[Rhodes22-list] RE: Bilge Water

[stan]

David,

You cannot determine a leak by seeing where water is coming from inside the 
boat.  A mistake many make - forget it.   The few exceptions are: any water 
oozing out around the cb trunk/cap neoprene gasket or around any thru hull 
fittings.

Leaks through the fiberglass hull are extremely rare.
The only ones I have ever seen are where someone had inadvertently drilled a 
hull through the glass.

In older boats (ones where we had the hulls built by contractors) we have 
found some faults in the sealing of the centerboard trunk (a separate molded 
entity) into the bottom of the keel (which is part of the fiberglass hull 
lay-up).   The positive way to determine if this is the source of a leak is 
to put water into the boat and see if any water leaves the boat at this 
joint seam around the bottom of the cb slot in the keel. If this is the 
cause of a leak, where water actually leaves the hull (not where it runs 
along the hull and finally drops off) is the fault area.  If this is the 
problem location, a dentist can fix it.  Drill out the problem area and fill 
it with an epoxy such as Marine Tex or others.   A water test by putting 
water back inside the boat will show whether the epoxy filling has stopped 
that particular leak area.

As far as we know, none of the boats that have had their cb trunks installed 
at our plant have ever leaked, not that we are suggesting you buy a new one 
of course....

You can call me if you want to go over this.

stan/gbi.





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Culp" <daculp at gmail.com>
To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 8:07 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] RE: Bilge Water


> Report on water in the bilge:
>
> Well, I'm afraid the news is not good...  I took the floor panels up and
> exposed the centerboard cap and the pennant tube.  The tube and cap are
> in good shape.  I vacuumed out the bilge again and I could see the water
> flowing in.  It is coming up on the left side of the centerboard trunk 
> from
> the bottom of the hull.  There isn't a hole, it is just coming in through 
> a
> spot about the size of a penny in the fiberglass.  I suspect that the hull
> has delaminated where is meets the keel and is allowing water to come up
> through it along the trunk into the bilge.  From what I could inspect 
> after
> the boat was on the trailer, there is no external damage and no sign of
> anything abnormal on the outside of the boat.
>
> The boat shop can lift the boat with a sling so we can get under it and 
> find
> where it has gone soft and coming through.  It will have to dry out, be
> ground out and then re-glassed I guess.
>
> Anybody ever heard of this happening before?
>
> Thanks,
> David
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> David:
>
>      Question about water level - is it at the level of water outside of
> the hull?  Is there any relationship between the level it stops at and
> outside water level?
>
>      Since this job will require you on your knees, you might want a pair
> of those carpenters' knee pads.  Extra lights and a mirror might help.
>
>       Stan can supply new seal - it uses a million screws.  Lowe's, Home
> Depot or Ace hardware can supplly tubing.  Marine Tex can plug hole. 
> Rummy
> can recommend good sealant - you know that he is always on top of things.
>
>       Good luck.
>
> Ed K
> Greenville, SC, USA
>
>
>
> David Culp-2 wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks Ed and Rummy:
>>
>> No... no rain.  I took my Shop Vac and got all the water out and within a
>> few minutes new water was flowing in.  You would think the boat is holed
>> somewhere the way it flows in, but then it just stops rising and sits
>> there.
>> I will spend tomorrow taking the floors up and having a look at the cap
>> seal, tube, etc. and I'll report back what I find.
>>
>> David
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:51:20 -0800 (PST)
>>
>> From: Tootle <ekroposki at charter.net>
>>
>> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Bilge Water -reply to David and Mike
>>
>> To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>>
>> Message-ID: <7611460.post at talk.nabble.com>
>>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>>
>>
>>
>> David:
>>
>>>From the tone of your post, I would explore the possibility of a leak
>>
>> around the centerboard seal sooner rather than later. This is going to be
>>
>> a project, but doable. You will not be able to see far enough back by 
>> just
>> looking in the small hatch. So it looks like a lot of screw driver and
>> ratchet work.
>>
>> But first, has there been any rain?
>>
>> Ed K
>>
>> Greenville, SC, USA
>>
>> Addendum: Now Mike, calm down, maybe you should explore the archives so
>> that
>> you could refer people to past answers. If you would reply directly to
>>
>> the post, I would not have. In the meantime, have a rum and coke. BTW, I
>>
>> do not have canons. Nor have I been reading these broadsides:
>> <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/continental/>
>> http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/continental/
>>
>> David Culp wrote:
>>
>>>
>>
>>> Hi gang:
>>
>>>
>>
>>> What started as just a trace of water occassionally in the bilge after
>>
>>> being out for the day has become a trickle that you can see running in
>>
>>> and filling
>>
>>> the bilge in the last couple of weeks. My 1998 boat has not hit
>>
>>> anything,
>>
>>> has not run aground going forward or backward and I have inspected all
>>
>>> areas
>>
>>> that I can see without unscrewing things with no traces of leakage. It 
>>> is
>>
>>> coming in quickly now even just sitting in the slip and seems to be
>>> coming
>>
>>> from the centerboard trunk area (guessing) but I haven't taken the floor
>>
>>> up
>>
>>> yet to look. I reached back in as far as I could through the access
>>
>>> panels and I don't feel anything leaking or any damage. The only thing
>>
>>> unusual is that the leak seems to be worse with the board up versus 
>>> being
>>
>>> all the way down. I normally secure the board up when in the slip so
>>
>>> it doesn't bang around.
>>
>>>
>>
>>> Just wondered if anyone ever had this happen and/or if are there are
>>
>>> any known issues about the centerboard pivot pin, leaking gaskets or
>>
>>> cap that I need to pay particuliar attention to? I suppose I should
>>
>>> at least expose the cap while still in the water (not take it off)
>>
>>> just in case I could see
>>
>>> something-any ideas or suggestions appreciated.
>>
>>>
>>
>>> Thanks,
>>
>>> David
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