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Where could this leak be coming from?

JPS27

Member III
This winter has been productive in large part thanks to all the good information here. I asked this question before, and it's one challenge I have not yet tackled. BUT I have learned or figured out something I'd like to share because it doesn't make sense to me. In the picture I noted where I've been thinking the water is coming from (the deck somewhere), so I kept looking and feeling in the space behind the panel. But after many trips to the boat during rainy days that space has remained bone dry (at least my rebedding has worked). It seems that the dark stained water happens in colder conditions or after colder conditions.

I can't imagine how the water could be entering from above but yet under the deck. I know I have leaky portl ights that are high on the list of things to do, so that's one thought. And I wonder if the rubrail screws or something like that could be the culprit. I'd appreciate any guesses about where to start. Thanks. Jay

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Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
While my E30+ is a bit different, I found a leak in two similar spots from screws through the aluminum rubrail that had gone through the hull--none of the others did, but those two did and they leaked into the quarterberth from about the same height as in your pic. I covered the screws from the inside with a gob of marine tsx epoxy and they've been dry ever since. Might work for you.
Frank
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Leaks from the deck fittings or ports appear to collect in the channel behind the wood panel. Which spills over into the q-berth, where its lowest point is found. If that channel is dry, I'd vote for the rub-rail screws. Atrocious design. Half of mine were loose or stripped out.
 

Sean Engle

Your Friendly Administrator
Administrator
Founder
Leaks from the deck fittings or ports appear to collect in the channel behind the wood panel. Which spills over into the q-berth, where its lowest point is found. If that channel is dry, I'd vote for the rub-rail screws. Atrocious design. Half of mine were loose or stripped out.

Ditto -

That water will use capillary action to run down the length of the joint and then pop out where you see it. I would pull the rail, epoxy and re-bed it.

//sse
 

Glyn Judson

Moderator
Moderator
Migrating water leak.

Jay, Sean is right on when it comes to tracking down the source of a leak. I had one on our former boat a 1979 E25+ that formed a harmless puddle on the fiberglass counter in the head, but it only appeared during a sustained rain (we used to have those here in Socal but no more). No amount of squirting with a garden hose would reproduce the leak, namely because I had no idea where to direct the flow. Then one heavy rain day, I left the house determined to follow the trickle backwards to find the source and I did. It's not likely that yours would be the same, but as an example of how they can travel my leak was coming all the way from the bow, specifically the starboard, aft corner of the chain locker below the lid. It ran down the bulkhead at the front of the V-berth and onto a fiberglass shelf that ran the length of the berth to the head bulkhead, down that and across the counter into a corner where it puddled. Had I not driven myself to go out in a downpour, I probably would never have found it. The object of this story is to illustrate that it takes patience to find the source of any leak because where the water ends up might not be anywhere near where it started. Some have suggested sprinkling corn starch or talc along the suspected path, then when water streams past it a clean trail is left behind, the Aha moment. Best of luck, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA
 

JPS27

Member III
Great leak advice...Thanks

Thanks for these replies. I'm comforted by the fact that no one said 'your boat is doomed" :0 I will keep at it and your ideas have given me more strategies and places to look. We had had some wet weather a couple of weeks ago and my wife says, "this would be a great day for you to go to the boat and look for leaks." I had to ponder whether she was insulting me, insulting my boat, or what. Turns out she was just being nice and giving me the a-ok to spend time working on the boat. Sounds like a potential proverb to me. Thanks for the help.

Jay
 
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G Kiba

Sustaining Member
Pull off the panels and trace the wetness to its source. If that's the quarter berth, the bow is up hill. Any where dry is likely above the leak. Becareful reaching in there. the fiberglass is really rough behind the panels. On my E27, I have had that same leak from many different places. Port leak, chainplate covers, bow pulpit, Traveler through bolt, grab rail through holes, I think that's about it. BTW, these occured sequentially so don't freakout.
 

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
When trying to trace leaks, cornstarch or talc sprinkled on flat or almost flat surfaces will show the trail of the leak. For an overhead source try using a water soluble marker which can reveal the trail of the water.
 

Sean Engle

Your Friendly Administrator
Administrator
Founder
... no one said 'your boat is doomed" :0 ...my wife says, "this would be a great day for you to go to the boat and look for leaks." I had to ponder whether she was insulting me, insulting my boat, or what. Turns out she was just being nice and giving me the a-ok to spend time working on the boat. Sounds like a potential proverb to me. Thanks for the help.

Jay

Ahahaha! Welcome to the club! Your boat: the ultimate 'man cave'! :egrin:
 
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