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Salt water on sole of E27 (rode hard and put up wet)

alcodiesel

Bill McLean
It's a mystery to me but twice I've noticed a small wet spot on the cabin deck (heretofore: sole)near the forward hatch (just aft of the compression post) after a hard sail. Hard sail being large waves, good wind, good heel- maybe rub rail getting into wave tops.

Afterward, I found the sole wet, maybe a half a cup of accumulated water. I have a small carpet just aft of the sole hatch which was wet on the port side only.

Under the sole hatch there was dampness even on the underside of the sole. (weak data- not 100% sure)

It is salt water- a dime left on the sole turned green in a matter of hours.

If this was happening under the companion way I would think it's just spray. It's dry there.

My working theory is water coming the port rub rail on a starboard tack. How it gets on the sole is not understood. Everything is dry above the sole.

Other than than that I plan direct observation next good wind and try to replicate the conditions that seem to make this happen.

Any ideas?
 

G Kiba

Sustaining Member
I had a leak from the rub rail area myself. I pulled the side panels and found wet areas where water collected. Found that water was coming through a layer of glass that was not completely resined. Sealed it with epoxy.
 

tenders

Innocent Bystander
Is it possible that you’ve got water coming in from elsewhere, pooling nearby, and emerging to visit you only when being tossed about or heeled, and then landing in a low point like that? In other words, maybe your hatch leaks.
 

rpm

Member II
One more idea

Take a hard look at your holding tank fittings.....thats what it was for me.
E 28+
 

mjsouleman

Sustaining Member
Moderator
Take a look at holding tank fittings

I concur with looking at your holding tank fittings. Discovery had the same symptoms and look at your bilge. I had a dark ring around the bilge. Turns out the holding tank plastic outlet fitting leaked badly and anything that went into the tank drained into the bilge. Stinky!

MJS
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
With sea water lying on top of the sole:

I would start with the obvious: hatches, mast, deck fittings, and so on.

Have a friend train a strong jet of hose water on each for a long time while you observe below.

It's an easy test, mostly for elimination. But I have been amazed at small leak sources letting in a lot of water: one missing hatch-dog gasket (on the shaft that penetrates the plastic); one deck-organizer bolt with missing caulk; a chainplate gap, and so on.

You'll at least know that everything that can pass the fire hose test is not it.
 

alcodiesel

Bill McLean
Solved! I found an empty gallon jug of distilled water on the bottom of the locker outside of the head. I put it there for the batteries and promptly forgot about it. Had a hole poked in it. found it with water still dripping out of it.

Mostly solved. Why did the standing water on the sole taste salty? Hypothesis: Everything is salty in the cabin. I sail in salt water.

Null observation: No matter how hard I have sailed since, there has never been any water on the sole since the jug drained out.
 
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