Leaky boat

TonyWalker

Ok guys, I am going to vent.

 

We were away from the boat for a couple of weeks.  On our return for the first couple of days it rained, one of the days could be categorized as a monsoon.  I got into the boat yesterday.  The boat was slowly being destroyed by the water that had entered.

 

The primary place that gets wet is the mid berth underneath storage compartment.  We took 6 quarts of water out of it.  The carpet is still soaked and we are working that problem with fans and dehumidity blocks.  The water also soaks the cabin floor (that nice teak) primarily along the starboard edge.

 

The other place that suffered a smaller but significant amount of water was in the forward bunk area. That part of the problem seemed to be worse on the port side.

 

The boat has always been a leaker.  And I have put untold time and expense into attempts to find and fix these leaks.

 

Right now we have everything that can be removed from the cabin that can absorb water removed so it can dry.  Mattresses and things like that.  They are not wet for the most part but they are damp..  We were very close to having a mold problem develop.

 

All this prior to a planned trip tomorrow. 

 

Is this a 342 issue?. Or a 2006 342 issue? or a Salt Shaker 2006 342 issue?  This is the first time I ever looked at the boat and viewed her with no sense of pride..

 

Tony

Salt Shaker 342

Michael T

Tony, After all the advice and support you have given others over the years you are entitled to blow off some heavy steam. I can appreciate your frustration but I can remember many stories of great times you have had on her (nothing untoward meant by that). There has to be a solution and a logical process of elimination to follow to find the leaks. Don't give up on her yet and put her up for sale! Let's see what the guys here have for advice. I'll make soome calls to a couple of techs I know to see if they have similar experiences. :-) MT

LaRea

Tony, I feel for you!  Hope you can still get underway tomorrow!

The two culprits on my 342 were the rub rail and the window in the head.  Rub rails are not difficult -- just tedious.  With two people and two cordless drills, it can be done in an afternoon.  Ditto with windows -- not too bad once you get up the courage to pry the window out.  I did mine with butyl tape at the mating surface and a bead of clear silicon on the outside.

It's definitely NOT just the Salt Shaker!  

TonyWalker

Thank you for the encouragement Michael.  Also for the reasearch you have in mind.

My game plan will be to take her to Marsh Harbor Marina (here in Palmetto) and have the entire platfrom for the midberth removed.  I will keep that space open until we hit another severe rain and maybe I can see where the leak is originating.

Then it is on to Key West.

This has been an ongoing battle and the recent skirmish put it over the top for me.

Thanx

Tony

TonyWalker

And LeRay, Thank you also.  The window in the head has been recently resealed since it was the source of a major leak a couple months ago.  And the rub rails have been off and resealed a couple of times.  I am currently thinking my best shot is having the mid berth space open for inspection. Too old to do any of this stuff myself.  Marsh Harbor Marina makes up for my lack of fix it talents.

Tony

TonyWalker

One more thing.  The item that saved all my stuff in storage in the mid berth compartment was the dry-dek I put in there.  That kept all the stuff, much of it in cardboard boxes and containers out of the water.

Tony

LaRea

I saw a thread here about finding leaks by pressurizing the cabin and applying soapy water to the rails, windows and hatches.  Set up a high-volume dryer fan blowing in through a hatch, with all other doors and windows sealed off.  Any leaks will make bubbles in the soapy water.  I didn't try it myself, but it seems like a great approach.

rasbury

I seem to be having the same issue in my mid berth area and have taken everything out....could have been an open window by the kids or something and I am praying I don't have such issues.....you'll get it, don't give up the ship!

Michael T

One tech replied. The first thing they do at his marina is to see at what level the leak starts. He asked if the carpet or coaming in the cockpit was wet indicating water penetration in the canvas, a commom problem. He said a guy spent a week re-doing his rub rails when it was a canvass leak in a high wind with rain. Check the cockpit for wet signs first. then -  Check for moisture in the ceiling. If it's there then they look at: hatches, railings, sun pad snaps, windshields, horns. They use a professional moisture meter (which he said any marina should have). He said it will detect moisture in the ceiling panels. NO moisture in the ceiling panels - then they look at fender and mooring cleats, then shore power accesses, then - and he said this is often the big one - the rub rails. Again, they try to use a moisture meter probe to see where it starts because he said the water can run along the @#$%^ rub rail and be hard to detect. Next they look at cockpit fittings like engine hatch seals. He said not to be disheartened that at his marina they deal with this all of the time as it is probably the number 1 customer complaint. Let the pros have a go at it. I'm sure it will be resolved! I'll post anything that I hear from the tech at my marina. Good luck! :-) MT

TikiHut2

+1 on letting the Marsh harbor guys doing the trouble shooting.

It was an old sailboat leak trick that I posted a while back where you seal/tape/visqueen off the cockpit and windows. then pressurize the cabin with a shop vac and spray every fitting/window/rubrail you can find above deck with a solution of dishsoap and water. It works great on a sailboat which is usually far tighter below the deck than the engine compartment and liner on our Rinker. Unfortunately the enormous gaps between the liner/hull and down in the engine compartment would make this nearly impossible on these powerboats......but maybe.

Key West will still be there next week, and it'll be just as wild. Make sure to be careful chasing those girls down there. Alot of them sport a five oclock shadow.

Be patient with that leak and good luck.

Black_Diamond

Tony - by mid-berth storage compartment, are you talking about the storage area under the aft sleeping area?  I'm assuming (yes a dangerous word) a 2006 and 2003 342 have the same layout. 

JohnnyCake

I'm not sure if this is exactly same problem, but we do always have water in the bilge of our 2006 FV250. Under the engine, but also in front bilge.
The water is coming from above, because once when she was docked outside for repair and it was raining, the water appeared to bilge.

I know it's not a big problem, only cosmetic problem. But i still would like to know where the he... this water is coming from? No water anywhere else, only in bilge. Can't keep the bilge dry and it's annoying.

TonyWalker

B_D, yes, it is the one you described.  Layout is the same as I understand it.

Tony

TonyWalker

JC, If I could route the water directly to the bildge where it would be pumped out, I would be one happy camper.  I would take your situation in a heartbeat.

Tony

Black_Diamond

Tony,  Sounds like you might have a similar problem like I had, the drain holes in the stringers in the area by the AC pump and also by the shower sump were glassed over at the factory, so any water that got in those areas (mine happened at sea trial - the AC pump was leaking badly) had no where to go but in the storage area and the carpet by the stairs.  Brand new boat at the time and the dealer could not/would not figure out the problem.  That's another story.  lol  Two redrilled holes and sealed and back in business.

Some other ideas for you from my wanderings on my 342: the bilge pump hose from the 'mid' pump was leaking by the AC pump - crummy corregated hosing - I spliced in a new piece.  I also found by accident the same hose was basically disconnected from the thru hull (just barely on and way loose) - you can get to it from behind the tray in the shower. I added a section of hose, put in a loop and installed a 90 degree thru hull as the straight type was realy not the right one from the start, it interferes with the shower tray..oh yes I double clamped it too.  I did the same thing for the shower sump thru hull too while I was at it...I suspected I was getting water backflowing in rough seas and I think I was right..dry so far 1+ year later.

Black_Diamond

You might check that the drain in the anchor locker is not plugged too, that would overflow water inside too.  It's a bugger to get to, it is under a 'shelf' screwed down inside the anchor locker immediately in front of the deck plate that unscrews to gain access.  Just a thought. 

 

Black_Diamond

While on the subject: other places to check:
Hatches - I rebed mine using butyl tape, they were poorly sealed and lucky they did not leak or cause rot.
Bow rails: I'm trying to rebed mine. Total pita. I can get to 3 places on the port side, the other three are impossible to get at without cutting holes in the head tub and who knows how for the most forward one.

TonyWalker

Rebedded the hatches some time back.  That nicely fixed those problems.  The anchor windless compartment seems to drain well.  But I will check once again today.  Found some additional water that intruded from the rain storm in the lower shelf of the two that are against the wall of the head in the galley.

The boat was out of the water high on the lift when all this happened.

Not encouraging but I will find all and fix, I promise.

Tony

TonyWalker

Now four for the upside.

The Salt Shaker is one crazy great sea boat.  We have storys about that.

The Salt Shaker has a crazy great cabin and cockpit layout in such a small footprint.

The Salt Shaker is eye candy at any dock, even in situations where we have by far the smallest boat.

The Salt Shaker with her new engines and Ocean X's is a performer.

Need I say more.

Michael T

And that's pretty much the end of any doubt anyone might have that Rinkers Rule and Rinker owners have significantly higher than average I.Qs (yes, it's a fact - just ask anyone on this forum!) :-) MT

Black_Diamond

Where the water shows and wear it leaks as we all know are not the same, however, a few more thoughts: any of the snaps for the sun pad or cockpit cover would be a thought along with the wipers (the seal where it goes through the deck).  You can pull off the cover plate in the head ceiling and get to the port side one easy.  If it's wet in there you know your answer!

TonyWalker

Here is a leak source I never thought of but it was in fact bringing in massive amounts of water.

The 3 housings for the power and cable TV connections had  seals, gaskets and caulking that were all seriously deteriorated.  Now this is fixed.  We will see what other leaks there might be but this one has to account for 90% of the problem, minimum.  These are the housings on the port side of the boat forward of the two port holes.

These are being replaced with upgraded units plus really proper installation.

Tony

Dream_Inn

Good find Tony!

OldDogNewTrix

Probably one of the easier fixes too, fingers crossed that was the culprit!

TonyWalker

Well, the Salt Shaker is once again back at her home dock.  Now that these known leaks are fixed, I will be eager to get some heavy rain.  ODNT said fingers are crossed.  While she was at Marsh Harbor Marina the past few days, I had a few other things fixed and/or serviced.

Looking forward to some trouble free cruising.

Tony

TonyWalker

Here are the numbers from the short run back from MHM.  26 mph (gps) 3600 rpms and 24 gallons per hour.  Conditions, light boat except for me and full gas, salt water, pretty day.

Those new Volvo 300's with their OceanX drives are sure sweet.  

Dream_Inn

Bring it up here, we certainly are getting the rain!

24gph is pretty awesome Tony!  (I was lucky getting that in my 310, you'd have to flip the two numbers for me now. :-& )

TonyWalker

Celibrate! celebrate! celebrate!    We are at the Venice YC.  Rain like I have seldom seen.  It stopped all outside activity.  The Salt Shaker was dry as a bone!  I never would have thought to look at the side electrical inputs as a leak source but sure enough that was the main and serious source.  I think the leak existed from day one.  It just got worse and worsd as the gasgets deteriorated over time.  Anyone with a similar problem, take a look at this.

Tony

aero3113

Great news!

Black_Diamond

Good to hear. I might just deal with mine to stay ahead of that!

OldDogNewTrix

Good to know, glad you're all fixed up!