Water leaks

[Dave_Knowles]

Can anyone please give me ideas where to look for water leaking into the bilges. Throughout the summer the boat has been almost completely dry but now the rain has come the bilges are starting to fill. I have been round the boat looking at obvious area but they seem ok. I am therefore at a loss as to where now to look. There is a canvas cover over the cockpit which does not seem to leak and has been reproofed recently.


<hr width=100% size=1>Take care.

Dave

Dave Knowles
Southampton - UK

http://www.MyCleopatra.co.uk

 

[tcm]

sleuthing water leaks

It helps to be on board and patient to find this. The water colects in the bilge BUT you have to find the source. With small amounts of water I did this by blocking the limber holes in the bilge with lumps of Blutackm and also dividing up the bilge a bit, which also isolates which area has the leak and which doesn't. Around the windows, shower trays, all sorts of interesting places can be sources. Attwood shower pumps can be leaky too, and the float switch is rubbish. The leaky shower tray can be a trciky one becuase if people have a shower, see, cos thiv been for a swim in the sea, then the water in the bilge (which i had a quick taste of to check origin of water) tastes a bit salty so you are thrown of the scent. Hope this helps.

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[jhr]

I'm no expert, but the main possibilities that I can think of would be:

- through the anchor locker somehow
- through a deck fitting (though hard to see how it could produce enough water to add noticeably to the contents of the bilges)
- through the canopy, in spite of apparent absence of leaks (but seems unlikely, given what you say)
- leak from freshwater tank or engine coolant

One further thought: is the water in the bilges fresh or salt? It couldn't be due to the failure of a skin fitting or the outdrive gaiter could it?

You've probably thought of all these already!

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[tcm]

entry points for water can be where something is screwed on eg around the nav lights. But there wd be water around the upholstery too praps? Isn't this fun?!
Another possible is that it's your next door neighbour chucking water in your bilge for a laugh.

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[mtomison]

I have had this trouble before.
I was able to lift out all of the cabin soles and, having dried all of the surfaces sprinkled them with talc. This shows where the water is coming from and you keep going back till you find the source.

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[Elessar]

I had many rain leaks the first time it rained after I bought the boat, and water travels a long way horizontally to confuse.
Blocking limber holes and talc are good ideas. Food dye can help, too - different colours at different suspected entry points.
The difficult to find leak on mine was the rubbing strip at the deck/topsides join. Water runs down behind the carpet which is stuck to the inside of the hull, without making it feel wet at all, and then appears in the bilge as if by magic. Other leaks were cured by rebedding a deck light and the trim strip around a window.

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[LadyInBed]

This is the way I would have suggested to go about it.

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[brian_neale]

My boat managed to fill its bilge during last season without me noticing - only found out when checking batteries which are under cabin sole. I would guess around 30-40 gallons, which made me start looking for a big hole somewhere. Turned out to be the rubber gland around the VHF antenna cable. It had been fitted with a gland with a too-small central hole, which meant that the slit did not quite close up when clamped down. Probably no more than a couple of sq. mm. area, but over a season let in a lot of water - which dripped off the cable down a gap between floorboards leaving no visible traces. I found it by standing below while my son squirted the marina hose across the deck and coachroof.

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[Dave_Knowles]

I went down to the boat at the weekend and there was a lot of water in the cabin area. I think it maybe coming throught the fixing hole on the roof so I am going to take down the headlining and as you sugest pour water over the roof. I must sort it out.

<hr width=100% size=1>Take care.

Dave

Dave Knowles
Southampton - UK

http://www.MyCleopatra.co.uk

 

[PaulJ]

Couldn't be condensation could it ? Why not beg, borrow or steal a de-humidifier and see if that makes any difference.... I've sent you a PM...


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[Dave_Knowles]

Paul.

I am sure that condensation is playing a part but mainly with the amount it must be leaks.

I have not as yet got your PM.

<hr width=100% size=1>Take care.

Dave

Dave Knowles
Southampton - UK

http://www.MyCleopatra.co.uk

 

[Avocet]

Is the boat out of the water? If so, you can cross anything below the waterline off the list! Also, if you're trying to find a leak with a hose, make sure it sprinkles the water (like rain) rather than forces it as a jet. It's quite easy to make boats leak by doing this and you'll end up solving a problem you haven't got! Finally, if it is out of the water, is it facing the same way as your berth? Ours never leaked a drop one season on a swinging mooring because it was nearly always head to any strong wind. Leaked like a sieve when we hauled out though!

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[Dave_Knowles]

No it is in the water but there was no leaking during the summer only now that the rain has come.

<hr width=100% size=1>Take care.

Dave

Dave Knowles
Southampton - UK

http://www.MyCleopatra.co.uk

 

[Dave_Knowles]

Well my weekend job was chase the leaks and did I find some. I took all the headlining off and found leaks all over the place. Decided the best thing was to remove everything from the rooff fill all the holes and start again. The chain loker leaks so I need to find something I can paint the inside with that willk make it water proof. Other leaks down the side I still have to trace. once I have presumably I just bed everything that screws down in silican sealant?

<hr width=100% size=1>Take care.

Dave

Dave Knowles
Southampton - UK

http://www.MyCleopatra.co.uk

 

[Trevethan]

A lot of people don't like silicone sealants for boats, not sure why, but I tend to use sikaflex. You can buy marine for 10 to 15 quid a go or builders grade for £4,. same stuff as far as I can see.

Check the dates as it goes off, even in the tube so get best sell by date stuff.

Comes in colours well at least bblack and white.. black is evil stuff and will stay on your hands for weeks is you are dopey enough not to wear gloves while applying..erhhmmm...

Anyway drips on teh dides are usually stanchions/genoa cars so have a look at them.

The sikaflwex tends to be easier to work in warm weather btw

good luck!

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[Martin_e]

Good game, good game. It will keep you going for hours, days, years or if you are lucky you will allways have something to do for the rest of your life.

Seriously though water will find the most unimaginable ways in, but remember it will only run downhill. I see you have windscreens on the boat, an idea could be: The screen is well sealed to the deck on both sides (inside and out). But there are probably bolts holding it down. What if you have a small leak around one of the glass seals, which drains into frame, which drains into the area where the bolts are and then down the bolt. You can not see it coming out on the inside, because it goes on the inside of whatever lining you have and then finds its way to the bath!.
Sounds far fetched? Similar happened to me. Fixed it but still get water in.


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