New sailboat owner here! 1971 E27 some questions about thruhull fittings...

[RedXII]

Hey guys, I'm a brand new member and this will be my first of many as a new sailboat owner.

My boat is for the most part in good order, she needs a lot of cosmetic work, and I'm noticing that after a night on the mooring, with no rain, I usually have to run my electric bilge to drain typically no more than a gallon of water. Rainstorms are a different story, my deck fittings need a lot of love, especially my stanchions.

That seems easy enough to me to repair, but now that I'm on the hard for the winter (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) I'm wondering where my thruhull leaks might be coming from.

I've noticed some water coming in from the packing gland on the prop shaft, which is typical, but it feels like there is likely another culprit given the amount I'm getting onboard.

Are there typical leaky points on these boats? Or particular fittings I should pay extra attention to?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Epenn]

Very unscientific, but I am fairly sure that my water ingress has gone from approximately what you describe to significantly less since I replaced the transducers, which included new thru-hulls.

 

[frick]

I had an 1971 E29 for 20 years. None my daughter is sailing her.
Water leaks...
1: Check the Chain Plates... Mine had little covers with two screws, several had zero caulking and water was running in.
2: Stanchions are always and deck fittings are always suspect.
3: Port Lights will need to be rebedded.

In 1971 Ericson use Nice Bronze Through the hulls with Gate Valves. There did not electrically bond the bronze so mime where pristine after 50 years in the salt water. I did replace all the gate valves with proper sea cocks... It took almost 2 hours her valve.

Rick

 

[tpcorrigan]

congratulations on your purchase. E27s are fun and easy to sail. Leaks however are a common thing on boats that are 40+ years old. I would still watch your packing gland because they can leak more when your not looking. It can drip at about 10 drops a minute and then you run the motor and all of a sudden its doing 60+. That is the first thing I would verify. Then as stated above, the portlights are always leaking and they sometimes leak between the two shells. You may not see much of a issue in the saloon but it can leak under the quarter berth and galley. Chain plates and through hulls should always be monitored. Chain plates are kind of hard on this boat because they are glassed in so watch for discoloration. With all that said Pick your projects one at a time and just enjoy sailing. _/)

 

[JPS27]

My 27 was a sieve when I bought it. Suspect just about anything that is drilled through. Biggest culprits for me portlights, handrails, stanchion bases, winches. Over the years I've fixed those. Some like one or two stanchion bases I noticed recently I need to re-address. I also have one mystery leak I'll be seeking advice on soon. And I suspect some small pesky leaks are related to rubrail screws. Another thought is different conditiions and wind and rain (and probably temps) will cause different leaks to appear. Good luck.

 

[RedXII]

Yeah it seems my portlights and grabrails are all good. Stanchions are my main concern, however I’m taking on some water even when it isn’t raining at all. I think I’lol take a good look at my packing glands. Thank you everyone.