How wet are your bilges?

dylanwinter said:
the slug was wet

maybe a two pints a week

more if it was raining

Harmony is about half a pint per side (twin keel Centaur) per week when sailing and no rain at all comes in

she is close to being dry when just sitting on a pontoon or a mooring

but the weeping around the keel bolts is just enough to make the side lockers too wet for anything other than fenders unless you sponge them out out once every two days or so.

everything else has to be in Aldi bags

nothing coming in from the stern gland once filled with grease

walking around marinas I hear pumps going off a lot

I just wondered what was normal

Dylan

PS Katie L has dust in her bilges
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In a room full of dry things my (36 year old) boat's bilge is the driest - and so should yours.
 
I trust it's OK to post about a motor boat. Our first cuddy had an absolutely bone dry bilge. The second, from the same OEM was very wet indeed; it was like they deliberately designed it to let rainwater in. The third, same OEM is somewhat between the two;
 
Much wetter than they should be :(

I'm aware of three possible causes and will be fixing all of them this winter. We'll see whether it's worked next season.

Pete
 
A major cause of wetness this time of year is condensation. You can stop water leaking in but you can't keep air out and that carries moisture - a lot. This was brought home to me the other day when working in my boat under the cockpit bench. I looked up and the underside of the cockpit was covered in globules of water.
Window leaks are curable and keel bolts shouldn't leak. Stern gland can be adjusted so there's just an occasional drip when motoring.
 
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>but the weeping around the keel bolts is just enough to make the side lockers too wet for anything other than fenders unless you sponge them out out once every two days or so.

It strikes me that that could lead to serious problems. I would get it hauled out and fixed sharpish.

We had a stern gland that was designed to drip so I cut a bowl to fit under it and attached hose that fed the water into a container.
 
neilf39 said:
Completely dry. Other than the stern gland I would not expect water to get in anywhere else on a fibreglass boat unless you have things like showers emptying into the bilges. Wood is a different matter.
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I am the happy owner of a wooden boat not a drop in the bilge all season, once she took up after lay up.
 
ghostlymoron said:
A major cause of wetness this time of year is condensation. You can stop water leaking in but you can't keep air out and that carries moisture - a lot. This was brought home to me the other day when working in my boat under the cockpit bench. I looked up and the underside of the cockpit was covered in globules of water.
Window leaks are curable and keel bolts shouldn't leak. Stern gland can be adjusted so there's just an occasional drip when motoring.
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+1. My yacht gets water in the bilges only when ashore, in the winter, not afloat and in use, in the summer. A dehumidifier would cure it, but my present yard charges a fortune for continuous power when ashore.
 
KellysEye said:
>but the weeping around the keel bolts is just enough to make the side lockers too wet for anything other than fenders unless you sponge them out out once every two days or so.

It strikes me that that could lead to serious problems. I would get it hauled out and fixed sharpish.

We had a stern gland that was designed to drip so I cut a bowl to fit under it and attached hose that fed the water into a container.
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well done - classic forum post implying that my boat, my bank balance and my personal safety are all at risk

on the basis of your most timely warning this very morning I phoned the yard and am paying them £100 for an emergency haul out

this month they will remove the keels, replace all the bolts and re-bed them

the bill will be around £1500 and the interior will be a bit trashed but worth every penny I am sure you will agree

D
 
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If a fibreglass boat has been wet inside with seawater, it will help to stop dampness by making sure that all salt is removed, perhaps fresh water with a sponge and then wipe dry.

If a small boat try wet wipes - dry off with kitchen tissue?

At the end of a season I use half a dozen packets of Tescos baby wipes all through the boat, bilges, woodwork, headlinings, lockers and all.

Gets rid of general dirt, salt etc.

S.
 
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Next time the mast is down, stick a part inflated balloon just below the last pulley, leave any cables, add some closed cell builders foam of the pressure pack type.
The hole you drill will become the new drain.

Problem solved.

Good luck and fair winds.
 
dylanwinter said:
well done - classic forum post implying that my boat, my bank balance and my personal safety are all at risk

on the basis of your most timely warning this very morning I phoned the yard and am paying them £100 for an emergency haul out

this month they will remove the keels, replace all the bolts and re-bed them

the bill will be around £1500 and the interior will be a bit trashed but worth every penny I am sure you will agree

D
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I had this done on my bilge keeled Mirage 28. The interior wasn't trashed at all because there was access to all the keel bolts. The bolts were pulled and examined and were good as new so not replaced. No further wet lockers or worries until I sold her. Well worth the money. I've even forgotten the eye watering cost!


IMGP0419_zpse4099860.jpg

More photos on my photobucket if you're interested. http://s496.photobucket.com/user/ghostlymoron/library/Anemone?sort=3&page=1
 
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