Advice please on water leaks

[Fergus]

One irritating problem I'm trying to fix is water coming in from the mast (keel stepped) and apparently from elsewhere (quarter lockers always very damp). I also have water sloshing around the cabin sole after a spell with toe rails under. Is it necessary to reseal the stanchions every so often? The mast boot is new and forehatch seal is fine. The hull itself is watertight (i.e. on returning to the boat after a couple of weeks only a little water to pump) and stern gland is fine. One thing I have noticed also is although I pump out the loo and close seacocks there is always water in it when I next get on board..

Any help/advice appreciated!

 

[Robin]

Keel stepped masts are always troublesome as water can find it's way down inside the mast even if the deck/mast seal is good. The outer deck seal is worth replacing as a start, there is an extra wide self amalgamating tape (6") which is sold in the USA (West Marine) or use a disk cut from wet suit neoprene, slit it to go round the mast and glue it back to close it. If you already have replaced this it could be worth adding the tape version over the top as well.

However my guess is that is just a part of your problem. Water after a rails under sail suggests the hull/deck join may be leaking or water is finding it's way via toerail/rubbing strake bolts. Stanchion bases are a possible source too as you said as are the shroud plates (often the windward one is the one to leak as this is the one under load).

Is the water salt or fresh?? Leaks from freshwater tanks/pipes /pumps/taps not to mention calorifier relief valves are all possibles.

The stern gland is an obvious suspect as is the rudder shaft seal or even the rudder tube or it's seal with the hull. The rudder shaft may be fine at rest but leak under load when sailing or when boatspeed raises the waterline at the stern with the bow wave.

Tracing leaks is tiresome but you need to do it systematically, isolate parts to see if that suggests where it comes from and use paper towels and/or talcum powder as telltales in likely locations.

IMO boats should be dry, water should be on the outside not inside and a little dust in the bilges is much better. It took a long time to achieve that aim on our last boat but we managed it and our current one is always bone dry and dusty although we did have to re-route the calorifier relief valve overflow overboard instead of into the bilges.

Good luck!

 

[harvey]

Good reply!

 

[tugboat]

Do you have a bilge pump that discharges through the side of the hull? These can let water back in when the outlet is below the heeled waterline. (Guess how I know?!) Especially a problem with the auto electric type as no valves in the system. If that could be the problem, you could fit a non-return valve, or a gooseneck loop to a height above the heeled waterline.

 

[simonfraser]

my previous boat had some "extra" holes drilled under the rubbing streak which had not been sealed . . . . . took me a long time to find

 

[oldsaltoz]

Sprinkle some talcum powder around the edge of the bilge and under the hull to deck join to locate the leaks.

Andavagoodweekend......