volume of water in Sadler 25 bilges

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PWR

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How much water would you expect to collect in the bilges of a 30 year old Sadler 25 bilge keeler? There is only one suction point for the manual bilge pump, just in front of the engine, so the other access panels in the saloon and heads, and up where the log wheel access at the heads, all yield a good bit. But, the level doesn't change.

I clear it once or twice a season, and don't want to say yet how much is there, let's not prejudice the panel, but it's more than it should be! Anyone else have such an experience before I start the search for how it's getting in?

Best,

PWR
 
After every trip we used to remove a couple of litres or so from the bilge of a Westerly Berwick. We never had a clue where it was coming from although I suppose a few ml must have come through the stern gland but no more. Too mucky looking to ever consider tasting it to see if it was fresh or salt!

One of the cockpit drains leaked I think .. at the top ...so a bit of rainwater got in that way. I think the watertrap on the exhaust may have leaked a little too.

Always seemed to be about the same amount but not enough to worry about.
 
I also have a Sadler 25 about 30 years old that I bought last year. My first boat. I dont tend to get much in the bilges but do find it in the rearward compartment behind the battery and in the foremost compartment just behind the anchor locker. I find I have to empty them maybe 3 or 4 times a year before they get to full. No idea where it comes from. I just accept it and put it down to the boats age.
 
Grahamm462 said:
I also have a Sadler 25 about 30 years old that I bought last year. My first boat. I dont tend to get much in the bilges but do find it in the rearward compartment behind the battery and in the foremost compartment just behind the anchor locker. I find I have to empty them maybe 3 or 4 times a year before they get to full. No idea where it comes from. I just accept it and put it down to the boats age.
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I'd be talking a lot more than that, will have to start an investigation this winter.
 
If its saltwater it can come through the stern gland, the seawater cooling system or leaking through hull / skin fittings. Plus possible keel bolts, but these are usually fairly obvious - as to be honest are most of the others.

The most difficult to trace are the fresh water ones that come from hull/deck joint. badly sealed fittings, leaking windows, badly sealed chain plates and so on. The water can appear well away from the source, so you have to clean and dry the bilge completely and "watch for the trail of water. Talcum powder can be useful as dribbles of water leave a trail.

A tiny leak can lead to a lot of weater over time.
 
I've had two boats which leaked like sieves. One was the pipe from the cockpit drain to the skin fitting so that I got both rainwater and lakewater in.
The other was mainly window rubbers.
My present one leaked like mad, until I looked on the owners site and found that the cockpit locker mouldings usually leak.
I re-sealed them and after 3 months on the water I looked in the sump area of the bilge today. Cobwebs.
There is usually a definite source. Like Tranona suggests talcum powder works a treat. That identified a leak from the blige runner fixings on my BiL's fishing boat. We would never have found it otherwise.
 
Bukh engine? When I bought my 34 I was told by the previous owner that the large volumes of water in the engine bilge were due to water running down the sidedecks and aft to the transom, thence into the stern locker and into the bilge. The situation had obviously been in existence for some time, worsened when the water level reached the flywheel, which distributed it throughout the engine bay.

After a brief inspection I found that in fact the water was coming from the water pump, through the relief hole provided to eject water when the water seal fails, rather than pump it into the crankcase. I suggest you look at this soon.
 
I had a Sadler 25 for a few years - have to say the main bilge was as dry as a bone.

The engine bilge used to collect a fair bit from the stern gland until I changed to a Volvo seal. Still got a little after that but only rainwater and mainly from the cockpit drains - there were four on my boat and the joints in the pipes leaked a little.

Deck leaks are a bugger tho - I find they seem to drip down behind linings etc.
 
It's a GRP boat - there should be nothing but dust in the bilges even if you have one of the old fashioned stuffing boxes.

Taste the water - is it fresh or salt?
 
Sadler bilges

I have a Sadler 26 and occasionally find a little water (a cupful) in the cockpit locker due, I think, to rain water or boat washing water driving under the lid. Other than that I get no unexpected water in the bilges and would be rather concerned if I did. When I bought the boat there were leaks via the small window above the head and via the cables coming through the deck for VHF, mast head wind and tricolour. Once they were fixed the boat has stayed dry.
As others have said, a key question is whether it's salt water coming up or fresh water coming down? To my thinking, any source except dripping water pump or stern gland (both of which can be kept minimal or even zero) would worry me.
Morgan
 
When I had a Sigma 33 I often found a fair bit of water in the bilges after a sail. When I sold it, the survey revealed a seeping flange on the keel to hull join. This had seeped after a hard beat to windward.
 
ended up tracking the leaks to three sources - one weeping bolt on hull:deck connection, rainwater getting in through the gas locker (which will now require a proper through hull fitting and connecting a hose into the main cockpit drain and sea-cock, more of that anon), and a weeping hose on the secondary cockpit drain, right over the engine bay.

The joys of it all.
 
Another potential source of leakage, and I speak from experience, is the exhaust. In my case, a hole in the hose between the elbow and silencer, under the sump (of course) created a scary amount of water in the bilges. Because the hole was in the bottom of the hose, not much exhaust gas came out to give a clue. Easy to identify the source of course, but worth checking the hose as a hole can be fairly catastrophic!
 
Prior to having some repairs done recently I was getting water ingress into the stern locker,up to 1" deep whenever it rained. Any more than 2" would allow the water to overlap the exhaust pipeflange inside there and drain into the bilge below.
This locker has been bone dry throughout the winter months and dusty within, however I power-washed the boat overall after scrubbing off, only to find that the water leak was through the piano hinges of the locker lid, not around the edges which have a sealing strip fitted; so have run silicone sealant along the hinge and hopefully have now cured this, should it rain hard in the next fw days.

ianat182
 
SimonD said:
Another potential source of leakage, and I speak from experience, is the exhaust. In my case, a hole in the hose between the elbow and silencer, under the sump (of course) created a scary amount of water in the bilges. Because the hole was in the bottom of the hose, not much exhaust gas came out to give a clue. Easy to identify the source of course, but worth checking the hose as a hole can be fairly catastrophic!
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I had the same - a little, increasing over a season to worrying amounts of, water in the engine bilge after motoring caused by a hole where the hose passed close to an anode bolt. Engine vibration cused it to hit the bolt from time to time and, over about 5 years, it wore through. A new hose has cured it
 
Glad you said that!

Bosun Higgs said:
It's a GRP boat - there should be nothing but dust in the bilges even if you have one of the old fashioned stuffing boxes.

Taste the water - is it fresh or salt?
Click to expand...

Just spent several weeks and used beer vouchers to produce dry bilges throughout the boat - a Westerly.
It was those crappy Volvo joints that leaked in turn! So you paid one attention until it stopped and another one would take over secretly.

Just got to stop the drips from the stern gland, but it's hardly worthwhile. But a good flush and a bit of waterproof grease and that will be fine.

How long should a Volvo stern gland last?
 
Hi, I noticed last year that from being bone dry my (Konsort) bilge had filled up pretty quickly. It was only after my wife complained that there was no water in the fresh water tank .........cracked inline water filter.
 
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