Advice needed please. I am trying to source an irritating leak into the rear berth of my boat, a Mac x. When it rains I get a drip coming off the inside lining of the motor well, just at its lowest point. Unfortunately this drip falls on the mattress and over a period can be substantial. I have tried many things including re sealing around the seat area and engine area. I am hoping that some of you may have had a similar issue and might share some advice please?
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Micheal Walsh
Hi Micheal
The actual leak could be anywhere in the cockpit, with the water simply running down inside the lining and dripping off the lowest point.
I suggest the prime culprit to check is the steering pedestal - the securing bolts and the cable tube. You can get to the nuts by removing the white blanking plugs in the lining.
Let us know how you get on!
Rick Jones (Treasurer), former 26X & 19 owner, Isle of Wight
By all means try to find the leak - you'll be surprised how many holes have been drilled all over the superstructure once you start looking!
Ultimate solution is to tape some polythene sheeting all along the back edge of the "ceiling" of the aft berth and tuck it down behind the raised edge of the "floor". Drips just run down into the bilges - no wet bedding! If you still have the carpeted trim from the back of the aft berth then this neatly conceals the polythene (but who looks that far back anyway?)
Mike
Thanks for replies Rick and Mike. Think I have sealed all around steering pedestal other than water that runs along cables. Mike's solution sounds like what I will do now. Many thanks.
Micheal Walsh
Water will often leak through the smallest gap. I have had good success in the past by using "Creeping Crack Cure" this is quite effective at sealing the tiny fissures that seem to be invisible to see. Dusting with French Chalk can be a way of detecting the passage of a leak. I have often found that the drip is nowhere near the source of the leak.
I have an M and rain water got in through the gap between the washboard and the sliding hatch so I taped a 6 inch strip of polythene sheeting along the inside rim of the sliding hatch and when shutting shop make sure this slips over the washboard. It works 90% of the time but did leak in a howling gale with horizontal rain so I ended up with wet bedding that time, but only once in 2 years.
I got an offcut for free from a builders merchant while buying some other stuff.
I do have to replace the sheeting from time to time but that is a 10 minute job.
Simon Armitage
Sowenna (26M)