Catalina - Capri - 25s International Assocaition Logo(2006)  
Assn Members Area · Join
h.jpg Home.
a.jpg Association Forum
s.jpg Ships Store
c.jpg Cruising
r.jpg Racing
t.jpg Technical Tips
g.jpg Photo Gallery - New
o.jpg Boat Search - Updated
m.jpg Manuals & Brochures
3rdrpt.jpg Swap Meet
l.jpg Links
f.jpg Officer Flag Line & Staff
b.jpg Bylaws & Constitution
 
1.jpg Members Area
1.jpg Join the Association
 
Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
 
Association Forum
Association Forum
Home | Profile | Register | Active Topics | Forum Users | Search | FAQ
Username:
 Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

 All Forums
 Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums
 Catalina 25 Specific Forum
 Puddle in the quarterberth		  New Topic  Topic Locked
 Printer Friendly
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  

LuckyDuck
1st Mate

Member Avatar

40 Posts
Initially Posted - 03/31/2018 :  16:54:29  Show Profile
This is our first Northern California winter with our 1987 C25 WK so I wasn’t sure what to expect in possible leaks. Through plenty of storms, she has stayed dry from bow to companionway inside. But a small puddle of water (couple of ounces) that pools in the aft quarter berth is driving me nuts. I can find no leaks on any hull fittings, chainplates, winches etc. I’ve spread chalk inside the hull and it stays bone dry. I’ve caulked the scuppers. Checked the dumpster (port locker) and it is dry. After the last storm I noticed the underside bottom of the cockpit, inside the boat, had a thin coating of water, kinda like you’d see on the inside of a single-pane house window. Is it possible my few ounces of water could be dripping from condensation? Has anyone had a similar issue? Many thanks in advance.
“Lucky Duck” - ‘87 C25 Trad. SR/WK #5588
Whiskeytown Lake, CA

sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

814 Posts
Response Posted - 03/31/2018 :  21:49:06  Show Profile
On Catalina boats of our vintage, the companionway is much less inclined than vertical. This allows rain water to leak into our boats through the companionway, despite the hatchboards being in place. This could be the source of your leak.

I keep a pot on the settee, to starboard and just aft of the companionway stairs to collect drips. Other folks have a cover fashioned for the companionway to ward off this leak and protect their hatchboards’ finish.


Seth
"Outlier" 1987 Catalina 25 SR/SK/Traditional Interior #5541
"Zoo" 1977 Morgan Out Island 30
"Nomad" 1980 Prindle 16
"Lost" 1988 Catalina Capri 14.2 (sold - yay!)
"Marine Tex 1" Unknown Origin POS 8' Fiberglass Dinghy
https://whichsailboat.com/2014/07/27/catalina-25-review/
Go to Top of Page

LuckyDuck
1st Mate

Members Avatar

40 Posts
Response Posted - 03/31/2018 :  22:04:42  Show Profile
quote:
Originally posted by sethp001

On Catalina boats of our vintage, the companionway is much less inclined than vertical. This allows rain water to leak into our boats through the companionway, despite the hatchboards being in place. This could be the source of your leak.

I keep a pot on the settee, to starboard and just aft of the companionway stairs to collect drips. Other folks have a cover fashioned for the companionway to ward off this leak and protect their hatchboards’ finish.

Thanks. I should have mentioned, I do have a waterproof cover that covers the cabin top and hatch boards fully. Don’t see any leaks there, but farther aft.
“Lucky Duck” - ‘87 C25 Trad. SR/WK #5588
Whiskeytown Lake, CA
Go to Top of Page

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1736 Posts
Response Posted - 04/01/2018 :  06:18:58  Show Profile
Mine collected small amounts of water after really heavy rain at the same spot as well. I observed that the water was dripping from the light fixture. Water was following the wire from somewhere else. The only area that appeared to make sense was a possible leak in/around the openings under the winch in the coaming. I cleaned and enlarged the drains in the starboard coaming openings under the winches, replaced the light fixture and the problem appears (for six years now) to have been resolved. With water, especially on boats, the source may be nowhere near the observed symptom!
Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT
Go to Top of Page

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3992 Posts
Response Posted - 04/01/2018 :  06:36:25  Show Profile
The condensation on the ceiling can be caused by your puddle evaporating then recondensing on the ceiling.I don't think it's the source of the puddle.
Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound


Go to Top of Page

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5231 Posts
Response Posted - 04/01/2018 :  06:51:18  Show Profile
One of my stanchions, the one that everybody grabs when boarding the boat right near my quarterberth, leaks from time to time and leaves a brown trail down the side of the inner hull. I’ve rededded it for the umpteenth time but it still leaks after a big storm. Water running off from the bow and cabin tops all converge at that point, so there’s plenty of flow and the water has plenty of “head” / pressure to push through. That’s why a cabintop cover won’t prevent it leaking. That stanchion, and the jib block track, are two potential sources.
Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
Go to Top of Page

Erik Cornelison
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
194 Posts
Response Posted - 04/01/2018 :  06:51:39  Show Profile
If the chalk lines aren't showing the leak, can a sheet be spread out to show any dripping from above?

I have a small leak after hard rain, so learning from this thread.

Erik
Erik Cornelison
6th Generation Professional Sailor, First Gen Submarine Sailor.
1986 Standard Rig SW. #5234
Go to Top of Page

LuckyDuck
1st Mate

Members Avatar

40 Posts
Response Posted - 04/01/2018 :  09:32:56  Show Profile
quote:
Originally posted by Voyager

One of my stanchions, the one that everybody grabs when boarding the boat right near my quarterberth, leaks from time to time and leaves a brown trail down the side of the inner hull. I’ve rededded it for the umpteenth time but it still leaks after a big storm. Water running off from the bow and cabin tops all converge at that point, so there’s plenty of flow and the water has plenty of “head” / pressure to push through. That’s why a cabintop cover won’t prevent it leaking. That stanchion, and the jib block track, are two potential sources.
Thanks for all the input! I did check the light and every other nearby wiring spot, but they are dry. My coaming compartments in the cockpit seem to be self-contained with no drain (they fill with water in heavy rains) so can’t see it coming from there. If it were from the stanchion or jib track I would think it would show on the chalk I put at the top of the inside hull?
“Lucky Duck” - ‘87 C25 Trad. SR/WK #5588
Whiskeytown Lake, CA
Go to Top of Page

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3992 Posts
Response Posted - 04/01/2018 :  10:08:06  Show Profile
You could try removing everything from the berth then sit in there and have a friend douse the outside with a hose or even a lawn sprinkler You should see something sooner or later. The lawn sprinkler method you could let run for as long as it takes untill the leak shows it's ugly head. If you get enough water for a long enough time it should be visible.
Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound


Go to Top of Page

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

1519 Posts
Response Posted - 04/02/2018 :  09:40:59  Show Profile
The cockpit sole may have numerous, tiny cracks that have let water into the plywood and then out through other cracks in the quarterberth ceiling. There was a post on the Forum years ago in which it was refurbished by cutting around the edges and saving the top fiberglass/gelcoat layer, digging out the wet, rotten plywood core, and then rebuilding the core with new material. The original non-skid sole was then glassed back into place. It seemed to be a big job as it was described.

A symptom of this condition may be that you have a spongy, soft cockpit sole in one or more spots. It would be simple to run a hose into the cockpit, cover the scuppers temporarily, and see if you get water below.
JohnP
1978 C25 SR/FK "Gypsy"
Mill Creek off the Magothy River, Chesapeake Bay
Port Captain, northern Chesapeake Bay
Go to Top of Page

LuckyDuck
1st Mate

Members Avatar

40 Posts
Response Posted - 04/02/2018 :  10:52:46  Show Profile
Thanks for the info. I hope it is something simpler, but your suggestion on how to check makes sense.
“Lucky Duck” - ‘87 C25 Trad. SR/WK #5588
Whiskeytown Lake, CA
Go to Top of Page

glivs
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
822 Posts
Response Posted - 04/02/2018 :  17:32:32  Show Profile
You don't mention a port-light in the quarter-berth, so cannot make any assumptions, but on our boat (#5972), a failed seal around the port-light proved the source of an intermittent leak in the QB.
Gerry & Leslie; Malletts Bay, VT
"Great Escape" 1989 C-25 SR/WK #5972
Go to Top of Page

LuckyDuck
1st Mate

Members Avatar

40 Posts
Response Posted - 04/02/2018 :  17:49:17  Show Profile
quote:
Originally posted by glivs

You don't mention a port-light in the quarter-berth, so cannot make any assumptions, but on our boat (#5972), a failed seal around the port-light proved the source of an intermittent leak in the QB.
None back there and others seem tight and dry.
“Lucky Duck” - ‘87 C25 Trad. SR/WK #5588
Whiskeytown Lake, CA
Go to Top of Page

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3754 Posts
Response Posted - 04/02/2018 :  20:48:30  Show Profile
I tried caulking the scuppers for water collecting all the way aft to no avail and thought the source lay elsewhere. I eventually cut and removed the scupper (another thread) and discovered that it was installed without bedding. I reinstalled the scupper with bedding and repaired the cut as a temporary measure and the leak disappeared. Is the shelf at the aft end of the quarterberth wet? That is where water will collect and run down if the scuppers leak. How far aft does the water appear? Finding leaks is always a challenge, but staying aboard during a heavy rain or the hose spraying is a good method.

Dave B. aboard Pearl
1982 TR/SK/Trad. #3399
Lake Erie/Florida Panhandle
Go to Top of Page

LuckyDuck
1st Mate

Members Avatar

40 Posts
Response Posted - 04/02/2018 :  21:36:11  Show Profile
quote:
Originally posted by Dave5041

I tried caulking the scuppers for water collecting all the way aft to no avail and thought the source lay elsewhere. I eventually cut and removed the scupper (another thread) and discovered that it was installed without bedding. I reinstalled the scupper with bedding and repaired the cut as a temporary measure and the leak disappeared. Is the shelf at the aft end of the quarterberth wet? That is where water will collect and run down if the scuppers leak. How far aft does the water appear? Finding leaks is always a challenge, but staying aboard during a heavy rain or the hose spraying is a good method.

Lots of crawling with a lantern showed the shelf at the aft end dry. Water collects about midway between the companionway steps and the transom. Thought it might be leaking into, and out of, one of two hatches under starboard cockpit seat, accessible from inside. Pulled wood hatch covers and they are dry too. Guess the hose is the best option.
“Lucky Duck” - ‘87 C25 Trad. SR/WK #5588
Whiskeytown Lake, CA
Go to Top of Page

LuckyDuck
1st Mate

Members Avatar

40 Posts
Response Posted - 04/03/2018 :  09:38:11  Show Profile
quote:
Originally posted by bjoye

I have a 89' WK with the same problem. Yes, Seth is correct. During a heavy thunderstorm last month, I track my leak down to water thru the companionway. And yes, I too have a companionway cover. The water runs down the track on which the crib boards rest to the threshold. From there it wicks up under the threshold up hill and over the lip, into the cabin along the side and down to the aft berth. It was truly amazing to watch. I fixed the problem by pulling the threshold, and butyl tape along the very upper lip, so that any water that gets under the threshold will drain down into the cockpit and not wick up and over the lip into the cabin.

The gravity-defying powers of water never cease to amaze me. I was sure the c-way was sealed tight. But I will check that out. Thanks!
“Lucky Duck” - ‘87 C25 Trad. SR/WK #5588
Whiskeytown Lake, CA
Go to Top of Page

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5231 Posts
Response Posted - 04/05/2018 :  21:38:17  Show Profile
Come to think of it, I have my DSC-VHF radio mounted to the left of the companionway stairs just inside the quarterberth but on the underside if the cockpit seat. It will get wet from time to time. I mounted a flat plastic barrier piece over the top of the radio (it was a Tupperware top) and now the drips fall off the lid then down on the floor instead of in the radio. I never tried to figure out where the water came from as I suspected the crib board slats or the cabintop cover. Maybe you can use a piece of plastic wrap to cover the slats or weatherstripping to seal the cracks.
Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
Go to Top of Page

odonnellryanc
Navigator

Members Avatar

108 Posts
Response Posted - 04/06/2018 :  09:50:31  Show Profile
Similar problem, opened up the battery compartment to find about an inch of water :) Thinking about drilling a drain hole for drainage into the bilge (I keep my batteries in their own cases, and they're AGM anyway).

I know my windows leak, though. Going to try and do something about that. Hasn't been so bad.

Going to try and sew something together during the season to cover the teak + companionway. I figure some good wax or other waterproofing should hold up adequately. We'll see.
Go to Top of Page
  Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
 New Topic  Topic Locked
 Printer Friendly
Jump To:
Association Forum © since 1999 Catalina Capri 25s International Association Go To Top Of Page
Powered By: Snitz Forums 2000 Version 3.4.06
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.