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running aground damage advice

Hi Ericson lovers,

I have a 1984 26'. Last spring my bouy line broke in a storm (long story) and I ran aground. Fast forward to now: I now have a yacht club membership and a birth to do repairs. Yay! Im getting ready to go onto my OWN buoy, nearby, with club access anytime.

While test running my inboard (Yanmar 1 banger) and outboard (Tohatsu 6hp), I found a diesel tank leak. I assume I leaked thru the air vent when on her side, but Im not sure why that created a leak. Nor am I sure where. Any advice?

Also, Ive made a very strange observation since the beaching. Whenever (five out of five times) Ive primed the head (you know, use it for #1, then pump it out), the bilge pump runs. When I look at the pump in the bilge, and a friend pumps the head, I see no water movement. So im so confused!

I have so many questions for y'all, but I'll end with this: I cannot find a 26 foot manual. Does that mean Im crazy and my boat is really a 27'?
Thanks for your help, in advance!
Hallie and Siren (the boat)
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
While test running my inboard (Yanmar 1 banger) and outboard (Tohatsu 6hp), I found a diesel tank leak. I assume I leaked thru the air vent when on her side, but Im not sure why that created a leak. Nor am I sure where. Any advice?

Whenever (five out of five times) Ive primed the head (you know, use it for #1, then pump it out), the bilge pump runs.

There is not a straightforward answer for many of these problems.....you just have to play around with the systems a bit and observe what happens.

As to the fuel leak, many things could have happened with the boat on it's side, but now the boat is upright. Where is the leak now, how did you discover it, and under what conditions does it happen?

For the head leak, I'd turn off your bilge pump for awhile and keep pumping (clean) sea water through the head. If it's leaking into the bilge, it should eventually become apparent where this is happening (once the pump is off). However, the leak may be occurring in the non-visible portions of the bilge. Still you will get some clues from which bilge compartments first start filling with water.
 
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Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
The coincidence of head pumping and bilge activity is weird & interesting. I do see how these can be connected, but still... you gotta wonder.
:rolleyes:

I would first diagram each system, separately.
Your boat contains most of the major "utilities" of a larger boat because EY treated it as 'small yacht" rather than a big overnighter.
(This let it assume the role of their near-legendary Ericson 27, built thru the 70's.)
One result of this approach is that it does have more systems than other small vessels of that era. It is a big boat, accommodations wise, for it's stated length.

First (since de-watering is a high priority on any boat) diagram ALL of the parts of your bilge pumping systems. There should be an electric pump and float switch and a hose leading to an above-water thru hull somewhere on the rear quarter of the boat on one side. It is very likely that that hose is beyond its life span and must be replaced. Ditto for the thru hull fitting itself. There is likely also a "Category one" large hand pump mounted near the helm with its own pickup and hose run to the pump and thence to another thru hull fitting. This was SOP on all the lager Ericson's in the 80's and I would expect it on yours as well.

As for the head system, IF....the factory installed the same waste-handling scheme in yours that all of their other boats used in the 80's, there will be a holding tank with valving and T-fittings in several 1.5 inch hoses to either route waste over the side or into a holding tank. There will be a hand pump to empty that holding tank into the outside water. There will be a separate exit hose to a deck pump out fitting for vacuuming it out at a pump-out dock.

Fuel system: Also explore and diagram it. Tank with deck fill, engine supply and return lines. I replaced all of our factory hoses about a decade ago; your boat likely needs this deferred maintenance as well. (Lots of owners ignore this stuff until they sell their boat or it leaks out somewhere. Sad, but it is what it is.)

Please let us know what you find.
 
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