Companionway Leak

[Rick McCall]

I have a leak that is coming from somewhere below the hatchboards on getting the port rear corner of the engine cover very wet over time. I can't see where it is coming from, no cracks in the cockpit at the companionway, and no water anywhere else in the area, bottom of hatchboards are wet (lot's of rain in the pacific norhwest this winter). Could it be that the teak around the companionway needs to be re-bedded.

It's an '87.

Thanks.

[SteveLyle]

Rick,

I've had what sounds like the same leak.

I believe what happens is that water hits the hatch boards, flows down, and some goes around the companionway boards.  That water can't get out at the base of the boards, and so either goes over/under the 1/2 round section at the base of the companionway.

My approach was to rebed the 1/2 round section in polysulfide, and cut a relief channel at the bottom of the companionway so any water that gets behind the hatch board has a way to flow out.

I did the above at the tail end of last season.  There was a definite improvement, but I'm not convinced that it totally solved the problem (I still saw some indication that a few drops were getting to the engine shelf - which would be a 90% improvement if true, vs the 100% fix I was shooting for).  The boat's been covered for the last few months, so I'll get back to this in the spring, and have someone 'make rain' with a hose while I'm inside checking for the leak.

Steve