yes hose the deck down with some on inside to watch for leaks. Leave a bit of water in the boat to see if it runs out, that would be a sure indication. Once you FIND the issue then and only then can you journey towards the solution. So many times people panic and have a knee jerk reaction. Re-Read sentence 3. Like some one suggested read other threads about the same issue. I have a different model Catalina but all boats are prone to leaks, develop a good system of searching them out, this will not be your last leak to find. Boats share this thorn in the side and I do know a bit about Catalina's I have been a TE for them for years. Good luck with your search.

 

[AP0196]

appreciate the advice. No there’s no water leaking out the bottom anywhere. All other compartments are bone try even after I trailered it home up and down hills. This leads me to believe the leak originated somewhere in the bow and is isolated there. My guess besides leaky deck fittings is it’s where the PO removed and patched the keel lock bolt. That patch looks shotty. There is a patch where there was a thru hull transducer that was removed in the same compartment. But that patch looks solid.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

You and BedIT butyl tape should become besties

Bedding Deck Hardware With Bed-IT Tape - Marine How To

Originally published December 2003 *Moved & Edited September 2017 Bedding With Bed-It Tape 5/20/2022 IMPORTANT UPDATE BED-IT TAPE IS BACK PURCHASE BED-IT TAPE Countersunk/Beveled Hole Over the years,

marinehowto.com

 

[KCofKC]

If it is not leaking out then the breach has to be more rearward and the water is not there to drip out or it's from above. A water leak can travel a long way. I had one I was looking for it entered the boat, ran about 8' down a channel and ended up in a locker, it was a bear to find. You may not need it as your boat is so open but you can get a borescope camerea for a cell phone for next to nothing or a good stand alone for under a hundred bucks and can even record. I can flip my lense, turn on a light, zoom in, record to a sim card and enlarge on a laptop. Their awesome. Anyway, I think a garden hose a good friend and a bit of time will reveal your issue. Maybe neat and pretty up the snotty repair but think your leak is elsewhere from the sounds of it.

 

[AP0196]

I find it unlikely that it would enter somewhere aft, migrate completely around all the bulkheads and pool only in the bow while the compartment with the source leak is completely dry, but you never know. The hull seems intact everywhere. I think it’s either the keel trunk or coming from rainwater?

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

Appreciate the reply! Do you have any experience glassing? Im assuming I just go to town with a dremel or grinding drill bit adapter. Do I go all the way through the hull? I can’t see how the keel locking bolt was originally installed, but I know there’s a strap that it was bolted to. I bet thats still there.

My glassing experience goes back to model airplanes in the '60's so, I would be going to YouTube and this forum for guidance. The major change is the epoxies that I used in the 60's are no more and today I use West System epoxies. You know, one think I failed to ask, just how much water are you talking about? Several cups or multiple gallons? By what you're describing it's more than likely your bow pulpit or maybe the forward hatch - if you have one - could be the culprit. I'd be ordering a roll of Bed-It Tape. I wound up re-bedding a lot of deck hardware and scraping off a lot of silicone in the process.

George

 

[AP0196]

It was quite a bit. Maybe a little over 5 gallons total. Mostly in the bow under the vberth.

 

[KCofKC]

5 gallons is a pretty large leak, but it's going to gather at the low spot regardless of where it comes in at. If it's on a trailer and your getting the water it's not the keel bolts. I would do the hose test and mark all leaks, then dry it out and put it in the lake and watch the keel bolts, have a sandwich and just wait, it should not take too long to present it's self to you.

 

[AP0196]

Yeah I would think it would be a noticeable hole in the hull, unless it’s never been caught until now

 

[ShawnL]

Remember there's also an inner liner on our boats. The hatch in the v-berth, under the dinette, under the starboard bench, under the step where the keel winch, and the 2 rear lockers all have access to the "bilge".

 

[AP0196]

Yeah that’s where the water was, under the forward dinette locker and under the V berth

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

Yeah that’s where the water was, under the forward dinette locker and under the V berth

See my first reply. It now appears to me that indeed, the cockpit scuppers were clogged and then, the water filled the cockpit floor, and consequently entered the cabin, flowing as far forward as it could. This is the catch 22 on early C-22’s. The cockpit scuppers need to be kept clear of debris regardless of if she’s on the hard or in the water. This is not to say that you shoud not rebed all of your deck hardware. Bend-It is our friend. You should however, at the least upgrade your shroud stanchions if they have not been upgraded already, as well as, consider upgrading your rigging if you cannot establish its age. In the meantime, I don’t think that “you’re screwed”. One of the absolute pleasures of owning an older boat is to bring her into Bristol condition as your time together progresses.

George

 

[AP0196]

Thank you. Yes I intend to make her beautiful again, not that she wasn’t before. I think most if not all if the deck hardware is upgraded. Chain plates seem solid at least. The winches are a disaster but I’ll get to those with time.