Water Leak Mystery

[Joe Brown]

Mother Nature works in mysterious ways. During the long past winter when our Cape Dory 28 was hauled out and stored in an unmoveable position on dry land in Maine, she accumulated several gallons of water in her bilge due to rains, even with a tarp covering her. The source of the leaking is a mystery to me, but one I'm anxious to understand and solve. However, last week, after some very heavy rains when "Caprice" was in the water, swinging on her mooring, there was not a drop of water below afterward. Could the fact that she was swinging bow to weather during the storm had something to do with it? If so, would this suggest the source/nature of the leaking (toerail/deck joint, etc.)? Would appreciate any thoughts from nautical Sherlock Holmes. -Joe Brown, Rockport, Maine



joebrown@mint.net

[Bill Goldsmith]

I had a similar experience with Second Chance, my CD27. I purchased her March '98 so this is my second season with her. When I first looked at her (on the hard) there was some water in the bilge and when I came back to look again, after some rain, there was more. The surveyor attributed it to old bedding on the electronic through-deck fittings near the mast. The seller agreed to re-bed them, among other things, and I bought the boat.

Second Chance was launched last spring before the rebedding was done. To my surprise, there were heavy rains after launching, but the bilge took on none of the rain. After a chat with the surveyor we concluded that the boat had probably been blocked that winter slightly nose-down, allowing water to accumulate in the channels to each side of the companionway slider, and either seeping in or just overflowing the channels into the boat. Once launched, and sitting on her lines, rainwater could run off from the channels into the cockpit as designed. The surveyor suggested blocking carefully to ensure she is not nose-down. This past winter I followed this advice and the boat stayed dry all winter. However, the electronic fittings were in fact rebedded as well, but I do believe the blocking angle was the culprit. One suggestion, anyway!

Bill Goldsmith
CD27
Second Chance

Mother Nature works in mysterious ways. During the long past winter when our Cape Dory 28 was hauled out and stored in an unmoveable position on dry land in Maine, she accumulated several gallons of water in her bilge due to rains, even with a tarp covering her. The source of the leaking is a mystery to me, but one I'm anxious to understand and solve. However, last week, after some very heavy rains when "Caprice" was in the water, swinging on her mooring, there was not a drop of water below afterward. Could the fact that she was swinging bow to weather during the storm had something to do with it? If so, would this suggest the source/nature of the leaking (toerail/deck joint, etc.)? Would appreciate any thoughts from nautical Sherlock Holmes. -Joe Brown, Rockport, Maine

goldy@bestweb.net

[Tom]

Mother Nature works in mysterious ways. During the long past winter when our Cape Dory 28 was hauled out and stored in an unmoveable position on dry land in Maine, she accumulated several gallons of water in her bilge due to rains, even with a tarp covering her. The source of the leaking is a mystery to me, but one I'm anxious to understand and solve. However, last week, after some very heavy rains when "Caprice" was in the water, swinging on her mooring, there was not a drop of water below afterward. Could the fact that she was swinging bow to weather during the storm had something to do with it? If so, would this suggest the source/nature of the leaking (toerail/deck joint, etc.)? Would appreciate any thoughts from nautical Sherlock Holmes. -Joe Brown, Rockport, Maine

The two vents for the intake and exhaust for the engine compartment will take water below if the wind is blowing the rain into them. You can remove those vents and put in cover plates to see if that's the problem. Also the chain hawse will let water below, but I'm not sure why it wouldn't when you're on the water. Maybe you had it covered with the sail one time? A couple of places to look anyway.



TacCambria@thegrid.net

[Joe Wysong]

Mother Nature works in mysterious ways. During the long past winter when our Cape Dory 28 was hauled out and stored in an unmoveable position on dry land in Maine, she accumulated several gallons of water in her bilge due to rains, even with a tarp covering her. The source of the leaking is a mystery to me, but one I'm anxious to understand and solve. However, last week, after some very heavy rains when "Caprice" was in the water, swinging on her mooring, there was not a drop of water below afterward. Could the fact that she was swinging bow to weather during the storm had something to do with it? If so, would this suggest the source/nature of the leaking (toerail/deck joint, etc.)? Would appreciate any thoughts from nautical Sherlock Holmes. -Joe Brown, Rockport, Maine

I have no idea where the water is coming from, but I do have a suggestion for future winters. Install a "garboard" drain. In wooden boats, the garboards were the two planks on the immediate sides of the keel. A garboard drain is a simple thru-hull with a removable (by unscrewing) plug. It is installed at the lowest water point in the boat next to the keel. When you haul the boat for the winter, you remove the plug and all winter water drains out of the bilge.

It is, by the way, important that you remember to replace the plug in the garboard drain when you launch the boat come spring. Glug, glug, etc.

Joe




tgjournal@gestalt.org

[M. R. Bober]

Two thoughts:

1) A few years ago the yard blocked us a bit bow up (CD 27). With the cockpit scuppers forward, rain--to say nothing of ice and snow--accumulated in the aft section of the cockpit and found its way down the outside of the rudder stock tube to the bilge. A tarp over the cockpit and a bit a diligence at the yard prevented repeats.

2) I would not recommend replacing the vent funnels with covers unless you are VERY fond of mildew.
Shaft



thebobers@erols.com

[Bill Goldsmith]

Very good point and very interesting. This underscores need for blocking as level as possible in off season.

Two thoughts:

1) A few years ago the yard blocked us a bit bow up (CD 27). With the cockpit scuppers forward, rain--to say nothing of ice and snow--accumulated in the aft section of the cockpit and found its way down the outside of the rudder stock tube to the bilge. A tarp over the cockpit and a bit a diligence at the yard prevented repeats.

2) I would not recommend replacing the vent funnels with covers unless you are VERY fond of mildew.
Shaft

goldy@bestweb.net

[jim]

I had a mystery leak into the bilge a couple of summers ago in my CD25D. Happened off the Jersey shore in breaking seas and rain. Filled the bilge at least once a day. Leaking thru hull? Hole in the hull? None of these things. Turns out the anchor locker is sperated from the hull and so the drain hole thru the bow from the locker might develop of crack. This allows water to leak between the locker and hull into the bilge eventually. Simple fix: make sure there is no void in to the hull from the anchor locker drain. Simple test: run a hose onto the deck and anchor well cover and watch for water coming into the shower sump and then the bilge. Fix it with expoxy putty.



james.jamieson@yale.edu