I have a 1990 Catalina 22 and every time it rains, there is water in the battery box. I have re-sealed the hinges on the starboard cover lid, but I cannot figure out where this water is coming from. Has anyone else had this problem?
Water in the Battery Box
- Thread starter bugsboat
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Yes...and no
I have the same problem...the leak is on the starboard side, but the battery box on my '78 is on the port side. Anyhow, so far I have eliminated all deck fittings leaking (my boat is docked by my house, so I can go out there when it is actually raining) as there are no drips from the nuts. I taped the windows to make sure they were not leaking. That wasn't it either. I sprayed the cockpit lockers heavily and they didn't let in a drop. I've religiously checked the drain tubes and volcano tube...every thing is nice, tight and dry. And my boat has a cover over the entire cabin up to the mast and extending three feet into the cockpit, so it is not the cabin top or the hatch or hatch boards. The only thing left that I can think of is that water is running along the rub rail and getting behind it and then finding a way in thru the join of the hull and deck. I will be running water on the rub rail soon (as in, whenever the weather cools off or we get some decent cloud cover) and if that's not it, I don't know where to go next. Anyhow, that's at least a partial list of things that can leak and might put water in the battery box area. If you can't go to your boat when it is raining to check and see if you can actually observe water coming in, you can mark suspect areas with a colored waterbase pen...and it will run (smear) if any water flows across it. Considering where your water is ending up, I'd guess the most likely leak possibilities are 1) hose from the scupper drain, 2) thru the hatch boards, or 3) any holes on the cabin roof where the sealant/bedding may have failed. And then there is the rub rail. Good luck in your search.
I have the same problem...the leak is on the starboard side, but the battery box on my '78 is on the port side. Anyhow, so far I have eliminated all deck fittings leaking (my boat is docked by my house, so I can go out there when it is actually raining) as there are no drips from the nuts. I taped the windows to make sure they were not leaking. That wasn't it either. I sprayed the cockpit lockers heavily and they didn't let in a drop. I've religiously checked the drain tubes and volcano tube...every thing is nice, tight and dry. And my boat has a cover over the entire cabin up to the mast and extending three feet into the cockpit, so it is not the cabin top or the hatch or hatch boards. The only thing left that I can think of is that water is running along the rub rail and getting behind it and then finding a way in thru the join of the hull and deck. I will be running water on the rub rail soon (as in, whenever the weather cools off or we get some decent cloud cover) and if that's not it, I don't know where to go next. Anyhow, that's at least a partial list of things that can leak and might put water in the battery box area. If you can't go to your boat when it is raining to check and see if you can actually observe water coming in, you can mark suspect areas with a colored waterbase pen...and it will run (smear) if any water flows across it. Considering where your water is ending up, I'd guess the most likely leak possibilities are 1) hose from the scupper drain, 2) thru the hatch boards, or 3) any holes on the cabin roof where the sealant/bedding may have failed. And then there is the rub rail. Good luck in your search.
Mine Too
Hello Bugs, I have had this problem. In my case, I found the water coming in at the gasket joint. I used marine silicone to seal the gap and solved the problem. Hope yours os resolved as easily. ljp
Hello Bugs, I have had this problem. In my case, I found the water coming in at the gasket joint. I used marine silicone to seal the gap and solved the problem. Hope yours os resolved as easily. ljp
Eric: Thru-hull valve and Cockpit Drains
Eric: I have written about this before. My boat is a 1980 and similar to yours. I had a problem with the cockpit drains. There are little brass or copper tubes, sort of little volcanoes, that can wear through from the cockpit moving up and down when you step on it. (I know it sounds unbelievable, but trust me). Anyhow, I had one the port side of my boat leak. The copper tube rubbed on the hole that was drilled into the liner. I enlarged the hole and patched the hole in the copper tube with fiberglass cloth and epoxy. Also, the valve that the drains go into and the threaded pipe that goes through the bottom of the boat can leak. I also had that leak water in the area of the battery box. There should be traces of corrosion visible around that pipe and valve if that is the case with your boat. I replaced my valve with a plastic one and put new hoses, and clamps, and fixed the copper pipe mentioned above and now everything is perfectly dry again. I certainly don't recommend addressing the valve issue with your boat in the water, other than to try to see if that is the source of the leak. (Mine was rain related, even though you wouldn't think that it would be). I hope this helps you. I think that I wrote a thorough description of this, so you might want to check the archives under my name for a better description. Ilp's boat is different from ours, and I wouldn't have any suggestions for Ilp. Ilp's cockpit drains are in the stern of the boat, not in the front of the cockpit. Aldo
Eric: I have written about this before. My boat is a 1980 and similar to yours. I had a problem with the cockpit drains. There are little brass or copper tubes, sort of little volcanoes, that can wear through from the cockpit moving up and down when you step on it. (I know it sounds unbelievable, but trust me). Anyhow, I had one the port side of my boat leak. The copper tube rubbed on the hole that was drilled into the liner. I enlarged the hole and patched the hole in the copper tube with fiberglass cloth and epoxy. Also, the valve that the drains go into and the threaded pipe that goes through the bottom of the boat can leak. I also had that leak water in the area of the battery box. There should be traces of corrosion visible around that pipe and valve if that is the case with your boat. I replaced my valve with a plastic one and put new hoses, and clamps, and fixed the copper pipe mentioned above and now everything is perfectly dry again. I certainly don't recommend addressing the valve issue with your boat in the water, other than to try to see if that is the source of the leak. (Mine was rain related, even though you wouldn't think that it would be). I hope this helps you. I think that I wrote a thorough description of this, so you might want to check the archives under my name for a better description. Ilp's boat is different from ours, and I wouldn't have any suggestions for Ilp. Ilp's cockpit drains are in the stern of the boat, not in the front of the cockpit. Aldo
For ljp...about sealing the joint
When you say "gasket joint" are you talking about the hull/liner joint? If so, did you pull off the rub rail to seal, or did you manage to do it from inside the boat? Thanks, Eric
When you say "gasket joint" are you talking about the hull/liner joint? If so, did you pull off the rub rail to seal, or did you manage to do it from inside the boat? Thanks, Eric
For Aldo
Aldo, thanks for the suggestions. I know it isn't the drains (actually i have two forward drains and two aft scuppers) or any tubing/valves right thru to the volcano as I have filled the cockpit with water and then watched for any leaks as the water drained....nada. But let it rain as little as a tenth of an inch, and i get water. But that is VERY interesting about the copper tube in the forward cockpit drain holes...something i was not aware of. Eric
Aldo, thanks for the suggestions. I know it isn't the drains (actually i have two forward drains and two aft scuppers) or any tubing/valves right thru to the volcano as I have filled the cockpit with water and then watched for any leaks as the water drained....nada. But let it rain as little as a tenth of an inch, and i get water. But that is VERY interesting about the copper tube in the forward cockpit drain holes...something i was not aware of. Eric
Gasket Joint
Hello Again Bugs, Sorry for not being more specific. I was refering to the gasket that seals the starboard locker lid. The gasket on this locker on my boat has a start/end point that I would describe as a joint. It is a tight fit but was allowing water to flow past it and into the locker. Hope this clears things up. BTW there are four different styles of Catalina 22. The deck layout on each is significantly different. Your boat is similar to my '88. jp
Hello Again Bugs, Sorry for not being more specific. I was refering to the gasket that seals the starboard locker lid. The gasket on this locker on my boat has a start/end point that I would describe as a joint. It is a tight fit but was allowing water to flow past it and into the locker. Hope this clears things up. BTW there are four different styles of Catalina 22. The deck layout on each is significantly different. Your boat is similar to my '88. jp
Leak solved!
After two months of trying to run this leak down, the weather finally cooperated today, and I was able to work on the boat with a running hose. The leak is behind the rubrail exactly under the starboard deck scupper...which is why even a tiny amount of rain created so much water in the starboard bilge. As soon as everything dries out, and tiny bit of sealant and I can finally put the boat's interior back in. Man, what a relief...if that hadn't been it, I was thinking about hiring an exorcist! Eric
After two months of trying to run this leak down, the weather finally cooperated today, and I was able to work on the boat with a running hose. The leak is behind the rubrail exactly under the starboard deck scupper...which is why even a tiny amount of rain created so much water in the starboard bilge. As soon as everything dries out, and tiny bit of sealant and I can finally put the boat's interior back in. Man, what a relief...if that hadn't been it, I was thinking about hiring an exorcist! Eric
Had same problem
Eric, Sorry I didn't see your posting earlier. I had the same problem, it eluded me for years! I am assuming by referring to the rub rail you are pinpointing the leak to the deck-to-hull joint. That's where my leak came from, have been dry since clear caulking the rub rail!
Eric, Sorry I didn't see your posting earlier. I had the same problem, it eluded me for years! I am assuming by referring to the rub rail you are pinpointing the leak to the deck-to-hull joint. That's where my leak came from, have been dry since clear caulking the rub rail!
Yep...rub rail and deck/hull joint
Yes, Ray...I believe the water is entering from the top of the rub rail where there is a small area (about 2" long") that appears to be very slightly pulled away from the hull. (It's so slight you would never think it could be the culprit...but you let water run across it, and BAM!....30 seconds later it starts showing up in the bilge.) Anyhow, once it gets in there, I suspect it is then flowing right thru the hul/deck joint. I had sprayed the entire rub rail attempting to locate this problem during earlier tests, but the rub rail appeared to be OK. Just yesterday i finally figured out the water had to be coming off the deck scupper...which drains **exactly** over where the rub rail is very slightly pulled away from the hull. Anyhow, it's raining here now, but as soon as everything dries out, I'll seal that space. **If** I still get some leaking, I'll run a bead all the way down the top of the rail. I wonder what happened to "Bugsboat"? He got this thread started but hasn't said anything since. Hopefully something in here will help with his problem. Eric
Yes, Ray...I believe the water is entering from the top of the rub rail where there is a small area (about 2" long") that appears to be very slightly pulled away from the hull. (It's so slight you would never think it could be the culprit...but you let water run across it, and BAM!....30 seconds later it starts showing up in the bilge.) Anyhow, once it gets in there, I suspect it is then flowing right thru the hul/deck joint. I had sprayed the entire rub rail attempting to locate this problem during earlier tests, but the rub rail appeared to be OK. Just yesterday i finally figured out the water had to be coming off the deck scupper...which drains **exactly** over where the rub rail is very slightly pulled away from the hull. Anyhow, it's raining here now, but as soon as everything dries out, I'll seal that space. **If** I still get some leaking, I'll run a bead all the way down the top of the rail. I wonder what happened to "Bugsboat"? He got this thread started but hasn't said anything since. Hopefully something in here will help with his problem. Eric
I'm with ljp
Most of the responses you got are refering to older C22s. Yours has the battery in the aft starboard lazerette which began in 1986 models. It must be either the rubber gasket or perhaps the hasp (latch) does not pull down the cover tight enough. My hasp pulls the lid down real tight and I never get a leak to the battery area even if I hose the area hard.
Most of the responses you got are refering to older C22s. Yours has the battery in the aft starboard lazerette which began in 1986 models. It must be either the rubber gasket or perhaps the hasp (latch) does not pull down the cover tight enough. My hasp pulls the lid down real tight and I never get a leak to the battery area even if I hose the area hard.
For my boat, it was the rub rail
Well, Ray, like you suggested, it was in fact the rub rail. I tried first just caulking the area below the scupper, and that helped but did not cure it. I finally ran ran the bead around the whole rub rail and after today's rain, the bilge is dry. Jeez...finally!!
Now I can reinstall the cabin interior and maybe go sail this boat. Eric in NC
Well, Ray, like you suggested, it was in fact the rub rail. I tried first just caulking the area below the scupper, and that helped but did not cure it. I finally ran ran the bead around the whole rub rail and after today's rain, the bilge is dry. Jeez...finally!!
Now I can reinstall the cabin interior and maybe go sail this boat. Eric in NC- Status