Water in Typhoon Bilge

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peter guerrero

Water in Typhoon Bilge

Post by peter guerrero »

My 1974 Typhoon picks up a half quart of water in the bilge after a rainfall. Water does not seem to be coming in from below the waterline. Is this typical in a boat this age or should I be more diligent in finding the leak?



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Dick Sisson

Peter, how do you pump your bilge?

Post by Dick Sisson »

Peter, to me this dosn't sound like that big of a disaster, it would be nice to find the source but that might be easier said than done.

I'm very curious as to how you pump your bilge! The deepest point in mine is about twice the length of my elbow aft of the little 6X6 or so access port over the lifting eye. My strategies include laboriously tieing a length of towel to a boathook and pushing it back there to pull out and wring, or just flipping a length of towel back in there, both laborious propositions.

My Typhoon is a 1970.



dickee@crosslink.net
Robert

Re: Peter, how do you pump your bilge?

Post by Robert »

Dick,
If you have access to shore power you can use a wet/dry vac. I got mine at Home Depot for about $20. Just snake the hose aft and pump/vac it out.
Cheers, Robert



rjohn12@midsouth.rr.com
Mike Wainfeld

Re: Water in Typhoon Bilge

Post by Mike Wainfeld »

peter guerrero wrote: My 1974 Typhoon picks up a half quart of water in the bilge after a rainfall. Water does not seem to be coming in from below the waterline. Is this typical in a boat this age or should I be more diligent in finding the leak?
This is typical. If you get in the cabin, close up the companionway, and have someone spray the boat with a hose, you may find some of the leaks. Pay attention to the portlights, the port on the foredeck, and the chainplates. These can be felt through the inspection ports on the cabin sides. The teak plate in the cockpit over the rudder bearing also apparently leaks. I use the "rolled up towel" method that Dick mentions to dry the bilge. It's funny because sometimes the boat will go for weeks with a dry bilge and sometimes after a single rain water is present. The foredeck port and the portlights can be easily rebedded. I did attempt to rebed the chainplates. But after removing the nuts with a socket wrench, extension, and long socket, the bolts and chainplate were impossible to budge. Instead of hammering at this point, I replaced the washers, and put on new nylock nuts with some bedding compound, and the leak stopped! I believe that there is no deck core at that area, so I feel comfortable with the repair.



ripcord1@erols.com
Serge Zimberoff

Re: Peter, how do you pump your bilge?

Post by Serge Zimberoff »

Dick,
Know the feeling of it being just out of reach. I ask someone with a bit of bulk (circumspectly of course) to stand on deck as far forward as they care to balance on the bow. This brings the water to the low point below the access port and it can be sponged out.
Serge



serge@srtrop.com
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