Leaky cockpit locker hatches

[KeelsonGraham]

Hi all. My cockpit locker hatches leak terribly, so that there's always water in the bilge after rain. What's the best way to seal them? No, not duck tape!

[Jim Hardesty]

My cockpit locker hatches leak terribly, so that there's always water in the bilge after rain.

Shamrock, also a MKll stays dry.  First season I owned I did get water in the bilge after rain.  I tracked it to the emergency steering hatch Oring and bedding.  No seals are on the locker lids the gutters do keep rain out as long as they are clean.   I did use some foam insulation tape on the aft lids to keep out water when washing with a hose.  This season I found that the PO installed speakers on the aft locker lids are worn out, the cone is crumbling, and will let water thru.
That's what I found.  There's no one answer to stopping a leak.  It often requires some searching.
Happy hunting,
Jim

[Ron Hill]

Keel : Are you sure that the water in the bilge is really? coming from the cockpit lockers???  How is it getting from there into the bilge???

A thought

[KeelsonGraham]

Thanks guys. I can see it happening when I get the missus to play a hose over the rear two lockers while I'm in the aft cabin with the bed boards up. Water starts trickling forward from the bottom of the boat near the centre of the transom, then makes its way forward into the bilge. I'm 90% certain it's the locker lids, but I'll take a look at the o-ring.

I recall Noah saying that there's a post about using sealing tape on the locker lids, but I can't find it.

[Noah]

I don't remember making such a post.... But I am old😂. However, on my MKl I, have installed rubber weather stripping around the Starboard cockpit seat locker and helm seat locker.

[Stu Jackson]

.........................

I recall Noah saying that there's a post about using sealing tape on the locker lids, but I can't find it.

It's not a post on the forum, it is from one of the oldest tech notes.  I remember reading it when I first got my then 12 year old boat in 1998.  My PO gave me ALL of the old Mainsheet magazines from as early as 1987 when C34 articles began to be published - many thanks to Ron Hill for beginning to collect and publish articles from the Chesapeake Bay C34 Fleet members.

Other sticky posts on this forum relate how I began to assemble the "tech notes index" on Xmas Day 1998, and how the officers of the C34IA expanded that to provide members with the tech notes online.

You can use "The Knowledgebase" spreadsheet to find those old articles.

[Ron Hill]

Keel : The best I can remember is that we've recommended that C34 owners use weather stripping (sticky backed) to help raise the height of the inside hatch lip, so water stays in the molded drain grove!!

A thought 

[KeelsonGraham]

Thanks Ron, that's useful info. Yes Noah you mentioned that it was in an old tech note. I searched but couldn't find it.