Water System Leaks (& a little on the Newport to Ensenada race)

[Tom Madden]

i have a 2007 Catalina 34ft MKII, hull number 1768.  i just returned from the Newport to Ensenada race.  it was great to see a 30ft Catalina won all the top trophies (yes! beating all the big maxi class boats on adjusted time.)  it was my first Nte & i finished 7th in my class of 14 with a time of 24hr15mins (we sailed the entire time, zero engine use.)  so, i am very pleased with my boat.

however, one nagging problem the entire race was fixing leaks in my water system.  what makes this even worse,  its not a new issue... i've been wrestling with it for months.  it seems if i leave my water pump (for the water system), its just a matter of time until a leak occurs (i.e. a leak in the tubing) or a tube gets blown of a fitting (i had this happen twice near my hot water tank and i know the clamps were tight since i tightened them my self.)

i beginning to think i either have a bad pump that delivers too much pressure or i have a way to adjust the pressure level within the system and i'm just not aware and not doing this correct.

i appreciate any input anyone has this issue.  thank you in advance.

tom

p.s. if anyone wants to share details or course strategies (and results) on this years NtE race (i saw many Cat 34's listed)  i am happy to start off my sharing mine.

[Ken Juul]

What make/model of water pump do you have?  That will determine the pressure and if it is adjustable.

Are your fresh water hoses still flexible?  With time they tend to get hard, won't grip as well.  I also found a couple nylon connectors in hard to reach areas that had the barbs filed off to make attachment easier that leaked until they were replaced.  It is also common for the nylon connectors to crack and leak.

Now that your back from the race....congrats... you will have time to sort this stuff out, it is usually something simple that was overlooked.

[Steve Sayian]

Tom,

I had similar problems when I bought my '99 in 2005.  I checked EVERY single hose fitting and found many had loose clamps and several had the hoses partly off the barbed end of the fitting.  I replaced the loose  clamps and tightened them down and the leaks stopped.  It took me about 2 months to go through the whole system.  Pay special attention to the all the hot water hoses as they flex due to temp changes and will give the most proplems.  Don't forget to check the water heater connections too.

Hope this helps.

Steve

[ed webb]

I had a similar problem but I think that mine is do to calcium drying out in the lines over the winter. We put the boat back in the water last week. I had some leaks, plenty of pressure in the head sink, no pressure in the galley. I took off the the filter at the faucet and it was completely plugged. Cleaned it out and all is better plenty of pressure now

[Stu Jackson]

Tom, you have a pretty (and pretty, too) new boat.  For the last number of years there have been reports that the hose clamps on ALL of the lines are questionable coming out of the factory.  Vic Macau on #1688 first reported this on his new boat a few years ago. He mentioned: ALL of them.

So, please, check them all.  ALL of them, including fuel, raw water, freshwater, and your plumbing.

[Wayne]

Yup, one would think that tightening hose clamps is so simple and so obvious--but not so at the Catalina factory.  My 2006 had lots of loose hose clamps.  Also, my boat had a piece of green colored mystery hose connecting the hot water heater to the distribution system.  It was only a 4"  long hose, but popped off several times; usually in the middle of the night.  A trip to WM and less than $1.00 bought a short piece of the right hose.  Problem solved.
I heartily second Stu's comments.  Check everything.  It doesn't take very long, and I was sure surprised at the number of clamps that were (maybe) finger tight.  And I haven't had a leak in over two years.

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

I would guess that your water pump is probably cycling on at times to maintain pressure lost by the leaks.

I have found that the easiest way to find small leaks is to wipe each connection to make sure that it's dry to start with, then with the pump on for awhile, go back with a paper napkin or paper towel and touch it to the area around each joint. This will detect any small water seepage or leak. You can do small areas at a time if you don't want to cover the whole boat at once.

Hope this helps.   

[Tom Clay]

My 2006 Hull#1760 also had lots of loose (semi-tight) hose clamps.  My boat had a piece of black colored hose connecting the hot water heater to the hot water distribution system.  It was about a 4"  long hose, but popped off 3 times, I even double clamped it; I pulled the hose off and it was so hard it did not form fit with the clamps around the fitting. A trip to the auto parts store and for less than $1.00 I bought a short piece of the right hose.  The hose has never popped off since. A new length of hose and tighening all clamps should solve your problem.

[Joe and Carol]

Our 34 is older than those discussed.  I find it sometimes prudent to replace the clamps rather than just tighten them.  Also, the positioning of a clamp and hose on a connector should be checked when tightening a clamp.  We also check the port fill caps on our water tanks one or twice a year for air leaks.

We hope to observe the MTE race some day on board the committee boat.