Leak only whilst motor sailing

[careymack]

I have a very small leak on my Carter 30 which only appears when motor sailing ie slightly healed. The engine is a Volvo MD7a driving through a saildrive. Has anyone any ideas?

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Check your engine hoses etc.

 

[Norman_E]

Check whether the water is getting in where the saildrive's rubber boot passes through the hull. A combination of the pull on it caused by the heel, and the engine vibration, could be inducing a leak. If the boot is old you need to examine it to see if the rubber is getting perished. I was told that they need replacing every 7 years, but have also heard of them being kept much longer.

 

[samwise]

Agree engine hoses check. Have a look at the motor while it is running to see if there is an obvious leak. I had a problem on my boat with seawater collecting in a previously dry bilge and I finally tracked it down to a chafed hole in the exhaust hose right back in the transom space, which pumped water into the bilge when the motor was running