Having taken my boat out of the water for winter I'm turning my attention to sorting out problems ready for next season.
I've sorted the electrics and my binnacle leak I'm really left with what I'm ASSUMING is a leaky hull/deck join.
Having not visited the boat for 3 weeks, due to a back strain, I was mildly disappointed to have to sponge a small bucketful of water from the rear starboard bilges.
Looking carefully around this area it is clear that the bilge water is coming from that little carpeted channel at the bottom of the deck liner next to the rear starboard berth.
What puzzles me is WHERE this water is coming from. I can clearly see how it gets from there into the bilges; just gravity and a bit of capilliary attraction. But where does it COME from? There is no obvious trail leading to this carpeted channel.
I've ruled out all the deck fittings by installing tell-tales under their fixings - all dry.
What I'm left with is the hull/deck joint but I can't see how the water gets from the joint to this channel.
1. The hull liner and the deck liner appear to butt together at the very point where my water is appearing, and
2. The deck liner seems to consist of 3 separate bits, joining roughly where my leaks are.
What I don't know is how all these parts are joined - apart from the deck/hull joint, which as we know is glued, sealed and bolted together.
Just looking at how they would all fit together, (bearing in mind the deck liner appears to be upside down), is it reasonable to assume that, with the hull liner bonded to the hull AND the deck liner installed on top of it (at the very point of my water's appearance) THEN if water leaked through the hull/deck joint it would run down the inside of the hull until it met the deck liner/hull liner butt join.
Where the water went next would be determined by how well these joins are made/sealed.
I think this does, however, show how the water could be materializing where it is.
What do you think?
—
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
I'm sure I've read somewhere of people sprinkling different coloured powder paints around areas where they suspect water might be getting in then you see what colour ends up in the bilges (hopefully not a rainbow) and helps to diagnose the area that the water is getting in. There was also something about forcing air into the cabin with a leaf blower (must have been an American forum) then spraying the outside of the boat with car shampoo and watching for bubbles... that would entertain your neighbours!
My deductive process was one of elimination - ie the famous Sherlock Holmes approach.
Anyway having found the rainwater is getting in via the rub rail joint I was interested in figuring out it's path.
Having visited the boat today I realised what tosh I was spouting yesterday.
I was so sure that the hull and deck liners met in the middle...what's now obvious is that, afaik, the hull walls of the rear berth and heads are simply the single skin hull.
In fact, again afaik, the mid area along the entire length of the boat is simply the hull (covered in carpet).
This makes sense of how the water, having leaked in through the rub rail joint seems to magically appear at the lowest edges of the hull liner.
And another thing, I have been assuming that my leaks are localised on the rub rail joint in the area immediately above where I'm finding the water in the boat.
What I've realised, belatedly, is that the reason the water is appearing at the rear berth and the heads is that these areas are the low points along the hull liner.
The leaks could be anywhere, indeed everywhere, in the rub rail joint, the water simply collects at the lowest point.
I think I had expected the carpet (on the hull) to show marked evidence of the water's passage but this isn't the case. I guess this is just a feature (generally helpful - eg it doesn't rot) of it's character.
Anyway, having said all that, I think what I'll probably do, before launching in the Spring is put a bead of sealant along the entire length of the rub-rail, sealing it to the deck.
I know this isn't a perfect solution but if it simply stops the rain getting in for a few weeks it will have proved where my last remaining leak is.
And hey, it might even last for the whole season - watch this space!
—
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
Just about to launch and get on my mooring for the season; amazed to see how dirty she'd got inside and out...anyway
My remaining leak areas seem to be:
1. The Hull/Deck joint. As an experiment I removed the starboard rub-rail and cleaned it and the joint it covers. I then slightly tightened the nuts and bolts that clamp the deck to the hull. Next I replaced the rub rail and applied a bead of clear sealant between the top of the rub-rail and the deck.
I've deliberately only done the starboard side as I want to compare the results. If the process is sucessful I'll repeat it on the port side next winter.
2. Having sealed the hull/deck joint, as described above, I was interested to see what would happen when I karchered the deck and we had some heavy rain - I previously had it under a full cover.
I guess I should have been encouraged that the leak I had been experiencing near the heads appears to have been stopped by my hull/deck joint sealing. However I didn't really notice this as there was a lot of water getting in to the rear berth area, seemingly as before.
What I did notice was that, unlike before, I could clearly see where the water was coming from. There are several levels of roof liner over the rear berth. The one in question, looking sternwards, is the big drop that corresponds roughly to the rear of the fuel tank areas in the deck - does that make sense?
About 3/4" above the bottom of this drop in the liner are 4 small holes evenly spaced across the beam. You guessed it, water is dripping from the hole furthest to starboard.
Now, it would be starboard as the boat is parked on a slope, starboard side down. My question is, where is the water coming from???
It can't be the deck/hull joint, it can't be the binnacle and it can't be anything in the engine area or below. Oh and I've checked all the deck fittings by removing their liner nut access covers and fitted tell-tales which were all negative.
My only thoughts were the fittings that retain the fuel tank straps.
I've attempted to attach a pic, not very good resolution but you get the idea.
Having taken my boat out of the water for winter I'm turning my attention to sorting out problems ready for next season.
I've sorted the electrics and my binnacle leak I'm really left with what I'm ASSUMING is a leaky hull/deck join.
Having not visited the boat for 3 weeks, due to a back strain, I was mildly disappointed to have to sponge a small bucketful of water from the rear starboard bilges.
Looking carefully around this area it is clear that the bilge water is coming from that little carpeted channel at the bottom of the deck liner next to the rear starboard berth.
What puzzles me is WHERE this water is coming from. I can clearly see how it gets from there into the bilges; just gravity and a bit of capilliary attraction. But where does it COME from? There is no obvious trail leading to this carpeted channel.
I've ruled out all the deck fittings by installing tell-tales under their fixings - all dry.
What I'm left with is the hull/deck joint but I can't see how the water gets from the joint to this channel.
http://www.macgregor26.com/construction/fiberglass_parts large.jpg shows the various parts involved and a couple of things that looked interesting were:
1. The hull liner and the deck liner appear to butt together at the very point where my water is appearing, and
2. The deck liner seems to consist of 3 separate bits, joining roughly where my leaks are.
What I don't know is how all these parts are joined - apart from the deck/hull joint, which as we know is glued, sealed and bolted together.
Just looking at how they would all fit together, (bearing in mind the deck liner appears to be upside down), is it reasonable to assume that, with the hull liner bonded to the hull AND the deck liner installed on top of it (at the very point of my water's appearance) THEN if water leaked through the hull/deck joint it would run down the inside of the hull until it met the deck liner/hull liner butt join.
Where the water went next would be determined by how well these joins are made/sealed.
I think this does, however, show how the water could be materializing where it is.
What do you think?
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
I'm sure I've read somewhere of people sprinkling different coloured powder paints around areas where they suspect water might be getting in then you see what colour ends up in the bilges (hopefully not a rainbow) and helps to diagnose the area that the water is getting in. There was also something about forcing air into the cabin with a leaf blower (must have been an American forum) then spraying the outside of the boat with car shampoo and watching for bubbles... that would entertain your neighbours!
Thanks Harry, that's good advice.
My deductive process was one of elimination - ie the famous Sherlock Holmes approach.
Anyway having found the rainwater is getting in via the rub rail joint I was interested in figuring out it's path.
Having visited the boat today I realised what tosh I was spouting yesterday.
I was so sure that the hull and deck liners met in the middle...what's now obvious is that, afaik, the hull walls of the rear berth and heads are simply the single skin hull.
In fact, again afaik, the mid area along the entire length of the boat is simply the hull (covered in carpet).
This makes sense of how the water, having leaked in through the rub rail joint seems to magically appear at the lowest edges of the hull liner.
And another thing, I have been assuming that my leaks are localised on the rub rail joint in the area immediately above where I'm finding the water in the boat.
What I've realised, belatedly, is that the reason the water is appearing at the rear berth and the heads is that these areas are the low points along the hull liner.
The leaks could be anywhere, indeed everywhere, in the rub rail joint, the water simply collects at the lowest point.
I think I had expected the carpet (on the hull) to show marked evidence of the water's passage but this isn't the case. I guess this is just a feature (generally helpful - eg it doesn't rot) of it's character.
Anyway, having said all that, I think what I'll probably do, before launching in the Spring is put a bead of sealant along the entire length of the rub-rail, sealing it to the deck.
I know this isn't a perfect solution but if it simply stops the rain getting in for a few weeks it will have proved where my last remaining leak is.
And hey, it might even last for the whole season - watch this space!
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
Just about to launch and get on my mooring for the season; amazed to see how dirty she'd got inside and out...anyway
My remaining leak areas seem to be:
1. The Hull/Deck joint. As an experiment I removed the starboard rub-rail and cleaned it and the joint it covers. I then slightly tightened the nuts and bolts that clamp the deck to the hull. Next I replaced the rub rail and applied a bead of clear sealant between the top of the rub-rail and the deck.
I've deliberately only done the starboard side as I want to compare the results. If the process is sucessful I'll repeat it on the port side next winter.
2. Having sealed the hull/deck joint, as described above, I was interested to see what would happen when I karchered the deck and we had some heavy rain - I previously had it under a full cover.
I guess I should have been encouraged that the leak I had been experiencing near the heads appears to have been stopped by my hull/deck joint sealing. However I didn't really notice this as there was a lot of water getting in to the rear berth area, seemingly as before.
What I did notice was that, unlike before, I could clearly see where the water was coming from. There are several levels of roof liner over the rear berth. The one in question, looking sternwards, is the big drop that corresponds roughly to the rear of the fuel tank areas in the deck - does that make sense?
About 3/4" above the bottom of this drop in the liner are 4 small holes evenly spaced across the beam. You guessed it, water is dripping from the hole furthest to starboard.
Now, it would be starboard as the boat is parked on a slope, starboard side down. My question is, where is the water coming from???
It can't be the deck/hull joint, it can't be the binnacle and it can't be anything in the engine area or below. Oh and I've checked all the deck fittings by removing their liner nut access covers and fitted tell-tales which were all negative.
My only thoughts were the fittings that retain the fuel tank straps.
I've attempted to attach a pic, not very good resolution but you get the idea.
Any ideas where it could be getting in?
Leak
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
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