Quote
Originally posted by whk:
Further to Mark's exploratory drilling, I found standing water underneath the main sink. I sponged it up and water was back the next day. The source appears to be from the "hidden bilge", as I had similar puddles appear in the center bilge by the bilge hose joint. The water is definitely not from the sink drain or the fresh water foot pump. I spoke to Mark and am going to borrow his outboard siphon bulb pump. Plan is to drill a hole in the plywood base that holds the foot pump large enough for the hose to fit through, and then see how far I can snake the hose. I may try and pull that entire base assembly just to see what the opening to the water source looks like.

Rich - have you got visibility under your sink to the "hidden bilge" since you've got your floor apart? Is there a path for water to get under the sink area from there?

Bill


[This message has been edited by whk (edited 04-17-2006).]


I've got that area opened up. Once you unscrew and pull the plywood floor under the sink, you should see the edge of the molded interior and a few inches beyond it the vermiculite the floor is sitting on. If you have standing water under the sink and you think it might be continuous with the water in the 'other bilge', I'd think it would be leaking forward into the main bilge by then - not up to the sink. I guess I'm not sure how water under the floor, which is presumably lower would, would rise up to under the sink, unless your boat was really swamped.

If you look at the shots on my website, you can see that the vermiculite stops forward of the sink. I could see how water might enter from aft of the sink and collect up against the vermiculite. I'm guessing this water might contribute to keeping the 'other bilge' wet, but I don't think its source could be lower than the area you are describing. I'd see if you could spot where water might be flowing in from the deck, deck hull joint or companionway and collecting here. Maybe if you stop this leak, you can do a better job of keeping the other bilge dry.

On my boat, there were multiple places in the cockpit that had leaks around hardware, which I'm sure put water into the bilge. I just finished recoring these things, so I'm feeling like it should be pretty dry. I'm actually planning on glassing in all of the wood features on the deck for 'all glass' look and to prevent leaks around teak. I hate varnishing.

Rich
Tres Cosas
#294


Rich Miller
Brass Monkey
#294