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Pesky Leaks - a little progress

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
Had a little progress today with 2 pesky, long-term leaks.

The first was under the headliner, port side, abeam the mast. Thought it was the 3-sheave deck organizer leaking because only one of the three stainless screws was rusty--I even saw water droplets hanging from the end of that screw. Pulled the organizer and covered all the holes with polysulfide (until I can re-bed it properly this spring). Still had the leak. Thought the mast boot or mast partner area was likely, but it was always dry under there. Then, one day I was looking at the roof-mounted terminal block for the mast wiring (it was rusty, too). I removed the wires and noticed water coming out from the inside of the protective outer jacket of the 3-wire line for the steaming/deck-light combo. A little experiment confirmed the source...water running down the inside of the wire jacket. The little rolls taped on to the outside of the wire above the cups are rolled up paper towels...they were dry.


20190221_145042 (2).jpg 20190221_144958.jpg

The other one was simpler to figure out but harder to know how to catch the water. It was always wet under the starboard cockpit seat locker after a rain. I narrowed it down to the sidewall stowage compartment and the thick, loose globs of silicone barely adhering to its inside seams. Another one I can't really tackle till things dry out in the spring. In the mean time, I drilled a small hole in the lip of the locker top to hang a cup from a wire. Here's what I got after about 12 days (and some heavy snows).....

20190221_144312 (2).jpg 20190221_144323.jpg
 
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bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
Nice sleuthing!

the bottom of my starboard seat-locker always has a bit of water after a rain, too. I haven't gotten to chasing it down yet, I just seal up the edges of the hatch with "preservation tape" as part of my winter prep, and that seems to obviate the issue. It's on one of my lists-of-lists...

Bruce
 

Glenn McCarthy

Glenn McCarthy
I believe in a dry bilge. For this winter these are the projects I need to do to get there:
1. Remove rub rail on topsides, fill all holes, fair and paint (tons of water coming through when heeled).
2. Replace gate valve for ball valve under head sink (when "closed" water was coming up through sink on Starboard tack and not just a little).
3. Replace packing on rudder post (steady small stream).
4. Remove all windows and rebuild them all, reinstall with new bedding compound.
5. Add gasket around lazarette hatches.
6. Rebuild sliding hatch caulking tracks that weren't caulked before. Add waterproof coating to front underside of hatch, install gasket material on front fiberglass rib so when hatch closes it is against the gasket. The weep holes had been epoxied 1/2 shut, ground them out and repaint.
7. Re-caulk two leaks through the deck handrail inside the head.
8. And if so lucky, replace original shaft packing with a dripless one.

After this, then I can start to get serious about finding leaks.
 

GrandpaSteve

Sustaining Member
I believe in a dry bilge. For this winter these are the projects I need to do to get there:
1. Remove rub rail on topsides, fill all holes, fair and paint (tons of water coming through when heeled).
2. Replace gate valve for ball valve under head sink (when "closed" water was coming up through sink on Starboard tack and not just a little).
3. Replace packing on rudder post (steady small stream).
4. Remove all windows and rebuild them all, reinstall with new bedding compound.
5. Add gasket around lazarette hatches.
6. Rebuild sliding hatch caulking tracks that weren't caulked before. Add waterproof coating to front underside of hatch, install gasket material on front fiberglass rib so when hatch closes it is against the gasket. The weep holes had been epoxied 1/2 shut, ground them out and repaint.
7. Re-caulk two leaks through the deck handrail inside the head.
8. And if so lucky, replace original shaft packing with a dripless one.

After this, then I can start to get serious about finding leaks.

With a keel stepped mast and rain every weekend, and air conditioning running in port, a dry bilge is not practical for me.
 

Glenn McCarthy

Glenn McCarthy
To stop leaks coming through the mast, I have seen people cut out what looks like a shape of an upside down icecream cone out of sticky back (that's what we call it, not sure what it is called, but it is dacron sail material with an adhesive backing and cover all shroud holes, and exit boxes. As well as having a good seal at the hole in the deck.

When it comes to condensate can you make a small sump with a small automatic bilge pump to limit the surface area that water can spread?
 

GrandpaSteve

Sustaining Member
To stop leaks coming through the mast, I have seen people cut out what looks like a shape of an upside down icecream cone out of sticky back (that's what we call it, not sure what it is called, but it is dacron sail material with an adhesive backing and cover all shroud holes, and exit boxes. As well as having a good seal at the hole in the deck.

When it comes to condensate can you make a small sump with a small automatic bilge pump to limit the surface area that water can spread?

Oh, I freely admit it is possible, it is just very practical for me to deal with water in the bilge and worry about other things.
 

sharonov

Member II
... Then, one day I was looking at the roof-mounted terminal block for the mast wiring (it was rusty, too). I removed the wires and noticed water coming out from the inside of the protective outer jacket of the 3-wire line for the steaming/deck-light combo. A little experiment confirmed the source...water running down the inside of the wire jacket....
I had exact same experience. Was really hard to find that damn leak. Then we noticed water drops coming from a nick in the cable jacket. Large black spot on the bulkhead seem to indicate that was going on for awhile. A bit of silicon caulk and heat shrink tubing at the steaming/deck light end of the cable fixed it. Black spot took a few months to dry out and disappear.
 
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