Water in the bildge -- full of lead "shot"

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Neil Fallon

I have just acquired a OD22 that has been out of the water for three years. The boat's previous owner did take care of it, but his death kept the boat sitting on its trailer. I spent today cleaning the inside of the boat. The bildge had standing water along with small lead pellets. I understand from the previous posts here that the pellets were added for weight. I sucked out as much water as I could with a shop vac. Cheese cloth on the hose prevented sucking up all the lead "shot." The bilge is not bone dry. Do I need to get it bone dry? As this is my first OD, and a project boat on top of this, I plan to consult this web site many, many times. So thanks in advance for your help. Neil Fallon
 
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Stu Timm

Wet Bilge

Hi Niel: I get water in the bilge of my 1979 22 centerboard after rains and rough weather. The rain finds its way into the boat through the numerous through hull fittings that need to be rebedded (next year's project). I also dicovered that the porta potty tank would leak water when the boat was under sail and heeled over. The water dribbled out of the tank's vent and trickled it's supply of fresh water into the bilge leaving me baffled for some time as to where the fresh water in the bilge was coming from (it was quite dry that summer!). I thought I had a leaky galley faucet or trapped rainwater in the cabin interlayers. The fix was not to top off the porta potty tanks and install a vinyl tape piece over the vent hole. Is the water in the your bilge salty or fresh? I know, you're probably fretting as to how to taste bilge water. It's a right of passage for any sailor I suppose, just don't swallow! Testing the water by taste will certainly tell you where it's coming from. Salty water (assuming you're not moored or docked in a fresh water lake) means trouble and time to get a good automatic bilge pump. Fresh water may be from a leak in the deck or in the internal fresh water plumbing in the boat. I do not have shot ballast in my 22, and only have a clean, small bilge above the centerboard trunk. Perhaps lead bar under the cabin bunks would be more managable than loose pellets of lead. Good Sailing! Regards, Stu Timm "Karakahl" 1979 O'Day 22 CB Centerport, NY
 
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MArk

Get the lead out!

Neil, Call me overly cautious, but I would be hesitant to even taste water that has had lead pellets in it for some time. Besides, I'd be afraid any salty water present might be attributable to small animals using the boat as a pot-a-potty. Boats collect water while just sitting on the trailer. Deck fittings leak unless you rechaulk them routinely (every 5 years or so). Rain has a way of splashing through a closed hatch edge or cowl vent too. (see link below) As far as adding ballast (lead or otherwise) inside a boat, it's the worst thing you can do. (Excuse me MacGregor owners, but this was Roger's opinion too before the 26D release!) Ballast that high doesn't increase sail carrying ability or stability. It only makes your boat heavier and therefore slower. Besides, if the ballast is loose, it will travel to the lee side of the boat when heeled, making the boat heel even more. The OD22 already has sufficient ballast in the stub keel below the hull where it is more effective. I would get rid of lead pellets, get all the water out and rechaulk/seal the deck fittings. Happy (fusion powered) sails *_/), MArk O'Day 20
 
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