[Rhodes22-list] Mystery of the slow leak in bilge solved

[LafingBear at aol.com]

Hey Folks!  I've had a slow leak in the bilge for the last three weeks. I 
checked everything and tightened every screw I could reach. This weekend I 
sponged the bilge dry ,but  after sailing for four hours in some very choppy waves, 
part wind driven, part motorboat wake, I found about four inches of water in 
the bilge. There's a slow leak coming from under the lip of the cover on the 
centerboard trunk. I tightened all of the screws I could reach, but two of them 
are striped on the top and one of them isn't gripping the fiberglass, just 
turning but not getting tighter. What can I do to stop the leak? Can I stop the 
leak without taking the boat out of the water? Any and all suggestions are most 
welcome.
Jim Gifford