I am stumped. After fixing leaks in the aft Hatch and a stbd side Window of our 1986 E32-3 I still have a leak. But it is not coming into the cabin, only the aft bildges. The cabin is very dry from stem to stern even with the heavy rains we have been having in the great green wet Pacific NW near Seattle. But the aft bilges collect a gallon or so every time it rains hard. I don't think it is coming from the mast or anywhere forward since the fwd bilge collects only a modest amount of rain from the mast and the fwd transducer area of the bottom is dry. I have crawled around everywhere I can when it is raining heavy to no avail. I can only say that it seems to be either coming down the sides and maybe from the rear. But from where? I have a big tarp over the cockpit so very little rain even makes it to the cockpit scuppers. So do any of you have any ideas where these Ericsons tend to leak? Now the interesting part is that a friend also has an E32-3 a few serial numbers different just across the pier and it leaks the same way. Talk about coincidences. So if we fix one we probably get two fixed. Neat.
Jerry, If you can get to the water you see in the aft bilges, consider shaking some baby talc in what appears to be the path to it, come back to see if the takc has been disturbed, shake more on, etc. Eventually you should see the source or sources of the leaks. Mind you, there might well be more than one so be prepared to follow one or more paths. Good luck, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55 Marina del Rey CA
Sneaky Rain Water
While we wait for some of the many owners of this Ericson model to check in...
On our '88 model there were persistant, albeit small, winter rain leaks from "somewhere way back aft" for years.
This spring I took off the stern pulpit(s) to have old wiring holes welded up and to rebed them. I found water stains and old trails below the drilled-out centers of the foot on one side where wiring came down through from the former Loran, and, to some extent, from the stern light wiring on the other side.
The old sealant globbed into these half-inch holes was not really holding back the drips. The circular bases were letting some water sneak in, also.
After rebedding, this part of the stern is dry.
Admittedly the Olson has a small advantage in not having a TAFG for water to hide inside of.
Still, we are talking about deck fittings with 20 years age on their sealant. Might be time for a coordinated approach to the problem and a general rebedding project for this winter.
Opinions worth .01, with seasonal discount.
Cheers,
Loren in PDX
While we wait for some of the many owners of this Ericson model to check in...
On our '88 model there were persistant, albeit small, winter rain leaks from "somewhere way back aft" for years.
This spring I took off the stern pulpit(s) to have old wiring holes welded up and to rebed them. I found water stains and old trails below the drilled-out centers of the foot on one side where wiring came down through from the former Loran, and, to some extent, from the stern light wiring on the other side.
The old sealant globbed into these half-inch holes was not really holding back the drips. The circular bases were letting some water sneak in, also.
After rebedding, this part of the stern is dry.
Admittedly the Olson has a small advantage in not having a TAFG for water to hide inside of.
Still, we are talking about deck fittings with 20 years age on their sealant. Might be time for a coordinated approach to the problem and a general rebedding project for this winter.
Opinions worth .01, with seasonal discount.
Cheers,
Loren in PDX
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Dan Callen
Contributing Member III
I had the same problem. Check the seal around the flanges for the air vents mounted on the teak aft of your cockpit. I had a bucket stored in my lazzerette on the port side and it kept filling with rain water. Rebedded the port vent and the bucket is now dry. Dan Callen Ericson 32-3 Andiamo
Geoff Johnson
Fellow Ericson Owner
My boat (the bilges are connected by limber holes) fills up quickly from mast leakage (that's why I had the yard drill a 1/2 inch hole in the hull at the turn of the bilge - it's plugged with a set screw before launching). The other major source of water was a sneaky crack in one of the above-the-water cockpit drain hoses. The crappy OEM spiral reinforced hose is easily damaged by things sliding around in the lazarette.by the first keel bolt
BTW, the forward transducer area is not connected to the bilges; even if the bilge is full, that area will stay dry. However there is a lower nearly inaccessible bilge area by the first keel bolt. When I discovered it I was able to pump a gallon of smelly stale water from the hole under the trim piece just in front of the mast base.
BTW, the forward transducer area is not connected to the bilges; even if the bilge is full, that area will stay dry. However there is a lower nearly inaccessible bilge area by the first keel bolt. When I discovered it I was able to pump a gallon of smelly stale water from the hole under the trim piece just in front of the mast base.
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Well I think the first thing I will do is as Dan and Mike (above) suggest is cover over the vent caps and pump her dry then wait. It's a little wet & cool to be recaulking things now - but it is the time to find where to do so later. Interesting on the fwd bilge ahead of the mast. I need to look closer there. And I never thought of talc or food coloring to trace leaks before.
Thanks to all - Jerry
Thanks to all - Jerry
Leak Found, Finially. Fixed, sort of
Well it has been a while since I posted the E32-3 leak question. But finally I discovered that a couple of the deck stanchions had been bent inward with the mounting plates distorted. So I gooped them up with 4200 sealant and the rain leakage is basically stopped except for the mast. A pretty darn dry boat now. I only thought to look at the stanchions after repairing a friends stanchions from his Catalina and saw the same plate distortion. Now when time permits I should remove mine and fix them correctly too. To remove them involves getting at the mounting bolt nuts inside the zippered headliner, with frozen zippers of course. Another time. Gee, it feels good to close a posted question.
Well it has been a while since I posted the E32-3 leak question. But finally I discovered that a couple of the deck stanchions had been bent inward with the mounting plates distorted. So I gooped them up with 4200 sealant and the rain leakage is basically stopped except for the mast. A pretty darn dry boat now. I only thought to look at the stanchions after repairing a friends stanchions from his Catalina and saw the same plate distortion. Now when time permits I should remove mine and fix them correctly too. To remove them involves getting at the mounting bolt nuts inside the zippered headliner, with frozen zippers of course. Another time. Gee, it feels good to close a posted question.