Water in the bilge over the winter on the hard

[mmeechan]

I have a situation/question that I'm hoping those with much more experience than myself can weigh in on.

I bought my first boat, an '88 Catalina 27 with a universal inboard last July and sailed her till October. No issues with her or the engine at all.
I decided to have the marina winterize the engine and change the oil filter and transmission oil before putting her to bed for the winter.
She has been sitting high and dry on her cradle, with a fitted canvas cover.
I've checked on her several times over the winter and she seemed to be fine. No excess snow etc getting in through the stay holes in the cover etc..
Last weekend I checked the bilge for the first time and was very surprised to see it half to 3/4 full of water. It was bone dry in October when I added an inch or two of antifreeze.
The only source I can think of is the engine, which was supposed to have been winterized by the marina.

Is it normal to have water in the bilge in this situation?

 

[Jon_E]

It could be from condensation.

The last two leaks on my boat were around the cockpit winch lockers and the ports. I was buttoned up during a rain when I found them. But really, the leak could be coming from anywhere. Since the boat was on the hard, you know it isn't from your hull

 

[Captn TJ]

Condensation can certainly contribute - especially from the engine. However that is a lot of water. Unless you have a water tight cover there are a lot of places wind driven snow or rain can get under canvas. But then you've got a water entry point somewhere. Are you sure all of the hatches/ports were dogged down? Was the water system winterized (not just the tank) if not then a water line may have burst or a pump cracked. .

 

[mmeechan]

Condensation can certainly contribute - especially from the engine. However that is a lot of water. Unless you have a water tight cover there are a lot of places wind driven snow or rain can get under canvas. But then you've got a water entry point somewhere. Are you sure all of the hatches/ports were dogged down? Was the water system winterized (not just the tank) if not then a water line may have burst or a pump cracked. .

I'll definately have to check hoses and lines once the cover is off in a couple of weeks. The water system was emptied and filled with antifreeze and the taps run until they ran pink. I just hope it is nothing to do with the engine.
I bought one of those Starbrite no damp dehumidifer hangers and hung it up in the cabin. it has collected some water, so I'm not sure about condensation, unless it was direct off the water pump, hotwater pump or engine...

 

[Meriachee]

Assuming the water system was suitably "pink", then that leaves one of three things; a major ingress from someplace external, the holding tank or related parts, or the cooling water/exhaust system. There's usually a fair bit of water in the muffler, and if that wasn't winterized, it could have cracked.
Hope it helps.
Gary

 

[Captn TJ]

You do get condensation off of the engine block but generally only enough to dampen an oil blanket.

Using pink stuff in the water system and engine winterizing AND no leaks last summer then hatches/ports might be the culprit.

Keep us posted.

 

[captcoho]

If you stored with the mast up, the water came down the mast.
I get the same thing, over winter, as well as during the summer after it rains.......

 

[Ajay73]

I get the same thing when I have a hard and wind driven rain. My cover is one of those that goes to the toe rail inside of the stanchions and forward of the mast about half way to the stem. I think the water is getting in from around the T track for the jib. I have one spot where I have some waterlogged wood that is in between the top of the inner liner and the hull. Looking inside one of the setee hatches, I noticed some streaks of water running down the hull after a hard rain. I only got a significant amount of water one time but I usually check my boat once a week for water. I ended up drilling a 5/16" hole in the side of the keel stub at the bottom of the keel sump so that any water just drains out. I have to decide whether to put in some kind of a garboard drain plug or just fill the opening with thickened epoxy.

 

[mmeechan]

If you stored with the mast up, the water came down the mast.
I get the same thing, over winter, as well as during the summer after it rains.......

I did store it with the mast up. That is a very interesting theory. I never considered the mast as a potential ingress point for water.
I thought that the mast step was flush mounted with the deck. How would water get in?

 

[Team118]

I have a 30 and have the same problem every winter.

I assume the mast is an access point and both vents in the cockpit allow snow to get it. I've noticed a trail of water running from the stern through to the bilge.

The only reason I have my doubts about the mast is because if that were so, the teak finish on the compression post in the cabin would be rotten from water leaking into the boat through the mast and then down the inside of the teak lined compression post and that hasn't happened...

I pump it out about twice during the winter when there is a thaw.

It's weird, but I've learned to live with it. Probaly shouldn't, but there are bigger fish to fry.

 

[stevec22206]

I have a full cover for our 27' and even with it on I will get water in the bilge through one of two places. The stern locker lid does not fit tight due to the curvature of the cockpit. The boat is in the cradle (mast up) and set with a slightly aft rake so as to drain water out of the cockpit. Water will pool in the drain channels around the aft locker lid. When the rain is heavy that pool of water will overtop the gasket for the lid and eventually find its way to the bilge. I also had to replace the scupper hoses last year. They were original to the boat and began leaking profusely after they rotted and cracked. I have found that rain water finds a way under the cover. Another thought might be to check the head and waste line leading to the holding tank. Was that winterized? I deal with the waste hose contracting during exteme cold temperatures and leaking at the pump fitting on the head. Any liquid in the toilet and waste hose will leak out and find its way to the bilge. Just some other options.

 

[stephen21734]

primrose

in my catalina 36 mk2 ,I get 1/2 in water in the bildge after a rain with cover on or off .I always assumed it was thru the mast on top.

 

[Ajay73]

I have a full cover for our 27' and even with it on I will get water in the bilge through one of two places. The stern locker lid does not fit tight due to the curvature of the cockpit. The boat is in the cradle (mast up) and set with a slightly aft rake so as to drain water out of the cockpit. Water will pool in the drain channels around the aft locker lid. When the rain is heavy that pool of water will overtop the gasket for the lid and eventually find its way to the bilge. I also had to replace the scupper hoses last year. They were original to the boat and began leaking profusely after they rotted and cracked. I have found that rain water finds a way under the cover. Another thought might be to check the head and waste line leading to the holding tank. Was that winterized? I deal with the waste hose contracting during exteme cold temperatures and leaking at the pump fitting on the head. Any liquid in the toilet and waste hose will leak out and find its way to the bilge. Just some other options.

I had the same problem with the aft locker channels(not drainging into cockpit). When the marine set my boat on the cradle the aft end of the cradle was quite a bit lower than the front end. I noticed it and had them put another railroad tie under the aft end. This allowed water in the locker channel to drain into the cockpit and out the scuppers. The boat needs to be stored on the hard like it sets in the water.

 

[captcoho]

The reason it comes down the mast is because there is a hole in the center of the compression post to run the wiring up to the mast head for lights and electronics like vhf antenna, windex if not wireless.
The fix is to grind weep holes or grooves at the bottom of the mast so the rain water has a place to drain and not run down the compression post to the bilge.

 

[stevec22206]

If water is finding its way down thru the mast step into the compression post you need to unstep the mast, and rebed everything. There is a molded depression under the mast step where the wires lay before passing through the deck. The 4 bolts that attach the mast step get rebedded too. No water enters our boat via the mast step. I did this 3 years ago when I replaced the starboard bulkhead.

 

[captcoho]

There is still a hole for the wires to go through, and unless they are sealed up regardless if the mast step needs to be rebedded or not, the water will pond up in there and find its way along the wires and down the compression post.

 

[Duke]

On my Catalina 27 the wire reinforced hoses leading from the cockpit drains had hard turns where they connected to the thru-hulls in the transom. It was difficult to locate, but the wire in the elbows / tight turns had corroded and was leaking some of the water from the cockpit into the bilge.
Hope this helps. Duke

 

[dive7mmwet]

As said I don't think its engine and a mast up,, leaks will occur , but don't forget it will use your standing rigging too to run water down! So think about doing some re bedding start at the chain plates, then un do a lower shroud eye bolt one at as time! then do everything its a great non sail day to re bed a item or two! its better than yoga!

A dry boat is a happy boat and a darn new one!! and old boats leak, but find the leak and your back to a happy boat!
Brad

 

[Randy6414]

Check your cockpit drain hoses. As Duke said, on the 27 they make a hard bend and the wire reinforced hose can fail over time. When it fails it leaves a gaping hole in the drain hose, and any water in the cockpit will wind up in the bilge, instead of draining through the hull.

It happened to me one winter; I couldn't figure out where all the water in the bilge was coming from, till I realized the cockpit drain hoses were leaking.

Replacing them is a bear. It's one of those jobs where you can see your work, or reach your work with one hand, but not both at the same time.

Randy