Water tank leaks on Beneteau First 35S7

[JanuaryFirst]

Hi,

I bought my First 35s7 a couple of years ago. Brilliant boat but no history to her as the previous owner had died.

I'm gradually working through the list of things that need replacing and fixing the things that have broken / worn out along the way (main sheet traveller, standing rigging, seacocks, the usual stuff) but I have a ridiculous leak that I just can't get to in what seems to be the starboard fresh water tank.

It's slightly concerning when you wake up in the morning with water in the bilges, pump it out, back it comes. Oh the joys of having a false floor so you can't actually get right down into the bilges to sponge them dry. When you do finally get it so not water is filling the bilges, you take her for a sail, get her heeled over in a brisk 20 kts wind, come back and all those nooks and crannies under the false floor that were filled with water have now started to empty into the bilges again.

Has anyone replaced the water tanks in the First 35s7? They look a nightmare to get to as the are built under the saloon berths. Great idea to keep weight low down and balanced but very poor for maintenance.

Thanks.

 

[SoSound]

I have a friend who discovered that the anti-siphon loop in his bilge hose was not mounted high enough, and every time they sailed (and healed sufficiently) it did siphon water back into the boat.

 

[JanuaryFirst]

I have a friend who discovered that the anti-siphon loop in his bilge hose was not mounted high enough, and every time they sailed (and healed sufficiently) it did siphon water back into the boat.

Thanks.

Now I just need to find the anti-siphon loop and check that.

 

[Te_Awatea]

We found there was a crack in one of our Beneteau plastic tanks. Took us about a year to find as the symptoms looked a lot like a slow leak in a seacock given where the water turned up.

We only found out the tank was leaking by making sure we had taken all bedding away and could see the tank fully...then we filled it and watched...when we saw the usual places fill up we traced it back to see where the leak was

As it turned out taking the tank out was relatively easy and involved just a few screws to undo a wooden rail and a few nuts that held the pipes to the tank. Took about 15 minutes.

Taking the tank out of the boat took a bit of trial and error as it was pretty tight.

We got the tank welded. It took a little time to find a welder and then 12 beers later it was fixed.

Good luck...very frustrating!

 

[JanuaryFirst]

Thanks.

I've traced the leak to the Starboard tank / pipes (used food die / colouring then waited to see what colour turned up in the bilges!).