I pulled the boat out last weekend after a couple of days of sailing and there was 1/2 inch of water under the side seatees, under the gally sink, and under the aft bed. I had left the plug out of the water ballast (under the step) for a little while by accident. Does anyone know where the water goes that splashes thru the plug, or does anyone have any other ideas? Dave Oberholtzer "Hydrotherapy"
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Tim Paul
Ports
I had a fair amount of water under the sink the other day after a hard rain and discovered it was rainwater that came though a porthole that wasn't tightened down enough. It puzzled me at first because the counter top was dry. Apparently the water runs off the counter and into crevices pretty quickly. I found it by running my fingers under the porthole gasket which was still wet. This probably wouldn't account for the amount of water you're experiencing, but you might want to check.
I had a fair amount of water under the sink the other day after a hard rain and discovered it was rainwater that came though a porthole that wasn't tightened down enough. It puzzled me at first because the counter top was dry. Apparently the water runs off the counter and into crevices pretty quickly. I found it by running my fingers under the porthole gasket which was still wet. This probably wouldn't account for the amount of water you're experiencing, but you might want to check.
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Tom M.
I discovered about 1.5" of water (kinda long)
this last weekend in both the port and starboard settees (sp?). We just launched on Saturday. I had the same problem last season and found two things that I thought fixed the problem but apparently did not. 1) make SURE the plug on the ballast tank is sealed GOOD. Hold onto the black rubber part and screw the handle down to make the plug as fat as possible to fit into the hole and flip down the handle. 2) make sure that the large bolt head under the table in the compression post plate is completely sealed. I put a large wad of 5200 on that cause it had NONE. I also sealed around where the compression post sits on/in the plate. Thought I had it fixed until this last weekend. Not to mention that when we put in I made sure to observe/control the amount of water that was let into the ballast tank. Last year I didn't do that and it was full to the brim so that I could not put any treatment into the tank. Anyway on Monday we tore everything apart to look for a leak. I even took off the little plate in the forward V-berth to check the fresh water fill/vent and the anchor locker drain. I could take 2-3 turns on every hose clamp and I also worked over the anchor locker drain and re-caulked it as good as I could in that tiny space. I could not see/get to the clamp on the water fill hose, so I removed the filler cap screws and pried it off the deck to find that I STILL could not get to the clamp cause it would not come up through the hole cause the clamp was in the way! Man! I must mention However that the area under the V-berth where the water tank (and my two batteries) are located was dry, thank goodness. Upon inspecting the compression post area again I discovered what appeared to be a leak around the post plate itself! Seems that the factory seal there was again insufficient. Since the area was wet and not exactly clean I thought that 5200 fast set would not work. A freind brought over what was a "stick" of two part epoxy that he said he thought he got at a Schucks auto parts store. It said it was for use in wet applications for repairing tanks etc. and I now believe you could even use this stuff underwater! You break off a chunk and knead it to mix the two parts together and you end up with a putty like substance. I pushed it into every crevice I could find/reach around the post plate. Then we had to come home. Next weekend I'll check it and, if need be, do it some more. I am feeling good that this may be a solution. It is VERY annoying/frustrating the discover all your stored stuff, food, clothes, you name it, ruined or at least thoroughly soaked and possibly destroyed. I have not checked under the aft berth but under the galley and the head cabinets I think it was dry, but I'll check again. Good luck. Tom M.
this last weekend in both the port and starboard settees (sp?). We just launched on Saturday. I had the same problem last season and found two things that I thought fixed the problem but apparently did not. 1) make SURE the plug on the ballast tank is sealed GOOD. Hold onto the black rubber part and screw the handle down to make the plug as fat as possible to fit into the hole and flip down the handle. 2) make sure that the large bolt head under the table in the compression post plate is completely sealed. I put a large wad of 5200 on that cause it had NONE. I also sealed around where the compression post sits on/in the plate. Thought I had it fixed until this last weekend. Not to mention that when we put in I made sure to observe/control the amount of water that was let into the ballast tank. Last year I didn't do that and it was full to the brim so that I could not put any treatment into the tank. Anyway on Monday we tore everything apart to look for a leak. I even took off the little plate in the forward V-berth to check the fresh water fill/vent and the anchor locker drain. I could take 2-3 turns on every hose clamp and I also worked over the anchor locker drain and re-caulked it as good as I could in that tiny space. I could not see/get to the clamp on the water fill hose, so I removed the filler cap screws and pried it off the deck to find that I STILL could not get to the clamp cause it would not come up through the hole cause the clamp was in the way! Man! I must mention However that the area under the V-berth where the water tank (and my two batteries) are located was dry, thank goodness. Upon inspecting the compression post area again I discovered what appeared to be a leak around the post plate itself! Seems that the factory seal there was again insufficient. Since the area was wet and not exactly clean I thought that 5200 fast set would not work. A freind brought over what was a "stick" of two part epoxy that he said he thought he got at a Schucks auto parts store. It said it was for use in wet applications for repairing tanks etc. and I now believe you could even use this stuff underwater! You break off a chunk and knead it to mix the two parts together and you end up with a putty like substance. I pushed it into every crevice I could find/reach around the post plate. Then we had to come home. Next weekend I'll check it and, if need be, do it some more. I am feeling good that this may be a solution. It is VERY annoying/frustrating the discover all your stored stuff, food, clothes, you name it, ruined or at least thoroughly soaked and possibly destroyed. I have not checked under the aft berth but under the galley and the head cabinets I think it was dry, but I'll check again. Good luck. Tom M.
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Alan
Life as you knew it is over (not really)
The water sits on top of the ballast tank. When you heel you will find it in the same places you first saw it. The best way to get rid of it is a two pronged attack: 1. Heel hard and have a crew member soak up the water as it appears (leeward side) or place towels there as when level again the water will go back to the top of the ballast tank which is lower when not heeling. Repeat on the other side. 2. Leave all covers over the bilge open and well as the teak cover of the ballast tank controlls, part of the companion-way stairs, when not sailing. Better yet place a fan there (carefully around water). If you look closely with a flashlight between the ballast tank extension for the controlls and the inside of the stairs you will see the water. Rock the boat a little to make it more visable. As other's have said check for leaks. However it sounds like you know the cause. I went through this when I bought the boat last year. Till I figured it out I thought I had gotten a lemon. It took three months to finally dry out. I didn't know the cause or how to deal with it then. It will take you much less time. By the way less than one week after I got it dry, 2 1/2 gallons of water spilled under the galley sink. When on a starboard tack that area is higher than the ballast tank so the water ended up there again. Only a few weeks to dry. alan
The water sits on top of the ballast tank. When you heel you will find it in the same places you first saw it. The best way to get rid of it is a two pronged attack: 1. Heel hard and have a crew member soak up the water as it appears (leeward side) or place towels there as when level again the water will go back to the top of the ballast tank which is lower when not heeling. Repeat on the other side. 2. Leave all covers over the bilge open and well as the teak cover of the ballast tank controlls, part of the companion-way stairs, when not sailing. Better yet place a fan there (carefully around water). If you look closely with a flashlight between the ballast tank extension for the controlls and the inside of the stairs you will see the water. Rock the boat a little to make it more visable. As other's have said check for leaks. However it sounds like you know the cause. I went through this when I bought the boat last year. Till I figured it out I thought I had gotten a lemon. It took three months to finally dry out. I didn't know the cause or how to deal with it then. It will take you much less time. By the way less than one week after I got it dry, 2 1/2 gallons of water spilled under the galley sink. When on a starboard tack that area is higher than the ballast tank so the water ended up there again. Only a few weeks to dry. alan
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Stacie Boyd
Unwanted Water
We bought our boat in '94. One other thing to check for when getting water where it doesn't belong is the bolts that hold the rudder onto the back of the boat. When we first got our boat they were not sealed well. Took us forever to find where the water was coming in.
We bought our boat in '94. One other thing to check for when getting water where it doesn't belong is the bolts that hold the rudder onto the back of the boat. When we first got our boat they were not sealed well. Took us forever to find where the water was coming in.
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Harvey Small
Check the stern
One more place to check is the hull/deck seam in the stern. Because of the design, it is under water, especially if your boat squats when the outboard is running. Send someone belowdecks with a flashlight while you are motoring. It can be a bit claustrophobic, but you just may find a leak!
One more place to check is the hull/deck seam in the stern. Because of the design, it is under water, especially if your boat squats when the outboard is running. Send someone belowdecks with a flashlight while you are motoring. It can be a bit claustrophobic, but you just may find a leak!
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Toomas Oja
Drilled holes
And you have to check for drilled holes. In my H26 the previous owner had drilled 4 holes into the ballast-tank on the SB side. This was to fasten the cooling-device. And he had put a dash of silicon-glue on top. This was not tight and dry after 2 years and I got the ballast-tankwater into the boat when healing to this side. Look at everything, that's not standard equipment. Toomas
And you have to check for drilled holes. In my H26 the previous owner had drilled 4 holes into the ballast-tank on the SB side. This was to fasten the cooling-device. And he had put a dash of silicon-glue on top. This was not tight and dry after 2 years and I got the ballast-tankwater into the boat when healing to this side. Look at everything, that's not standard equipment. Toomas
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