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Water in bilge

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keithsinger
1st Mate

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USA
29 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/06/2014 : 10:53:50

During the recent cruise from San Diego to Catalina Island and back I noticed some water in the bilge. I've got an early wing keel so there is space enough in the section of the bilge directly under the wooden screw-off cover near the companionway for several gallons or more of water to accumululate. I'm talking about the part including and surrounding the stainless steel keel bolts. Mayby half a pint of water accumulated in this area, not even enough to cover more than a few threads of the keel bolts. The first time I noticed it I dried it with a towel, but it came back. It didn't rise or accumulate more than what I've described, but it troubles me to have any water coming in. I can see from the remains at the bottom the bilge that this has probably occured before, but I haven't noticed it before. The keel bolts are completely rust free, so if it has been happening its not causing damage that I can see. I did fill the water tank part way at the beginning of the cruise. Does this sort of thing happen in normal coastal cruising or does it indicate that something like a through-hull is starting to fail. If there was a leak, wouodn't the water rise? The boat is kept on a trailer except when in use.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2014 : 11:51:10

The first thing I'd be interested in was whether it was salt or fresh water. I don't know if you always sail in the ocean, but next time you go out & notice the water, taste it.

Salt water indicates a potentially more serious problem (the water you're sailing in is getting inside the hull somehow and that's a good way to sink). It could be a leaking through hull, speed log, transducer, drain, cracked deck to hull joint, etc. If it's salt I'd want to figure out what it was & fix it immediately. When the boat's on the trailer, do you notice any spots on the hull which stay wet longer than others?

Fresh indicates you've got a leak somewhere (generally) above the waterline. Could be your water tank, or leaking seals on your windows or hatches, failing hardware bedding, mast step, track bolts, or other places rain can get in etc. It could even be condensation, although probably not likely in San Diego in the summer, pretty hot & dry. If it's fresh, it's annoying, but not a potentially sink your boat type of problem (assuming you're sailing in salt water).

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sdpinaz
Navigator

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USA
193 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2014 : 13:30:33

Keith,
I just bought an '88 wing this past fall and I noticed the same thing. It turned out to be a through hull. the funny thing is it leaked intermittently. It was the waste tank pump-out through hull and I ended up taking it apart and rebedding it. I think the original waste tank only had a deck pump out and the leaky through-hull was an aftermarket. at first I did not notice that it had been leaking, but after closer inspection- I could tell that it had a slow and intermittent leak. I am glad I found it- it was a ticking time bomb ready to fail...
http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27851

How rough was it on your last sail? did the decks get very wet or did you spend any time heeled way over? If not, then I can assume it was one of the through hulls, I doubt the keel would leak without there being significant evidence once it was back on the trailer.... let us know what the through hulls look like....
Cheers,
Scott

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sdpinaz
Navigator

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USA
193 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2014 : 13:36:44

....it could also be from the holes in your stern. The gudeons? ladder? or how about the outboard bracket. Maybe it only happens when you are motoring and that is why it seems so slow? when you motor I wonder if the outboard wave is enough to flood the uppermost holes and causes the slow leak. can you access any of these bolts from the inside to see if there is any staining on the fiberglass?

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2014 : 15:31:23

Put some rolled up paper towels across stern on the inside and in the sked at the stern. If any stern holes are leaking, you will know it as soon as you launch for the ones that go under water at launch.

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4275 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2014 : 17:20:50

Also draw a ring around the keel sump using chalk. Where it washes away will give you an indication of where to look for the leak.

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sdpinaz
Navigator

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USA
193 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2014 : 10:11:17

Keith,
When you find out what the source of the leak is, I would be more than happy to help you fix the leak this winter. As my work slows down and there is snow on the ground in Flagstaff, my wife, our new baby, and I are going to spend some time in Tucson staying with my wife's family....

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keithsinger
1st Mate

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USA
29 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2014 : 14:25:12

I went out to the sailboat this morning for the first time since I returned from the last trip. I had several objectives, one of which was to track down the source of the water in the bilge. The advice provided by the kind folks on this forum was insightful, helpful, and much appreciated. I checked all the through-hulls in and out and none had obvious signs of leakage. I opened up the panels to the hull from stem to stern. Nothing definitive, only clues. It's been a few weeks since I took the boat out of the water and it is now completely dry inside. The bilge, which actually holds a fair amount of water at this stage of production of the wings before they completely lowered the floor, had salt crystals, which lends itself towards a saltwater intrusion. I tasted the water that I saw on the last passage and it tasted salty. Either the water was from outside the boat, or salt crystals built up from some prior water intrusion. I've taken this sailboat on at least 10 trips, in addition to day sails, and there have been no prior observations of water in the bilge to my recollection (it is the sort of thing I would tend to remember). During this mornings inspection I saw possible evidence of water in two places of note. The first was at the stern in the little counter at the very end of the birth below where I recently changed the motor mount. I remember checking it several times on the last voyage to make sure the recently assembled hardware was tight and never felt or noticed water. If it came from the stern, I don't know where else it could have come from because the stern through-hull and the lower gudgion fixture point that I could see seemed clean and the upper one is far above the water line. The only other possible evidence of water intrusion was a water path from the exit valve at the bottom of the water tank into the bilge. When I tried to tilt the tank up to see if I could make it leak I discovered there was hardly any water left in the tank. I remember filling it part-way when I left San Diego and I don't think I almost emptied it during the trip, bit it's possible. The next time I am at the sailboat I will fill up that tank part way again and see if it leaks into the bilge. Otherwise, I may have to wait until the next time I have it in the water and monitor closely using the great suggestions above. The mystery has to be solved since I would like to take this boat on many more voyages and I don't want to be worried about water accumulating in the bilge to any extent. Thanks for the offer of help in Tucson. I'd be pleased to meet any fellow Catalina 25 (or other boat) owners if they find themselves in Tucson.

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4275 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2014 : 15:29:22

If you can make the water tank leak by moving it I'm guessing problem solved. With the boat heeling back and forth I could see how that could make the leak open and close.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5239 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2014 : 17:22:18

Saltwater can get picked up by a number of sources:
The built-in bilge pump outlet could leak, especially with following seas, if you anchor a lot and your anchor drain plug is stuck, if you heel well over to port you can get seawater into the cooler or sink drain or if you put the rail in the water, the hull-deck joints could leak. If you sail to weather often, seawater can come up on deck, so if you have leaky stanchions or deck fittings, they will bring saltwater into the boat. Add in the duration of time salt has built up over the years and add freshwater,and it looks (really tastes) like saltwater intrusion. Lots of areas to check for seawater intrusion under more extreme conditions and lots of sources of sweet water mixing with saltwater on a boat.

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