Dufour slowly sinking

[mmorgan@peoplevalue.co.uk]

I seem to be continually pumping out my bilges about a couple of litres a week. The boat is a dufour 425 grand large. I noticed that the stanchions were lose and spent most of yesterday removing all the soft fittings to get to the bolts and have tightened them all. Also notice water discoloration in the woodwork where the stanchions are located. Could this be the cause of my slow but inevitable movement to davy jones locker?

Any ideas welcome.

Thanks

 

[mainsail1]

Check the keel.

 

[Leighb]

First check would be whether it is fresh or salt. If salt it isn't your stanchions.

 

[Sailfree]

I assume you are in salt water so firstly establish whether the water in bilge is salt or fresh. There should be a way to test the degree of salinity of the bilge water. Don't know myself but sure you can find out with a bit of research.

Lastly how long are you out of the water for winter maintenance? If bilges still fill at the same rate it has to be rainwater (or the wife secretly filling the boat with water to persuade you to sell it!)

Hope this helps

EDIT - sorry for slow typing Leigh b got there first!

 

[capnsensible]

I spent months once chasing a wet bilge problem. Turned out to be the hot water tank.

 

[Richard10002]

On my Moody 44 the pressure Relief valve on the calorifier used to let a bit of water out every so often and the water pump would run now and then for seemingly no reason... until I discovered the reason

There could be many reasons why a little water is collecting over the course of a week...

Is it salty, oily, something else?

If you dry out the bilge completely, then spread some talcum powder, you should be able to see where its coming from into the bilge... then you can do the same wherever, and follow the trail.

You wont sink for a while with a couple of litres a week.

 

[sailorman]

On my Moody 44 the pressure Relief valve on the calorifier used to let a bit of water out every so often and the water pump would run now and then for seemingly no reason... until I discovered the reason

There could be many reasons why a little water is collecting over the course of a week...

Is it salty, oily, something else?

If you dry out the bilge completely, then spread some talcum powder, you should be able to see where its coming from into the bilge... then you can do the same wherever, and follow the trail.

You wont sink for a while with a couple of litres a week.

That is what well rigged does

 

[Leighb]

Easiest way to check if it is salt or fresh is to taste it.

 

[bobgarrett]

As mentioned, key is checking whether salt or fresh water.
Also does water appear even if pumps are off? My Dufour had a pin hole leak from the hot water pipe to the calorifier as they had run the plastic piping straight to it and it cannot take engine water temp for long.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Easiest way to check if it is salt or fresh is to taste it.

I once had a slow leak on the discharge side of the toilet ....

 

[Spyro]

I once had a slow leak on the discharge side of the toilet ....

Had you tasted it?

 

[sailorman]

As mentioned, key is checking whether salt or fresh water.
Also does water appear even if pumps are off? My Dufour had a pin hole leak from the hot water pipe to the calorifier as they had run the plastic piping straight to it and it cannot take engine water temp for long.

i always open a galley tap after turning the batteries off to relax the diaphragm & remove any system pressure

 

[Bandit]

Before you taste it bear in mind it could be from the toilet system !

You can get salinity test kits from pet fish shops.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Something to look out for is leaks where the top and hull are joined on he stern more have a rubber strip and what I have found with two jenneua is under the rubber the bonding is just glass and there is no gel , so under motor the stern sit in the water And they can start to leak , I had to dig out wet mat from one boat re glass it and then seal it with a coat of gel , some thing any one who has a dufour, Jen or Ben with a rubber strip should be awhere off , two year ago I removed my strip lucky mine was ok but I still coated it with gel before resealing the rubber strip back on ,

 

[Tintin]

Before you taste it bear in mind it could be from the toilet system !

You can get salinity test kits from pet fish shops.

A little taste is hardly gonna kill you. Time honoured method. Get your tongue out.

 

[jwilson]

Easiest way to check if it is salt or fresh is to taste it.

Agreed: some people shudder at the thought but I've tasted enough samples of bilgewater over the years and I'm still here.

 

[Richard10002]

A little taste is hardly gonna kill you. Time honoured method. Get your tongue out.

Ooh Err Missus!

I think you're in the wrong thread

 

[mjcoon]

First check would be whether it is fresh or salt. If salt it isn't your stanchions.

Unless it is a rather wet boat, or you go out in very rough weather...

Mike.

 

[mjcoon]

Easiest way to check if it is salt or fresh is to taste it.

I seem to remember that the "flame test" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_test) is sensitive to sodium because you get the characteristic yellow of sodium lamps. But you need the bit of wire to dip in the solution and hold in a flame, and the wire must not generate strong colour of its own...

Mike.

 

[horatio_nelson]

I once had a slow leak on the discharge side of the toilet ....

I've just fixed one of them (yeeeuch), and a leaking hose between water pump and calorifier - hours of fun