Leak in head ceiling

[Chris]

After launching this spring, we started having brown, sticky fluid leaking around screws in the ceiling of the head.  Occasionally when there had been heavy rain, there was also leakage around the hatch frame, and once, even around the port side dorade vent into the salon.  We are only on the boat on weekends, and there have been leaks each time we return to the boat.  The screw heads where most of the leak is are for the teak handrails that are inside the dodger and protected from rain, so I guess the water must be migrating there inside the deck.  I read in tech notes about leaks possibly from the traveler mounting or even cracks in the traveler base.  We have some small cracks there, but I didn't find any info on how to go about fixing them.  I don't think our traveler bolts go clear through the coach top, but will check that next weekend.  Any other suggestions besides patching those little hairline cracks next to the traveler?  We have re-bedded chain plates successfully in the past, thanks to this group! But I don't know where to start to find the source of this higher up leak! 

[Stu Jackson]

You should have the traveler bolts through mounted on your hull - it was only the earlier boats that didn't have it.  The recommendations are to LIFT the traveler track and rebed it it entirely, but you don't necessarily have to take it all off.  While you're there, see how it's mounted.   Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure will solve the small spider cracks - look it up on West Marine's website.  Water around the dorade?  Move it or remove it and rebed it, check all screws and fasteners.  It sounds like you know what you're doing, just go do it.

[Ron Hill]

Chris : If you have leaks inside the head and the screws that hold on thoes hand holds, your problem is probably with the head hatch.  I'd remove the head hatch - take out the screws and using a heat gun heat up the frame.  The gently pry up the hatch frame and remove it.  

The I'd take some alcohol and clean up the cutout and let it dry out.  I'd rebed the cleaned up frame with 3M 4200.  When I re bed a hatch - I put 4200 on the surface of the overhead and on the underside of the hatch frame.  The I put the frame in the deck cutout and wiggle it a bit.  Then I lift the frame out of the cutout and squirt caulk on both the cutout and the underside of the frame again and reseat the frame back into the deck cut out again.  Then put the screw back into the frame and only tighten till it's about 3/4s tight.  Let the caulk cure for 12+ hrs and then tighten the screws down.

Don't bother to try wiping up the excess caulk - just wait until it's dry and cut it off.  That's much easier.  

You might also want to rebed the hand holds.
 
BTW, one traveler bolt (each side) does go all the way thru the cabin top on your 1988.   A few thoughts

[Chris]

Thank you for the info, Ron.  The handhold and the hatch were our initial suspects, but they are covered by the dodger and never get much if any water on them.....  So we were looking for where water could be seeping from an unprotected area higher up!
Chris