Leaks

[flblowfish]

Started stripping the rat fur from our v berth only to find 2 very wet places. One in the wide area corner and one up towards the V aft. Hubs thinks it might be from a stanchion? How do we figure this out? I'm ready to hire somebody and just get it taken care of. Thoughts????

[hellosailor]

Thoughts? Use the search function, it has all been said before. Often and in many places. Really easy to find leaks, just follow what's already been said.

[flblowfish]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Thoughts? Use the search function, it has all been said before. Often and in many places. Really easy to find leaks, just follow what's already been said.

Hmmmm... someone crap in your wheaties this morning? Maybe I just worded it wrong. Is it possible to have an interior leak from a stanchion?

[hellosailor]

Not from a stanchion, unless it penetrates the deck.
Most stanchions are held in place by bolts though, and like every other bolt that penetrates the deck, these can cause leaks. And the leak may run laterally for half the length of the boat before it drips out inside.


It still doesn't matter, you leak test the ENTIRE DECK and not one bolt or stanchion.

[Flyingriki]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Thoughts? Use the search function, it has all been said before. ften and in many places. Really easy to find leaks, just follow what's already been said.

I've tried the various search functions several times, as I too hate to waste people's time. But I don't get much success. Seems to just look for any of the words entered and not the string. The old technique of putting a + sign between words doesn't seem to help. So, if you have some tech advice on how to use it better, please say so rather than scold people.

AND, by the way, having chased house and roof leaks over 40 years in building I've come to know it's quite difficult to "leak test" since, as it often takes time to appear at the visible exit, you may well have hosed well past the entry point. This makes it very hard to find unless it's simple, and obvious.
Just 2 cents for the OP....

[Snore]

There are probably two possibilities.

1- stuff that goes through deck, i.e. stanchion mountings, forward hatch (preferred cause)

2- hull deck joint (not an easy fix)

I would take a hose and spray all deck mounted items hard. You do not mention where the wet spot is, so it is hard to assess beyond what I wrote

[Sailmonkey]

Your boat is getting up there in age, so it wouldn't hurt to just re-bed the deck hardware. It will almost all need this done anyway.

[flblowfish]

Originally Posted by Flyingriki

I've tried the various search functions several times, as I too hate to waste people's time. But I don't get much success. Seems to just look for any of the words entered and not the string. The old technique of putting a + sign between words doesn't seem to help. So, if you have some tech advice on how to use it better, please say so rather than scold people.



AND, by the way, having chased house and roof leaks over 40 years in building I've come to know it's quite difficult to "leak test" since, as it often takes time to appear at the visible exit, you may well have hosed well past the entry point. This makes it very hard to find unless it's simple, and obvious.

Just 2 cents for the OP....

Thank you! I did use the search function and other than a thread about sealing a wooden boat with Epoxy, I didn't find much.

The one leak seems to be coming from the bow area.... the point where each side meets in the very front of the v berth was soaking wet. The second place was on the starboard side up towards the head of the berth.

I'm hot and tired and grouchy. Didn't really think she had any leaks as we had rain both times we looked at her and everything was dry.

[flblowfish]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Your boat is getting up there in age, so it wouldn't hurt to just re-bed the deck hardware. It will almost all need this done anyway.

I'm thinking the same thing

[Sailmonkey]

Another place, if you have a chain locker, water from there may be making its way into the v-berth through the bulkhead. Something simple like a chain hawse left open has caused me to lose my mind until I figured out what I had done.

[Snore]

Originally Posted by flblowfish

I'm thinking the same thing

[hellosailor]

A boat is not a house. You don't search for the exit of a leak and trace it back, you search for the ENTRANCE, by pressurizing the hull with a shopvac or leaf blower, throwing sopay water on deck, and watching to see where the bubbles blow. That's the entrance point of the leak. The exit point is irrelevant.

All old news. Here and elsewhere.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

A boat is not a house. You don't search for the exit of a leak and trace it back, you search for the ENTRANCE, by pressurizing the hull with a shopvac or leaf blower, throwing sopay water on deck, and watching to see where the bubbles blow. That's the entrance point of the leak. The exit point is irrelevant.

All old news. Here and elsewhere.

I think someone has been smoking the wacky tabacky.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

A boat is not a house. You don't search for the exit of a leak and trace it back, you search for the ENTRANCE, by pressurizing the hull with a shopvac or leaf blower, throwing sopay water on deck, and watching to see where the bubbles blow. That's the entrance point of the leak. The exit point is irrelevant.



All old news. Here and elsewhere.

I could spend weeks trying to block off all of the non-problematic leaks on my big boat trying to do this.

I do use this method on my catamaran to find leaks (it's a nacra f16, so doesn't have vents for the humans to breath inside).

[hellosailor]

"I could spend weeks trying to block off all of the non-problematic leaks"
Blower through a piece of cardboard box replacing the companionway board. Duct tape over the two engine cowlings, duct tape over the dorades, secure the ports (and even if they are leaky, it won't matter) and how much else is there on the average boat?
Last time I did this we found "the" leak, as well as two more fittings that hadn't shown any sign of trouble inside the boat, but obviously needed rebedding.
Oh, yeah and then the hull deck joint blew apart from all the excessive pressure, there were pieces of rubrail scattered for a hundred yards. (There's always SOMEone who insists that will happen, so let's make it so.)