leak somewhere overhead

[sailor]

I have a small leak appearing in the side of the cabin at port height. I suspect it is coming from under the outside grabrail and dripping down onto the headliner and exiting out the side next to the interior grabrail. I did a search and read several posts about removing the rails but couldn't see a definitive answer on removing the rails and rebedding the outside rail. My boat is a 1984 270 cape dory. Several posts mentioned that the outside rails are bolted and the inside are screwed. I am unable to visualize how that might work. Inside and outside bungs seem to line up like there is just one bolt. Are there any pictures or diagrams available that might show how it works?

[Keith]

Hi Sailor,

I don't know on the 270 but on my CD30 they are both screwed into the coach roof with wood screws. I would assume that they all are. Just pop out the bungs (be careful not to remove wood from the surrounding area) on the outside hand rail and unscrew. Order some butyl rubber tape first for bedding when you reinstall the hand rail. Here is one place that you can get it. Compass Marine Inc. compassmarineservices@gmail.com

One word of caution it may not be the hand rail as water leaks can travel quite a distance. So start with the hand rail and if that doesn't stop it move to the next closest point. You really want to eventually rebel everything with the butyl tape eventually anyway.

Enjoy,

Keith

[Keith]

That was suppose to be re-bed everything not rebel. Spell check can be annoying.

[sailor]

As a follow-up and to maybe help others in the future I will tell what I found when I did the repair. The outside rails are held on by long stove bolts through the roof and through the stand-off blocks supporting the inside rails. The end of the bolt is recessed in the stand-off and there is an aircraft nut in there holding down the outside rail and the inside stand-off block. Then the inside rail is held onto the blocks with wood screws. I took out the first two section stove bolts to give enough flex to the outside rail to get some butyl tape under the outside rail. Did the same with the inside rail. On the inside rail as you deflect the rail by pulling down on it you can slip a 7/16 socket up into the block to grip the aircraft nut then latch onto the end of the socket with vise grips and back out the bolt from the outside. Then put it back together and replace plugs. Bought butyl tape from sailrite and wasn't too happy with it as it doesn't release well from the paper so strips can't be removed easily, just short chunks. I also had a leak in the sea hood and traced it to the wood on the starboard side of the companionway. Made the mistake of first taking the wood off and putting a strip of butyl tape at the top edge and then replacing the wood. Found out just how easy it was to remove the sea hood later and just caulk the top edge, which would have worked fine. Live and learn.

[Jim Walsh]

I have a couple leaks around my companionway also. I removed and rebedded my sea hood this spring. It didn't help at all. I'm now planning to remove all the overhead teak trim of my companionway so I can re-bed everything and, fingers crossed, cure those leaks. I'm not doing it till the boat is hauled since I don't want to work on the boat when there are so few days left to this season.
Earlier this year I removed and re-bedded my mid-ship opening hatch. It was a pain but the result was no more drips. Drip free is where I aim to be......

[Caramar]

Hi Jim,
We've got leaking around our companionway too. How well did rebedding yours work out? What did you use?

Don

[Jim Walsh]

Hi Jim,
We've got leaking around our companionway too. How well did rebedding yours work out? What did you use?

Don

http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=34709
This should answere any questions. I have been totally leak free since I completed the project. I used Lifecaulk to ensure I would be able to disassemble everything in the future if needed.

[Caramar]

Thank you Jim!