Water leak at the emergency tiller

[chelsabella]

I have water leaking from my emergency tiller head down onto the stearing assembly inthe rear cockpit. Any suggestions

Ron
3532
Chels-A-Bella
Narragansett Bay RI

 

[Team118]

As my boat sits on the hard, I've battled water in the bilge all winter. Especially once I took the tarps off this spring.

It seems to me that there is water seeping down through the tiller assembly too. Hard to tell though, I do notice water in the hold as it runs down under the gas tank, past the stuffing box to the bilge.

But I can't be sure...

It was funny, when the boat was in the water there didn't seem to be water in the bilge.

I guess I can't help you....

 

[Bad Obsession]

I think that it is normal to get water in the steering quadrant area. There is a drain back there to let the water drain out. Make sure that your drain is not clogged as they have a tendancy to clog.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Is your rudder shaft packing gland OK?

and have you checked it? See: http://www.c34.org/faq-pages/techdata-rudder-packing-gland.html

 

[Bad Obsession]

Stu.....My MKii doesn't have a packing gland for the rudder. The rudder post actually has a tube that it goes through that goes from the bottom of the boat all the way up to the housing for the steering quadrant. I watched the yard put the brand new rudder into my boat and I learned a lot from this. From the box where the quadrant is to the bottom where the rudder exits is just a fiberglass tube that is pretty darn thick.

 

[chelsabella]

I did repack the rudder stuffing box and know that the water is coming from the top down. There is water puddling on top of the quadrant

 

[Bob S]

I read in the Yahoo Catalina group that the scupper hose from the drain cracks leaking into the bilge. I have a MKIII with an open transom so as far as I know there is no drain. I hope I said that right.

 

[Bad Obsession]

That is another possibility. I think that he is talking about an MKi and if he is then I am not sure how the rudder set-up is on that boat. My MKii has a box for the quadrant and no packing for the rudder. The rudder post goes all the way up into the rudder box and the rudder box has a drain. The drain on those gets clogged from time to time so you have to clean them out.

The scuppers are another source of water in the boat (Thanks for reminding me to check mine because I get a little water in the bilge during rain storms).

Then again, tell me that your boat doesn't leak and I will call you a liar. I have never seen a boat that doesn't have some kind of leak somewhere. Either you get a little water from the packing gland, a little rain water from the scupper hose, a little rain water from a leak somewhere in the deck that drains down, or from anywhere else on the boat. Boats Leak. We just don't want them to leak in a place where it will destroy our deck core or other parts of the boat!

 

[Stu Jackson]

The "dry bilge" police are gonna

Then again, tell me that your boat doesn't leak and I will call you a liar. I have never seen a boat that doesn't have some kind of leak somewhere.

...get ya on this one!

Just wish they'd come to my boat and dry my bilge out!

 

[Bad Obsession]

The worst kind of leak is the one that drips right on your head in the middle of the night when you are sleeping.

 

[CM]

leak

After I put the cover over the e-tiller, I run some window sealer around the edges of the floor cover. No more water dripping in the bilge.
CMM

 

[Bruce Adams]

I USED TO keep a shower cap over the E-tiller fitting on my 1982 C-30, but over the past few years the leak went away without fanfare.