What is your tried and true way of chasing down leaks?

tkwhalen

tkwhalen

.
Jun 8, 2004
265
Hunter 49 60803 Lake Erie
I have three or four leaks to chase down back to the source of the leak; and I'm searching for the most successful way folks have found to do that. For example people say use food coloring and it will show you. Well food coloring is great for showing me where the water flows from the place you put the food coloring on down hill but not to great at going uphill backwards to the source.

Soooo what is your best suggestion?
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

.
Feb 26, 2004
22,770
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Start high, work your way down lower. Really.

We had a leak into our dorade bases. Redid the dorades. Didn't solve it. Turned out to be the traveler track needed to be rebed.

You just have to be systematic, there are no shortcuts.
 
Ted

Ted

.
Jan 26, 2005
1,254
C&C 110 Bay Shore, Long Island, NY
Pressurize your cabin with a vacuum cleaner. (reverse the hose location on most wet dry units to accomplish this) The vacuum cleaner will be located on the exterior of the boat. Place the hose in a vent or other convenient place and use duct tape to make a seal and to hold the hose in place. Close all hatches and ports and seal any large openings like fresh air intakes, vents and gaps in the companion way hatch with tape or plastic bags. (you'll have to be creative here) It doesn't have to be a perfect seal, just enough to prevent huge volumes of air from escaping from the cabin. While the cabin is pressurized, go around all deck fittings, windows, hatches, toe rail/hull to deck joint and all suspect areas with a brush or sponge loaded with soapy water. Bubbles will appear to grow larger where there is a leak. This method will detect even very small leaks.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes: LloydB and Kings Gambit
splax

splax

.
Nov 12, 2012
692
Hunter 34 Portsmouth
Well, sometimes you just have to eliminate possibilities one by one, then re-check...
 
Hello Below

Hello Below

.
May 7, 2012
1,354
Hunter e33 Maple Bay, BC
Systematic persistance and Crayola bathtub markers (or a suitable facsimile).
 
T

Tejas

.
Dec 15, 2010
164
Beneteau First 36.7 Lake Travis
Part of the solution (no pun intended) is to determine if the water is from the interior of the boat, from rain, or from the sea or lake. A swimming pool pH test kit can help make that determination.
 
Ken Cross

Ken Cross

.
Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
Ted said:
Pressurize your cabin with a vacuum cleaner. (reverse the hose location on most wet dry units to accomplish this) The vacuum cleaner will be located on the exterior of the boat. Place the hose in a vent or other convenient place and use duct tape to make a seal and to hold the hose in place. Close all hatches and ports and seal any large openings like fresh air intakes, vents and gaps in the companion way hatch with tape or plastic bags. (you'll have to be creative here) It doesn't have to be a perfect seal, just enough to prevent huge volumes of air from escaping from the cabin. While the cabin is pressurized, go around all deck fittings, windows, hatches, toe rail/hull to deck joint and all suspect areas with a brush or sponge loaded with soapy water. Bubbles will appear to grow larger where there is a leak. This method will detect even very small leaks.
Click to expand
Ted is right. This will help find the smallest of leaks but also some leaks that actually don't let water in as well.
It's faster than removing and rebedding all your hardware.
Ken
 
L

LoveTwoSail

.
Nov 2, 2012
22
ODay 240 Lake Nockamixon
We have tracked down leaks on multiple boats, and have always been able to find all of them, and/or their source. What we use is the heavy duty, blue, shop towels from Scott Paper. ANY DROP of water on these towels will show as a very visible, dark, blue spot. (the towel is light blue)

You can use whole or partial sheets pushed into various locations to check for major leaks, or the path of any water flow. You can use smaller pieces of the towel to check for small leaks around bolts etc.. Just push the paper firmly around the bolt, if there is any leak at that bolt, you will see the change in color.

After getting the boat leak free, we check everything each spring when we wash and wax the boat. We then check check several times through the season.

We also leave sheets in various locations under seat cushions and under the sink, so we can be alerted to any developing leaks.
 
  • Like
Likes: LloydB and Hello Below
Kings Gambit

Kings Gambit

.
Jul 27, 2011
5,002
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Although I like the ones mentioned above better than my own, my "tried and true" approach is the old fashioned "shot-gun" method. If water starts appearing on starboard of the boat, for example, I re-bed all of the stanchions on that side (unless it's obvious where it's getting in). If that doesn't work, then the starboard tracks, etc. Not very scientific, but I've had good results.
 
T

Tejas

.
Dec 15, 2010
164
Beneteau First 36.7 Lake Travis
We have had two water problems. Neither were "leaks."

Both appeared as water in the grid. The first was from the diesel raw water cooling bleed valve that only dripped water when the engine was running. The second was a cracked stern shower head, which we never used, that had apparently cracked during a freeze, and that emitted a fine stream when the fresh water system was pressurized, which we seldom used.

The swimming pool pH test kit indicated that the first water problem was from the lake. The pH test kit indicated that the second water problem was from the fresh water tanks. Even with those hints, it took months to discover the sources.
 
Ted

Ted

.
Jan 26, 2005
1,254
C&C 110 Bay Shore, Long Island, NY
A few boats ago, I tried to track down a leak for many years. I finally discovered that there were holes between the deck and hull hidden behind the aluminum toe rail. They were completely out of site and were not visible from within the cabin. Happily, the vacuum cleaner method found my leak source. Sometimes a logical diagnosis doesn't always work when dealing with boats built by careless manufacturers. :banghead:
 
JamesG161

JamesG161

.
Feb 14, 2014
7,418
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
tkwhalen said:
For example people say use food coloring and it will show you. Well food coloring is great for showing me where the water flows from the place you put the food coloring on down hill but not to great at going uphill backwards to the source.
Click to expand
I think it was Stu that said in a similar post, it was simple....
"Start from the outside."
I use...
White towel, weak food coloring mixture and purple or green masking tape. Tape, slowly pour dilute colored water to check a spot, wait for 10 minutes, un-tape, move to a new spot
Rinse and repeat....

Ted said:
Pressurize your cabin with a vacuum cleaner.
Click to expand
Sounds like a plan on very very hard to find and very very slow leaks.;)
However back flow of air may not show a real water leak. Sometimes air leaks out where water can't leak in.
Jim...

PS: The white towel shows even a faint color and you can change colors. Maybe red port, green starboard:)?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top Bottom