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The good news is that I have been able to sail in some pretty good winds in the last few weeks . The bad news is that when I put the rail in the water I end up with water on the cabin sole. It is not coming from the bilge. Its not a lot of water, but enough.
I thought okay I am taking some water somewhere when the rail goes under no big deal. But, now I am seeing that the sole is starting to look a little gray and I can see signs of salt deposits. Because of the water tanks I am unable to get access to where I think the water might be sitting.
The boat is a 82 CD 30. Any ideas of what my problem is and what I should do about it?
I have an 82 CD28 and had the same problem it turned out to be water from one of the plastic tanks under the berths in the main cabin. The original tank had developed a crack where the water pick-up line was threaded into the side of the tank. When the boat heeled over the water leaked across the cabin sole.
Stanchion bases could need rebedding. We were getting water in the starboard cupboard last fall. After rebedding all is dry. Wetting down the deck may show if it is comming in from that area. A check of salt or fresh water might also give you some clews. Best of luck, Steve.
Another possibility is the ice box drain. There is a hose from the bottom of the ice box to the sump under the sole. As the ice melts in the box, the melted ice water is supposed to run into the sump with the shower drain and be pumped overboard, but if the hose leaks, comes loose, or gets cracked the water drips under the box and runs out across the sole unsted of under it. But if you think it coming from behind the water tanks, it's probably the fitting on the tank as mentioned. The tanks are not strapped down typically but are just set in place and work the hose back and forth which cracks the hose bibb where it attaches to the tank. Sitting level it doesn't leak because the water is below the fitting, but when you're heeled it will leak when the water gets above the fitting. Taste if to be sure it's not salt water and then check very carefully around the hose fittings on the tank. Few things stick to plastic tanks but 5200 will if you sand the plastic first or you can melt new plastic from plastic bottles on it as described in the archives. It's not likely to be salt water, but you could be taking sea water in through the hawse up forward and it's running back there under the bunk, or your mast could be full of saltwater and it's oozing out onto the sole but these are unlikely compared to the water tanks. Let us know what you find.
[quote="Tom in Cambria"]Another possibility is the ice box drain. There is a hose from the bottom of the ice box to the sump under the sole. As the ice melts in the box, the melted ice water is supposed to run into the sump with the shower drain and be pumped overboard, but if the hose leaks, comes loose, or gets cracked the water drips under the box and runs out across the sole unsted of under it. But if you think it coming from behind the water tanks, it's probably the fitting on the tank as mentioned. The tanks are not strapped down typically but are just set in place and work the hose back and forth which cracks the hose bibb where it attaches to the tank. Sitting level it doesn't leak because the water is below the fitting, but when you're heeled it will leak when the water gets above the fitting. Taste if to be sure it's not salt water and then check very carefully around the hose fittings on the tank. Few things stick to plastic tanks but 5200 will if you sand the plastic first or you can melt new plastic from plastic bottles on it as described in the archives. It's not likely to be salt water, but you could be taking sea water in through the hawse up forward and it's running back there under the bunk, or your mast could be full of saltwater and it's oozing out onto the sole but these are unlikely compared to the water tanks. Let us know what you find.
[Great input, but I think I will pass on the tasting since someone suggested the water may be coming from the hear.]
[quote="Jim Wanko"][quote="Tom in Cambria"]Another possibility is the ice box drain. There is a hose from the bottom of the ice box to the sump under the sole. As the ice melts in the box, the melted ice water is supposed to run into the sump with the shower drain and be pumped overboard, but if the hose leaks, comes loose, or gets cracked the water drips under the box and runs out across the sole unsted of under it. But if you think it coming from behind the water tanks, it's probably the fitting on the tank as mentioned. The tanks are not strapped down typically but are just set in place and work the hose back and forth which cracks the hose bibb where it attaches to the tank. Sitting level it doesn't leak because the water is below the fitting, but when you're heeled it will leak when the water gets above the fitting. Taste if to be sure it's not salt water and then check very carefully around the hose fittings on the tank. Few things stick to plastic tanks but 5200 will if you sand the plastic first or you can melt new plastic from plastic bottles on it as described in the archives. It's not likely to be salt water, but you could be taking sea water in through the hawse up forward and it's running back there under the bunk, or your mast could be full of saltwater and it's oozing out onto the sole but these are unlikely compared to the water tanks. Let us know what you find.
[Great input, but I think I will pass on the tasting since someone suggested the water may be coming from the hear.] [I meant to say head and not hear.]
If you think it may be coming from the head you can pump some bleach or ammonia through the head and then just smell the water. Also you can pour bleach or ammonia into the icebox drain at a different time and see if you smell it there. To test the water tanks you can empty all of them and then go for a rough sail and see if you still get water. My bet is that it's the hose bibbs on the water tanks because this is a very common problem and only happens when heeled over which is what you described. I'd try that first. The head will leak any time you pump it whether you're heeled over or not and ditto the icebox. You can just watch the head carefully as someone pumps it to check that. Can you tell if the water running out on the starboard or port side? On mine it came out on the starboard side from under the sink cabinet and also from the base of the icebox cabinet. I cut a 4 inch hole at the base of the bulkhead with a holesaw to get to the bottom of the icebox and then covered the hole with a round teak cover. That hose fitting is impossible to get to any other way that I could figure out. I thought I had a leak under the sink until I finally traced the water to the hose fitting on the starboard water tank. The tank sits on the cabin sole under the bunk and when water drips it runs along the sole under the bunk and comes out wherever. If you remove the plywood covering the water tank you will probably see water stains on the sole or find wet wood after a sail. The hose oculd just be loose there too because it gets worked back and forth when sailing.
This is something that I have done to find the source of water. Go to supermarket or culinary supply and purchase water soluble food coloring kit. Use one color for head, another for fresh water tank, etc.. Mix another color with water in a large bucket and slosh on stanchions and observe the color.
Just before you sail, close your sink drains so when you're heeled on the sink side the water doesn't come in the sinkand onto the floor. Ordinarily, the water level in a resting CD is just below the sink basket in the drain. When you're heeled, the drain is then about a foot below water level and the water comes pouring in. If the heeling is great enough it runs onto the counter and then onto the floor.
The very first time we sailed Mahalo we had water on the cabin floor outside the head. (We had her heeled pretty good) Course I was upset about it - Rich was like - don't worry about it. Boatyard had all the seacocks open. We always close the sink seacocks when sailing now - have never had the problem again.
. The bad news is that when I put the rail in the water I end up with water on the cabin sole. 
It is not coming from the bilge. Its not a lot of water, but enough.
Boatyard had all the seacocks open. We always close the sink seacocks when sailing now - have never had the problem again.