[Rhodes22-list] boat full of water, please help

[Todd Tavares]

Alan, 


   Making the assumption that the boat is stored on it's trailer, I will make a few suggestions how so much water could get into the bilge in one night.  My  boat (1977) has drains in the rear corners of the seats.  These drains were 3/4" but had an ID of only 3/8" so they quickly got blocked up.  The seat gutters filled up and overflowed into the lazarette which is open to the bilge area. Many people keep their trailer slightly bow high to keep leaked water in the rear laz area away from the cabin and most of the structural wood.  I upsized the seat drains to 1 1/8" fittings and have not had another problem since.  The cockpit floor drain fitting may also be blocked and leaking into the laz.  The cockpit and seats can act as a big catch basin, which would explian why you got so much water in one night.  Some older boats have holes drilled in the forward end of the seat gutters. Water can run through these holes wick along the bottom of the seats and drip into the cabin under the gunnels.  Some have chose to seal up  these holes.

    I would suggest replacing and re-sealing all of the deck and through hull fittings as well as sealing the chainplates, portlights, any where that hardware penetrates the cabin or deck (using the "West System"), and rebedding all fixtures.  This would be a logical starting point of any restoration of a boat as old as ours.

   You did not say if the bilge fills up with rain water if you cover the pop-top area with the tarp?

Todd



----- Original Message -----
From: sugargroveumc at bright.net
To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] boat full of water, please help
Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 9:36:57 -0400

> 
> Hello All,
> I need help. As some of you know I am restoring a 1976 Rhodes 22. I 
> have only been at it for a few weeks. When I began I knew nothing 
> about boat construction and I still know very little.
> Before we owned the boat it had been sitting on the trailer in the 
> boat yard for three years untouched.
> At this point all of the decorative teak and some of the structural 
> teak has been removed, the lining has been removed from the walls, 
> the hull is gutted, and I cut out all four of the rotted stringers 
> as well as the one rotting bulkhead. Everything else has been 
> removed as well. There is nothing in the cabin but the foam and the 
> front bulkhead.
> I say all this because it rained at our house last night and I 
> wanted to experiment a little bit. I put the hatch up and closed 
> the pop top making it as tight as I could. However, I did not put 
> the tarp over it. I wanted to see if water would get in.
> It did
> I awoke this morning to find a good three inches of water in the 
> lowest portion of the boat around the keel and center board housing.
> There is no weather stripping, and the windows may need to be re 
> sealed but they did not show signs of moisture. The port side drain 
> in the gunnels was clogged so I assume that water backup and went 
> in through the opening where the centerboard drop line runs. There 
> is a hose there with fittings but it may be leaky.
> I feel that I can not progress in the restoration process until I 
> find out where the water is coming form.
> Does any one have any other suggestions?
> Alan
> 
> 
> __________________________________________________
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