water in the boat at the keel lockdown

[Skippy]

So i have a swing keel and im getting water in the boat right where the lockdown screw for the keel is. Right under the seat fore of the table. Generally only when it rains, but its in that spot and that spot only. The rest of the boat is dry. Any thoughts as to why?

Thanks
S

 

[Bilbo]

Well, some people grease that bolt and either A) use it to lock their keel or B) they leave it loose so that it doesn't touch the keel. Others may C) remove the bolt and fiberglass it over. I personally think that the lock down bolt won't lock it down very well because of the leverage needed for the weight and from anecdotes that I've read and and pictures on the internet that I've seen of people that have raised the keel with the winch and with the bolt accidentally locked down.

 

[Chester]

Seems like there are two possibilities:
- the lockdown bolt
- leakage from somewhere above the waterline

You could put some talc or other powder along the side of the hull to see if water is trickling down from the rubrail or deck... Doesn't seem likely that it'd be coming from the cabin wihout you noticing other wet spots.

As for the locking pin, we haven't noticed any seepage since we started greasing ours. We don't use it.

We did have an old busted knotmeter in the same part of the bilge that we glasses over. If you've got anything like that, I'd keep it in mind as a possible culprit.

 

[Garrett Holcombe]

The fun part about the keel locking bolt is when you've taken it out when you inspected it for wear and cross-threading...and forgot to put it back in. Then, once off the trailer and you get the boat tied off to the dock, there's an odd "glugGLUG glugGLUG" sound that you can't seem to place. No, it's not the water slapping the boat from that powerboat's wake...that dissipated quickly. Hmmm...I better check that old through-hull, head fitting. Nope, that's not it. It's louder now closer to the v-berth. Where the heck could that sound be coming fr...$%&@!!!!

Yep, about nine gallons later I found the culprit. So, I grease mine and never use it. I've had to cut bent ones off, seen the keel gouges from them on other 22s, so the likelihood of them actually keeping the swing keel in place during a knockdown is slim. To each his own, though.


As for your situation, Skippy, I'd venture a guess that either (or both) your port lower or aft chainplate has a leak; or any number of the forward screw holes from your main hatch slide or hand rail. Maybe even the forward window although I'd think that water would end up more on the shelf than the locker. I know because leaking screws in my slide and hand rail were causing me the same issue. Not a lot of water, but a strong rain would leave me a present. Baby powder eliminated the keel lock bolt. Give those a shot and report back!

 

[Mormandeus]

If you only get it when it rains then the lock bolt is not the culprit. The lock bolt is normally above the water line and leaks when heeling to port under sail. Chester has it right with the alternate leak area. Check the window seals...they are notorious for leaking. Also any fittings on the port side deck (chain plates, attached hardware etc.) or possibly the rubrail. If you can get a hose to the boat, water it down in that area and look for water intrusion.

Had a similar problem on the starboard side. Turned out the stanchion needed rebedding.

Good luck

John

 

[Milton.Audas]

I agree with Mormandeus.
1. If your water issue is only after it rains, and not after sailing or at the dock (?), then you have an 'above the water line' culprit, and probably for'ard such as the chainplates, anchor rhode hauser pipe, or some other deck fitting or port.
2. If the sky is dry and it leaks at anchor or at the dock, then it's possibly one the through-hull fittings.
3. If it takes on water after sailing, it may be the keel lock but don't discount the rub rail, through-hulls, or even an undogged for'ard hatch taking on water or spray. Someone suggested talc. An earlier poster's advice was coloured chalk which I used and it worked to highlight the guilty area and identify the innocent ones. It was the keel bolt.

I chased that monkey for a long time. Grease didn't seem to do the trick completely with the locking bolt (yes, I use it, it's there and even if it's not 100% reliable - it's better than nowt - see my posts on this several months ago). Grease stemmed the tide but didn't form a complete barrier.

What I did find worked more reliably was to wrap the keel bolt with good old plumbers thread tape. Works like a dream. Dry boat ! No issues at all. Amazing how much you can take on with just slop and splash working around that thread up in the keel trunk when under way.

 

[fhp3]

I'll put my money on the windows. I had a similar leak near the aft settee and after re bedding all of the chain plates, stantions and pulpit it was still leaking. I moved to the next logical spot which was the windows. I did the forward one first and that did the trick. I'm going to continue with the rest of them since I bought the winsow reseal kit from CD.
My only advice is to try the talc trick and use a hose to hit each area for 5 min and wait an hour to see if the area you wet down leaked. Start low and work your way up. Also if you do reseal the windows, less is more when using the Window sealant on the glass and frame. What a mess!

 

[Ken]

Upper stay

Be willing to bet you'll find your leak coming from the upper stay chain plate bolt. You'd not even notice the water running down. Of course you'll also want to make sure the bulkhead hasn't suffered damage.

Chalk line makes a great leak detector.