Rear skeg water leaks

[kh3412]

Started this since it is not related to my transmission install. The c34 has three bilges that Do not drain to the main bilge. These fill with water over time and if you are in a colder climate can freeze and develop leaks. Two out of three areas leak on the boat, came across these while replacing my strut. The blue area is my biggest leak about one drip a minute with the white area about one drip every five minutes. the red area is dry and the shallowest of the areas. My plan is to dry out the area, apply a few layers of fiberglass in the sumps then fill with expanding epoxy foam and glass over so as water will run down to the main bilge. Will also apply a few layers on the outside of this area as I have to tie in the repair to the strut. Well that's the plan, and you know how plans go. 

[britinusa]

I'm curious. 'Drips' normally refers to something 'dripping' ie. present on a surface and falling off.
I could see how one would get 'drips' from the shaft log, but do not understand dripping upwards from a surface.

ie. More info please :)

Paul

[kh3412]

More info, the boat is on the hard. Water sitting in the small rear bilges drips off the boat on to the ground. Would assume that when in the water the process reverses and water comes into the boat. When cleaning what I call the blue bilge found cracking in the fiberglass. Can only assume ice formed and expanded it.

[scgunner]

     We're discussed this topic about a year and a half ago. I had everything at the stern pulled out to replace the compressor, that's when I noticed the valleys or what you call bilges, mine were also filled with some nasty water but due to runoff from the stern not leeching through the hull. After a through cleaning I filled them with a combination of teak blocks(to fill the void)and West Systems, now there's nothing to trap water as it runs from the stern to the bilge. You'll obviously need to patch the outside bottom first.

[kh3412]

Yes saw your post. Really just a warning to boats where it gets cold enough to freeze.

[Ron Hill]

kh : I had the same problem and NEVER was able to track it down - just pumped the water out of that "skag" periodically. 
The water was fresh water and suspect there was a screw (somewhere) near the top of the aft tank that had penetrated the tank and would leak when it was refilled to the top.  It was NOT from the fill hose nor the vent hose nor outlet hose.

Never had a chance to remove the aft tank, but sure there was a puncture near the top of the tank - somewhere high because it would stop after the tank was used a bit?? Had a friend with a 1987 - same problem!!

A few thoughts

[scgunner]

     Ron,

        I had the same problem with my boat, but the leak was from a stress crack in a recess at the top of the tank, it would leak down about 3 inches to the crack. The problem I had is it would leak down and fill up the tank mounting base which tilts slightly backwards, when the boat heeled the water would run out onto the aft cabin cushions. The only way to fix it is to pull the tank, which I did when I replaced the reefer compressor. Also I drilled holes the mounting base so any leaking water would drain to the bilge not the cabin. While I had everything out I took the opportunity to fill those valleys or bilges so now there's nothing to trap water and keep it from a straight run to the bilge.

         Filling those valleys is something I'd recommend especially if you live in a region where it can freeze and damage the boat. It might even be worthy of a mention in "Critical Upgrades".

[Ron Hill]

Kevin : Very interesting!!  It could be a stress crack in the tank or a bad seam weld/joint.
Both my friend and I never had the occasion to pull the aft tank to inspect it.  Neither of us had the problem of the water leaking into the aft cabin - only into that skeg depression.

Thanks for the info as I'm sure others with 87/88 C34 may have the same problem

My thoughts

[scgunner]

    Ron,

      My stress crack was at the rear of the tank so the water would leak down the back and fill up the pan. You may have a leak in front due to an overly long bulkhead screw, if so it might be able to leak down the front straight into the bilge bypassing the pan. Should be easy enough to check just pull all the top middle bulkhead screws if one is longer than the others that's probably the culprit. You can pull the bulkhead to check but to get it out you need to pull the other one first.

[Ron Hill]

Kevin : I pulled that aft panel a zillion times to adjust the steering cable tension, so that isn't the problem. You can pretty well see the top of the aft tank with that panel off.

Thanks anyway!

[Stu Jackson]

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

         Filling those valleys is something I'd recommend especially if you live in a region where it can freeze and damage the boat. It might even be worthy of a mention in "Critical Upgrades".

Good idea, Kevin.  Why don't you just do it? 

[scgunner]

     Ron,

       Well if it's not leaking in front, it's probably leaking in the back. You've got two options, live with it or fix it. If you choose to fix it, it shouldn't be to hard to find the leak once you've pulled the tank. I found my leak by turning the tank on it's side and filling it with water, once the outside of the tank was dry the leak became apparent.

      Stu,

        If you're talking about the fix itself, I did. If you're talking about addition to "Critical Upgrades", I wasn't sure if it rose to that level. I did the fix before this thread because I found the standing water to be just annoying since it never freezes in my part of the world. Until kh's post it never occurred to me that this could be more problematic for our C34 brethren who call the colder climes home.

[kh3412]

Will try to get pictures of leak and crack. Bought this boat after coming out of probate and had sat for 3 years without any one checking on it. Was just giving a heads up to people in colder climates.

[kh3412]

Found out where the water was coming from that was filling the two rear skegs. The rudder shaft where it goes through the cockpit floor/rear lazarette. Runs down the shaft and drips on to the steering  quadrant then into the bilge. Not sure how to seal this may just make some kind of cover.

[kh3412]

Cracks in rear bilge behind the strut mount and under the water tank.