Very slow leak

[scurr]

Hi Folks,

I get some sitting water around my depth sounder. I suspect this is where the very limited amount water gets into my bilge from. It’s a Sun Odyssey 37, so has a very small sump and in a week doesn’t set off the pump. My guess is I’m getting less than a litre a week.

The boat is new to me, and I am new to boat ownership, I did see some water there when I looked but the survey flagged nothing. I’m assuming it isn’t normal, and isn’t condensation as the log next to it (although the blank is in) has nothing.

So my first step will be getting a bung just in case. But as I’ve never really looked at these on anyone’s boat I don’t know what is normal… I’m guessing this isn’t. How would you recommend fixing?

 

[Wansworth]

First phase of boat ownership is to have something to worry about

 

[Minerva]

good practice is to keep some appropriately sized wooden bungs near any & all skin fittings anyway.

I'd be adding it to the list of things to attend to this winter though - remove, reseal and refit/replace

 

[Fr J Hackett]

If you are sure that it's the depth sounder transducer then the only answer to cure the problem is to remove it and rebed it. Unfortunately depending on how and what was used to bed it in the first place you might end up damaging it.
Leave it till the end of the season when the boat is out of the water and you have time to do the job properly and get a replacement transducer if needs be.

 

[jaminb]

When I took ownership of my SO37 I had numerous leaks and puddles! Mainly internal plumbing but the one you described was caused by worn O rings on the log and the plug. On mine the transducer is glassed in so can't leak.

 

[Refueler]

Hi Folks,

I get some sitting water around my depth sounder. I suspect this is where the very limited amount water gets into my bilge from. It’s a Sun Odyssey 37, so has a very small sump and in a week doesn’t set off the pump. My guess is I’m getting less than a litre a week.

The boat is new to me, and I am new to boat ownership, I did see some water there when I looked but the survey flagged nothing. I’m assuming it isn’t normal, and isn’t condensation as the log next to it (although the blank is in) has nothing.

So my first step will be getting a bung just in case. But as I’ve never really looked at these on anyone’s boat I don’t know what is normal… I’m guessing this isn’t. How would you recommend fixing?

Is the depth sounder transducer actually through hull or sitting in a tube bonded inside the hull ?

 

[scurr]

Here is a photo you can see the water at this (aft) side of it I’ve dried it off in the hope to see if it is coming from under the lip or over it

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Is that a soft rubbery compound I mean the white stuff that's gobbed around and on the transducer particularly upper RHS as you view in the picture or is it hard like gelcoat?

 

[scurr]

It’s hard, I think it is a form of bilge paint to be honest…. I think it has been repainted.

 

[scurr]

In the 2 hours since I dried it, nothing else has formed. So it is slow…

 

[Wansworth]

looks like flow coat…….bouba isyour man to tidy up all that splatter

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Anyway it doesn't matter whether it's flow coat or paint the transducer looks as though it stands a chance of coming out cleanly. So it's a winter job when the boat is out of the water.

 

[onesea]

Have you tasted water too see if it's fresh or salt? Fine as long as it's not your holding tank.

good practice is to keep some appropriately sized wooden bungs near any & all skin fittings anyway.

Having had a recent incident needing bungs, I would recommend they are kept easily accessible. NOT near the fitting.

If a fitting fails catastrophically you will never find the bung near the fitting.
Mine where in a locker to hand in seconds, with multiple bungs similar sizes. If I dropped one it didn't matter, I would never of found a bung if it where attached to or the vicinity of the the now missing fitting.

Something's sound great in theory.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Have you tasted water too see if it's fresh or salt? Fine as long as it's not your holding tank.



Having had a recent incident needing bungs, I would recommend they are kept easily accessible. NOT near the fitting.

If a fitting fails catastrophically you will never find the bung near the fitting.
Mine where in a locker to hand in seconds, with multiple bungs similar sizes. If I dropped one it didn't matter, I would never of found a bung if it where attached to or the vicinity of the the now missing fitting.

Something's sound great in theory.

Having owend the same boat the calorifier is in the next door locker, so taste test..

 

[Channel Sailor]

Flowcoat on top of of the fitting looks odd to me. There must have been a repair around there somewhere. Maybe not odd, but I would be wondering what was repaired post install of the sensor.

 

[TiggerToo]

First phase of boat ownership is to have something to worry about

that applies to the second, third... umpteenth stages too

 

[TiggerToo]

Flowcoat on top of of the fitting looks odd to me. There must have been a repair around there somewhere. Maybe not odd, but I would be wondering what was repaired post install of the sensor.

just looks like sloppy painting to me.

Agreed with the others who said: keep monitoring, but probably deal with it at the next lift out.

 

[steveeasy]

Dont tend to look at mine too much but from memory is there not a twist ring missing, to lock it in place. I might be very wrong but thought id just check.

Steveeasy

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Dont tend to look at mine too much but from memory is there not a twist ring missing, to lock it in place. I might be very wrong but thought id just check.

Steveeasy

It's half covered in white stuff

 

[Refueler]

I'm looking at the photo and I don't like the look of the area between the two 'ducers' ...

I would be looking round there to see if the securing nut ring has been compromised by that split 'whatever it is' between the two.