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Originally posted by joeblow

If you had your boat dry on the trailer and you knew everything was dry under the cabin floor and your ballast tanks dry and empty, why couldn't you run a test on the trailer by filling up the water ballast tanks and close the drain. This way you could check for potential leaks around or under the cabin floor and in all compartments?

Anyone anyone ????

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Originally posted by Ape-X

with more people on board, could it be boat sitting lower in water, presumably where the leak is?

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Originally posted by OLarryR

I am not familiar with the Cat 250 and it's hull openings but offer the following:

I noticed a possibility for water to be taken in when having addl passengers onboard in that the bilge hose connector thru the transom is not that much above the waterline and depending on the number of passengers, that hull opening can allow water to enter. The bilge hose is attached and is routed to the bilge pump higher than where it drains out the transom and so no leakage should ever be experienced. However, if your bilge overboard is configured similar to the Cat 25s and if your hose is not securely attached, that could be a potential water entry point.

Here is a weird way to check for leaks in general. I read about it somewhere but I do not know of anyone that has ever tried it. It would be most effective for a boat out of the water but could also be tried while waterborne. It involves sealing off with plastic wrap and duct tape all known vents/openings on the boat (ie. vent fans, etc), then somehow connecting the discharge from a vacuum cleaner or leaf blower with plastic wrap/duct tape to seal area you connect it to blow air into the cabin. Then you use a water hose or in combination with washing the boat with soap (soap bubbles) over the entire boat and see where air is escaping by evidence of bubbles forming. I read about this somewhere as a technique that can be used but not aware of anyone that has tried it or had success with it.

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Originally posted by GaryB

If I remember correctly, others have posted that if the 250 doesn't sit at a certain angle (usually on a trailer) water will run into the boat from I believe the area of the front hatch (might have been the companion way?). Could it be the evening dew is running into the boat thru one of the hatches because the boat isn't sitting at the proper angle with people on board?

I'm sure others with more knowledge of the 250 will chime in.

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Originally posted by britinusa

Any chance it could be coming in through the Rudder steering arm rubber boot?

On JD, the boot is normally above the waterline, but I can imagine if the boat were stern down the boot could be leaking.

The boot is not water proof, so I have a plastic tie wrap around the narrow part when it meets the steering arm that is attached to the rudder.

Paul

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Originally posted by zeil

Another way of water finding its way below is through or around the electrical plug-in mast-deck connection... some water could enter and collect between deck and cabin lining. When the boat is at a certain angle it could run down the compression post onto the cabin floor. It is easy to check in between the layers for any dampness by removing the starboard cabin light.

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Originally posted by zeil

Another way of water finding its way below is through or around the electrical plug-in mast-deck connection... some water could enter and collect between deck and cabin lining. When the boat is at a certain angle it could run down the compression post onto the cabin floor. It is easy to check in between the layers for any dampness by removing the starboard cabin light.

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