What to check to keep the water out

[Megaro76]

Started my first full summer with my C22 off right this weekend. Got it out of inside winter storage all dry and headed to Lake Michigan on Friday with my teenage sons. Launched and sat in a slip for nearly two hours having lunch and chilling...bone dry in all the port and starboard bilge areas. Once under way with no heel we noticed the forward port dinette seat bilge area was getting wet just under the keel lockdown...the bolt has grease on it and was dry itself....after a two hour sale I pumped out 1 gallon from that area. Suggestions on what to check please. I was looking along the keel tunnel up near the lock down bolt...the fiberglass looks very unfinished and corse cloth and damp and so I wondered if PO replaced lockdown and didn't use enough resin to seal things up right? Water could be splashing up higher in the keel tunnel when moving vs when sitting in the water was my thought. Really don't want to remove keel to check if there is another way to investigate and repair. Thanks

 

[Megaro76]

Also not sure if the water sloshed around in that bilge area, but noticed some water drops dripping through the course fiberglass mesh up near lock down bolt....

 

[CloudDiver]

Can you snap a pic of the lock down bolt and the general area, plus another pic with bolt removed? We might be able to tell just by looking if that is not the stock lock down bolt and if the area has been repaired. That will only tell us work was done and its the most reasonable explanation to the leak. From your description of the circumstances I can't think of anything else it might be. A gallon is a lot of water to be leaking in that area so there has to be some damage or really bad fiberglass work to allow that much water in.

 

[Megaro76]

Thank you CloudDiver. I drop the boat back in storage, but have some photos from previous post I will post here soon

 

[Megaro76]

 

[Megaro76]

Here is another photo not so close up

 

[Megaro76]

Disregard the blue chalk line photo....I'm trying to find out the source of a leak when it rains....water drips down inside like maybe from the port windows?

 

[pclarksurf]

I see two things: both the crack and the keel bolt appear to have allowed water to scale down -- the further away pic shows the water and mold patterns.

Based on what appears to be some grinding marks under the horizontal fiberglass tab that covers the keel lockdown bolt-- I think you've had some PO repair to that area. It's not uncommon to see the top of the compression post support exposed--
Hard to test I suppose-- but I would float her again and work the keel up and down in the trunk-- keep a close eye on any tendencies for the trunk flexing / leaking etc. perhaps only done underway-- it would be interesting on port tack to be heeled appropriately and see if that trunk crack expands-- should be the most leverage against that area of the trunk.

 

[pclarksurf]

Also wondering after a second look if there isn't a similar crack directly above the lateral support? Looks like a similar water pattern to the right of the support.

 

[Megaro76]

So maybe I should get some fiberglass, resin, and 404 thickener and fix those cracks and coat the area around the keel bolt?

 

[CloudDiver]

I don't think the keel bolt is leaking. It looks like the original keel bolt but it does appear there was work done on it. The part of the pic circled in red is not the compression post support, you are looking at the opposite side. I think the crack in keel trunk is the source of the leak on a port tack. The windows may leak too, but you said it was a sunny day when you got the gallon of water in there.
I think the best thing to do is sail the boat on both tacks with someone watching that area the whole time.

 

[pclarksurf]

I marked up your original to show what appears to be the water path (yellow) and what is the likely source (purple) -- perhaps one or more cracks. Definitely test , observe in a controlled environment and then depending on what you discover-- those potential areas can be ground and filled with epoxy. Keel Lockdown bolt would get my attention after the crack(s) unless you observe otherwise.

 

[ilance]

I'd be for grinding out, feathering, and going all ham with the epoxy! My boat has none of that stuff around the bolt. Something has happened in there.......I'd be for keeping it from happening again!

 

[Megaro76]

Thanks all....appreciate the help.

 

[Megaro76]

I don't think the keel bolt is leaking. It looks like the original keel bolt but it does appear there was work done on it. The part of the pic circled in red is not the compression post support, you are looking at the opposite side. I think the crack in keel trunk is the source of the leak on a port tack. The windows may leak too, but you said it was a sunny day when you got the gallon of water in there.
I think the best thing to do is sail the boat on both tacks with someone watching that area the whole time.

CloudDiver, what is your opinion on source of leak when it rains and boat is sitting in driveway. I have rebedded all deck hardware which has helped to reduce water leaking inside. Still getting water puddling up on port and starboard interior side bottom....I have not done windows or genoa tracks....not looking forward to rebedding the tracks. Thoughts on windows or tracks being the more likely cause of the rain getting in?

 

[Megaro76]

I marked up your original to show what appears to be the water path (yellow) and what is the likely source (purple) -- perhaps one or more cracks. Definitely test , observe in a controlled environment and then depending on what you discover-- those potential areas can be ground and filled with epoxy. Keel Lockdown bolt would get my attention after the crack(s) unless you observe otherwise.

View attachment 137823

Hopefully I don't have cracks/leaking coming from the starboard side of the keel tunnel = no access

 

[greg_m]

This is an interesting thread for me as I have been wondering how far up inside the keel box does the water actually reach during "normal sailing"... I am trying to repair the inside of my keel box - lots of bubbles/blisters in the gel coat. Struggling to actually get the gel coat off deeper down inside the keel box where it begins to get too narrow for my hands and power tools can't reach.