Leaky bolts…

[Scapa86]

I’ve got a jib sheet track with 18 bolts holding it down. Bolt 9 leaks badly and 10 drips a little. I took the track off and rebedded the track using butyl on the underside of the track, this failed and bolts 9 and 10 continued to leak. I took the track off again and this time, wrapped the tape round the bolts where the meet the deck, jn the hope the butyl would squish into any gaps and prevent leaks, but again, bolt 9 leaks badly and 10 drips. All other bolts are bone dry. Can anyone think of any reason why these two bolts only should leak? Can anyone else also talk me out of just filling these two problem holes with epoxy or resin, because I’m very tempted to do this. It is all very soul destroying…

 

[Concerto]

What type of boat and age is she? Do you know if the deck is solid GRP or has a balsa or foam core with plywood pads for fittings?

My intial thought is it could be a leak from a window that is travelling through a balsa core and coming out at these two holes. Finding the source should solve the problem. Try using some food dye in some water and slowly pouring it over the window(s) above the track. If coloured water comes out, then you have found the source. Use different colours to be more specific to locate exactly where. It would be highly unlikely that the source is the middle of a genoa track.

 

[Scapa86]

Hi,
It’s a dockrell 37 which is basically a Sparkman and Stephens Debenaur with an extended stern. It was made in 1986 and it’s laminate build with some form of metal backing pad that has been glued into the underside of the deck above the jib track. Interesting point re windows, I see the water run down the deck up against the track and I do think the track is the culprit rather than a window. I’m sorry but I’m not technologically advanced enough to post a picture. Thanks for your thoughts though. Much appreciated.

 

[Aeolus]

Another possibility could be that, if it is a cored deck, that the area around those two bolts is saturated with water and the drips come from the saturation rather than new ingress.