bilge water

[reginaldon]

A new owner of a Caprice IV (B K of course) Everything looks fine externally, but she is making about 2 gallons per week on a half tide mooring which I think is excessive, especially in the v. shallow bilges beneath the sole. Any clues please about cause or treatment? -index doesn't seem to help much.

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[Capt_Marlinspike]

Is it salt or fresh? I spent ages trying to find how the water was getting in to mt boat before I realised it was leaky plumbing!

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[Robin]

As already said, first check if it is salt or fresh water. If it is fresh then you have all the possibilities of leaks via hatches, windows, deck fittings, water tank, pipes etc. If it is salt then the usual culprits are shaft seals (inboard engine), seacocks and hoses, rudder shaft tubes, rudder shaft seal, water pumps (on an inboard engine) and so on. Best idea is to try and identify if you can which area it comes from, is it from the the stern or the bow or what, then home in from there. Another possibility is the keel bolts, the Caprice I believe has a centre keel plus bilge plates, so a lot of bolts through the hull, though those on the plates will be small and easily replaced. Best of luck, the Caprice has a good pedigree, have you read Shane Acton's book about his travels in 'Shrimpy'?

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[reginaldon]

Thanks for help so far - I'm definitely talking sea water. Boat has bilge keels & outboard. Rudder area looks OK. Will try to .separate different parts of the bilge

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[reginaldon]

Thanks for help so far - I'm definitely talking sea water. Boat has bilge keels & outboard. Rudder area looks OK. Will try to .separate different parts of the bilge. Previously she was on a 1/8th tide, deep mud berth for about 5 years. Has since been on a hard & antifouled & it looks OK underneath.

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[Aja]

Sprinkle some talc round the most obvious areas, as mentioned above by Robin.

Sometimes water appears not where it entered if you get my drift and can be really difficult to pin down exactly where it is seeping in - cos it is seeping and not gushing...

Good luck

Donald

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[Bejasus]

Sorry, don't know your boat, but I was told that my 40 y.o. bilge keeler had keels attached to bilge plates with glassed in nuts. Anyhow, 4 out of 5 bolts had broke and decided to drop keel and replace bolts.(long story) Anyway, turned out that there were no nuts, after chiselling 1 off, but threaded bilge plate instead. Upsholt is, if that is what is leaking, then no big panic, just some inconvienience.IMHO. Dry out or go on hard & replace. Of course that may not be the problem at all.[crazy

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[Bejasus]

Forgot to add that if the leak is comming from somewhere else, then I don't know Jack S***t!!!/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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[janversteeg]

Had also once to track the source of salt water entering the boat. Found out that water via waves came via the outlet and the bilge pumps into the bilge(s), (multihull).

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