Water mysteriously found in head.

[JIM BRENER 1987 #504 "WI]

While cleaning the gel coat in the cockpit, in preparation to restore the finish with Poly Glow, we used a lot of water to clean the cockpit area from the side flat deck where the winches are mounted aft to the stern. No cleaning was done forward of the campanionway.

Shortly after cleaning we found brown colored water running from under the laminate on the port side down to the floor of the head. You could increase the flow by pressing on the laminate and it continued to drain for some time.  The cabnet was dry as was the top of the laminate the stanchions showed no sign of water and the wiring above the cabnet was dry. There was some water in the aft cabin bilge which came from the aft locker and the hull looked dry looking toward the fuel tank from the head.

Does anyone have an idea where the water came from?

Jim Brener
Wind Spirit #50

[amoreau]

Hi, Do you see water in the area when it rains?  If not my guess is that you were forcing water in under something with the hose.  Sounds like under the winches or under the rub rail?

[Ted Pounds]

I had the same problem and determined the water came from the port locker under the cockpit seat.  In my case a jug of distilled water stored there sprang a leak.  In your case the locker hatch may have leaked during your vigorous cleaning and then it worked it's way to the head the same way mine did.  If you did this recently then check the port locker and see if you find any wet spots in there.  If you find any water then that's most likely where it came from.

Ted

[Jeff Tancock]

Yep, I agree with Ted. I had a leak into the head when water would get into the port locker while washing. The water would get up under the lid and into the locker along the back (port side) of the seat (lid), then travel forward and penetrate the bulkhead and come out onto the counter or from the trim and run down to the corner and under the teak seat, then out onto the floor. An easy fix is some weather striping along the combing, flush with the seat, so that it gets compressed slightly when the locker is closed. I also ran the strips along the sides of the locker (fore and aft) at a downward angle. Good luck.

[Stu Jackson]

Jeff reminded me of something that I'd learned from the Projects and FAQs.  The Mark I boats didn't have any weatherstrips at the port locker or the aft lazarrette.  One of the first things we did when we bought our boat almost four years ago was to add these features to both spots.

We used relatively inexpensive weatherstripping from the local hardware store.  I recently read an article that suggested that the best way to REALLY do this is to use automotive gasket material used for sealing the space between, say, your car hood and the engine area.  I think it came from Good Old Boat magazine.

While I don't remember the material, it consists of a pre-adhesive coated base with a semi-circular gasket above.

This would seem to answer the issue of the less expensive stuff getting squashed over time.  At least it has helped for the time being.

When I find the right material, I'll post it here.

[JIM BRENER 1987 #504 "WI]

Thanks for your replys. I checked the port locker and it looked dry but the locker is good place to start to correct the problem.  I do get water in the aft locker and have tried to find a good gasket to seal the lid to the rim. The open space along the aft edge of the locker is not very high and it has been hard to find a thin but effective gasket. Too high and the lid pushes the gasket off when closing. I think I can find a closed foam gasket material to try for the port locker.

Jim Brener
Wind Spirit #504

[cholder]

Look at the genoa track screws immediately above the bulkhead.  I found Catalina had substituted a flimsy tapped plate for the nut and washer because the bolt aligned exactly with the bulkhead.  I carefully chiseled out a bit of the bulkhead and reinstalled the bolt with proper sealing and nut etc.  No leaks since.

[Mike Smith]

Jim -

I've just developed the same mystery leak in the head that you had. We have had a lot of heavy rain here recently and I think that is where the water came from - very strange how it came on so suddenly! I have cleaned out the port lazarette and will be testing that area as the source of the leak. I am also installing a new rubrail so I'll watch out for missing bolts and will replace them with bedded SS panhead screws in the aluminium extrusion.

Mike