Rainwater Leak Starboard Aft Quarter

[Breakin Away]

I have a very small rainwater leak that allows a cup of water or so after each rainstorm. It accumulates in the low spot under the aft berth near the raw water intake. Based on the contour of the hull, it could be coming from anywhere on the starboard side as far forward as the galley. This picture shows the location where it accumulates, although I removed the water before taking the picture:



I was on the boat just after a rainstorm last week and saw the water present, but was not able to trace the trickle of water to its source. I'll be unable to work on it again until I'm on the boat while it is raining, and that happens relatively infrequently. (I suppose I could douse it with water from a hose, though.)

FYI, the area stays bone dry unless it rains, so that seems to eliminate the domestic water system as a source of the leak.

Do any of you have experience with this, and can you suggest possible deck penetrations that are more likely than others to be the source?

[Mick Laver]

There was a thread about the same problem around a year ago. http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,8383.msg58995.html#msg58995

Short answer: Some weatherstripping under the lazaret hatches seemed to help the problem considerably for me, but if it really pours some water might still collect by the raw water intake. I've been thinking of drilling a drain hole so the water goes into the bilge, but it's a pretty low priority project. We'll see if El Niño makes a return this year.

[Wayne]

I had a similar problem that traced to the steering pedestal.

[sailr4]

Another potential for leaks (or floods in my case), is the scupper hose(s).  Mine were very cracked on a 1989 vessel.

Rob

[George Bean]

I had a leak under the Stb foot block.  If you haven't found your leak yet, check the Stb winch (I have found that leaks will most likely occur where the accessibility to bolts/nuts are the worst  ). You might even have a loose/cracked hose connection on the Stb cockpit drain hose.