Comments on a new leak?

[Judders]

I arrived at the boat on Saturday to find that water was getting into the forward bilge again from somewhere. Whilst it is probably not the keel, which was subject to a major repair three months ago, we could not be sure that it wasn’t and therefore I had little choice but to bin the sailing for the weekend. Obviously I very much hope that it isn’t the keel and I intend to rule out all other possibilities before panicking too much. I went back yesterday, having had a night to sleep on the problem, and carried out investigations which suggest, though not confirm, that the water is coming down into the bilge rather than up from the keelbolt. The water in the bilge on Saturday was brackish but in fairness, we had poured sea water over the boat several times recently so this does not rule out it being the hatch and of course seawater would also be there is the water was coming from the heads.



I’d be grateful if those of you with a practical bent could give me your observations on the following.



Hatch

The most likely culprit is the hatch. The seal is most definitely gone and a simple test shows that water fairly pours through when applied by bucket. Unfortunately we did not have the facility to simulate rain over the weekend but given that a lot of water runs down past the hatch from the coachroof I am not convince that this is a distinct disqualification. I’ve purchased sealing tape but unfortunately it does not fit the Lewmar hatch, however I’ve been tipped off about a firm who do sell the right shape tape and I am hoping to fit a new seal on Friday. If it is not possible to do this then I shall fit a temporary cover with duck tape, just to see what happens. In the meantime there’s a binbag in the hatch way (which is not helping much) and a bucket beneath the hatch. The only thing that suggests to me that it may not be the hatch is the cushion which was under the hatch. It was damp but not sodden.



Heads

It is possible that there is a slow leak from the heads. It’s a pretty [--word removed--] installation (no pun intended) and if I was to find myself richer tomorrow, I’d replace it. I’ve checked around the seacocks for a leak and can not find one there now. I’ve pumped it as dry as I can and thus, now the seacocks are closed, there is little more that should be able to leak in. That said, I can not see any sign of a leak but I shall give the whole thing a good clean and look again.



Keel Bolt

Of course this is very much the worst case scenario and would no doubt lead to a long and drawn out claim, so lets hope it’s not. Obviously the water starts to pool around the bolt (being at the lowest point) but yesterday I dried the area entirely and put a blueroll dam around it at a distance of a couple of inches. The blueroll got wet before the bolt did which suggest that the moisture is running down from the carpet. What I need to do, to be sure, is come up with a better way of isolating the keelbolt from other sources of moisture (bare in mind that the carpet is currently entirely sodden). I have tried previously with marine sealant and this does not work as it does not have time to dry before it gets wet again. Suggestions on an alternative would be gratefully received. Currently I am intending to try bathroom silicone sealant although I am unsure how quickly this dries in damp conditions?

 

[Katouf]

You're not going to like the answers you'll be getting from everybody! It's going to entail a lot of time and patience.
First remove all water from the bilge and places above it such as bunks, cushions, underdeck shelves etc etc. Best method if there is insufficient to pump it out is a sponge and bucket;
Dry all areas thoroughly with cloths and paper towels;
Seal off hatch, as you have suggested, as well as hawse pipe for anchor chain, and ensure all sea cocks are firmly shut (toilet in/out, galley waste, engine cooling, cockpit drains etc; check fresh water tanks for pipe outlets and valves as well;
apply talcum powder in vulnerable areas where you know it was already wet;
arm yourself with a torch and a supply of food and drink (non-alcoholic of course);
inspect for water trails at intervals.

Any leaks that appear will now be internal, through the hull, or from other sources such as leaky window / ports etc.

Not an exact science but there it is. All the very best of luck

Alan

 

[Eygthene]

You could try building a "dam" of plasticene in a ring around the bolt and then blot dry the area around the bolt, to see if it fills up again.

The duct tape over the hatch joint should help to decide if that is the source. It may be tracking down the inner lining rather than dripping onto the cushions.

I eventually traced a forward compartment leak to the anchor locker. Tip a bucket of water in there and see if it gets into the bilge. The drain holes from the locker through the bows were not continuous, but admitted some water down inside the boat as it drained. I drilled them out oversize and glassed in a couple of short lengths of tube to bridge the gap between the internal fillet of GRP and the inner skin of the hull, where the drain holes had been drilled through.

 

[MarkJohnson12345]

Windows are always the bette noir on my Sadler.

Has it rained significantly to allow that amount of water in??

I also get water dripping in the loo throught the vent. Its one of those with a water trap designed to keep water out!!

If it has not rained significantly then presumably water is coming up, not down!

Take heart in the fact that boats generally leak far more from rain water than sea water!

Good luck

 

[Twister_Ken]

Is the boat well ventilated? If not, condensation?

 

[Judders]

The last time that bilge was dry to my certain knowledge was late October. Early November rained heavilly and I've cleaned the boat thoroughly twice since then as well as de-frosted it with sea-water twice. Add to that that the boat is very poorly ventilated and it points towards a combination of the hatch and condensation. I've dried it as much as I can and stuck a bucket under the hatch and stuck a bit basket of crystals down there. I'm hoping to get down there on Friday to check it. I'll try and pick up plasterscene on the way for the damn.

Thanks for your input folks.

 

[seamaster30]

remove water and dry thoroughly, then scatter talcum powder - this will show water traces at the next leak.

 

[Judders]

Thanks all for your help. I'm very pleased to say that the talc worked and even more pleased that the water was not only coming down rather than up, but appears to be coming from the other side to the heads.