this problem afflict me since a long time even if since recently I tough it was rain water, but now I'm absolutely sure that it is not so.
Last time the bay was dry before launch, but when I pulled up again my Weekender, after two hours of intense wind (main sail reefed), there was about 1 liter of water trapped by the forward bulkhead.
Today with a soft breeze I've found about 0.5 liter.
I also thought that this water could fill form the hatch, but I put a washer all around without any appreciable reduction of the problem.
This water is really clear and this makes me sure that it get inside directly, without contamination, rot, rust etc... but I'm not able to find a crack or a hole.
Has anybody experienced this problem? Can someone advise me a trick to find this water way?
Many of you remember that last June a tornado trowed on my boat some catamarans. They made light damages in the forward part of the deck and in the fwd left side, that was cracked below the gunwale. Is therefore possible that a hidden crack is still there but I don't know how to find it so please help me.
Gianluigi
Without pictures it would be very difficult to speculate where your leak is, but most leaks are fairly easy to find, with a hose on the outside of the boat and someone looking around the suspected areas inside.
Could it be coming from the mast? Do you have a boot around your mast?
(04-30-2011, 11:26 AM)warren percell link Wrote: [ -> ]Could it be coming from the mast? Do you have a boot around your mast?
I have the standard mast box. The gap at the deck side had been filled with foam scraps and then sealed by duct tape. Around the deck hole there is a frame that extends the mast box and that protects the mast from splashes. Nevertheless it could be a water way, but not the main one, because in that case the mast base should be attacked by rot and consequently the water really dirty.
I think unlikely that water leaks from the deck, because this could occur only with frequent and intense splashes and this was not the case of today.
My question is: "how large/narrow should be a hole or a creek to fill from 0.5 to 1 liter in a couple of hours?"
Gianluigi
I still think you should step the mast post and inspect it, plus if you are using duct tape you should put several coats of paint on it to save it from UV damage.
When I built my boat, not a Weekender so this may not apply, I made quarterround shaped holes where the front bulkhead met the floor and side. They are the size of a silver dollar. The idea was that any water that got into the nose area of the boat could drain to the lowest spot which is about center in the cockpit. My cockpit is larger then a Weekender but I have no cabin. I made smaller quarterround shaped holes at the bottom of the mast box for the same reason. I suspect that anything like this might end up draining water into the cabin area on a Weekender but thought I'd throw this out in case it would be of some help.
Wouldn't it be easiest to just toss the boat in the water and lay in the cabin with a flashlight watching for droplets to show up? I'd be willing to bet that a crack in the chine joint that is too fine to see could let about that much water into the boat in that amount of time.Â
Al
It's a small crack or hole that's for sure. A 1/8" wide, 8" long seam split would completely flood a Weekender size boat in less then 5 minutes. Now that's a big split, but just to offer an idea how a small hole can rapidly cause down flooding. Odds are it's a very small crack or hole, possably a fastener hole. A liter of water across a few hours is a very small hole.
Today in a moment calm wind, I let the rudder and made an inspection of the bay... I have finally found the f*** water source, where the stem, the bottom and the side panels meet each other.
More precisely water leaks where the side gusset touches the bottom stringer. There is a thin slot and water comes from there.
In the picture you see a really big slot in stem stocks. I was quite sure that it was not responsible, because in this case water had to be red/brown, as the saw dust I had when I cut stocks. Now I know water origin I can close and seal the stem slot also.
Concerning the leakage I've found the exit, but not the entrance, even if there is a small delamination under the enamel in correspondence.
Gianluigi
P.S. But if in the stem, that is done by short parts, there is a so big slot, what about the remaining keel?[attachment=1]
Well, there ya go. I was just thinking though, you are going to have to find the path of the water because it is passing through the hull and soaking the wood. If it is getting at the end grain of the plywood, it could rot the whole thing in time. Do you think that you could tip up the stern enough to pour water in the forward compartment deep enough to allow it to soak through in the other direction? I have seen your trailer. Maybe you could use that to raise the stern high enough.
Good Luck.
Al