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Where is the Water Coming From?

Discussion in 'Ocean Yacht' started by Tashmoo, May 28, 2018.

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  1. Tashmoo, May 28, 2018
    #1
    Tashmoo

    Tashmoo New Member

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    Cape Cod
    Here's a head scratcher...

    I'm getting small amount of salt water trickling down from the horizontal surface directly below the after end of the fuel tanks on the outboard side of both engines. About a cup of seawater accumulates under the P&S transmissions below the dripless shaft seals after a 2-3 hour run at speed. It only happens after being underway at speed and it does *not* happen in very flat sea conditions. I can't find the source and it's driving me crazy. Rebedded all the hull sides discharges (fresh water, bilge pumps, etc.) Reclamped all the raw water exhaust all the way back to the transom. Maybe getting up and in behind the rub rail?

    Maybe someone here as experienced and solved this.
  2. Trak, May 28, 2018
    #2
    Trak

    Trak Member

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    Location:
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Don’t know the boat type, but my old Hatteras aft quarter spray rails were thru bolted on to the hull sides. Some of the bolts worked loose and would wick water through when in rougher seas.
  3. RER, May 28, 2018
    #3
    RER

    RER Senior Member

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    Newport Beach CA
    Do you have ER vents in hull sides? There's a reason Ocean Yachts moved them to the inside of the cockpit on later models.
  4. Trinimax, May 29, 2018
    #4
    Trinimax

    Trinimax Senior Member

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    Hi Tashmoo, I am finding a small amount of saltwater under my starboard side shaft seal as well, and I cant find the source. The seal is dripless and there are no leaks while at rest or running. The engineroom vents for the 43 are located in the cockpit, so it cant be from that. This one is a bit of a head scratcher.

    I have a transducer in the are by the stbd shaft seal and my only guess is that it might not have been sealed properly, and it leaks when under pressure at high speed as I cannot see any leaks at rest.

    good luck and let me know what you find
  5. Tashmoo, May 29, 2018
    #5
    Tashmoo

    Tashmoo New Member

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    Same boat, same issue. Makes me suspect it's a common source. Prospective? Stir? You guys seeing this? Mine is def not thru-hull related. Have you seen water present at the aftermost end of the deck where the starboard fuel tank is mounted? That's the entry point for me into the engine compartment, but I'll be damned if I can find the source.
  6. Capt J, May 29, 2018
    #6
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Maybe your trim tab is weeping water?
  7. Prospective, May 29, 2018
    #7
    Prospective

    Prospective Senior Member

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    Well, that's one problem I don't have! Some random thoughts... Could the collar around the fuel fill be leaking? Are you sure it's running down from the shelf that the tanks sit on or could it be the shaft seal it's self. They often only leak when running. I have the norscott seals that use ATF as the lubricant, not sure about other boats but mine have been dry.

    Another thought, when I purchased the boat my fiberglass raw water exhaust was leaking where it passes into that vented bulkhead aft of the engine/tank. I had to be removed and reglassed.

    As much as I hate doing it you may have to climb down their while underway if that's the only time it happens.

    Now if only someone could tell me where the rainwater is getting into my forward bilge....
  8. chesapeake46, May 29, 2018
    #8
    chesapeake46

    chesapeake46 Senior Member

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    Maybe a good application for a cheap remote CCTV camera and a light to record different areas while underway.
  9. Boomer, May 30, 2018
    #9
    Boomer

    Boomer Senior Member

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    Maybe going down the wire chase from the bridge? Look higher
  10. Stir it up, Jun 8, 2018
    #10
    Stir it up

    Stir it up New Member

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    Thankfully I have not seen that issue yet on my 43. I did have a small drip into my master stateroom, port side, that was weeping through a bow rail deck screw.
  11. Trinimax, Jul 16, 2018
    #11
    Trinimax

    Trinimax Senior Member

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    Hi Tashmoo how is your search for the leak coming along ?
    I found some water leaking on my port side and determined that the fuel fitting was not mounted to the dock properly. this caused some fresh water leakage into the engine room with heavy rain, and well salt water leakage when running in heavy seas. Thought this might also be something for you to look at and its easy enough to test with a water hose on deck. good luck
  12. Tashmoo, Oct 14, 2018
    #12
    Tashmoo

    Tashmoo New Member

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    Mystery finally solved. It's a combination of (mostly) fresh and salt water entering the bilge through the small drain holes in the aft corners of the cockpit hawse pipe pockets. Instead of plumbing into the cockpit drain system the factory (inexplicably) decided to let water weap directly into the bilge. - at least on my build. Rainwater and wash water accumulate in these recessed pockets - along with a little station wagon effect salt water - and drains into the after most bilge corners. The water runs forward in the longitudinal channel under the raw water exhaust, through the aft ER bulkhead and spills into the space below the gears as the boat pitches. Often wondered why I saw more water after a long run in a following sea. The 43 owners here will understand that comment.

    Prospective - Oceans drain forward as I'm sure you know, so all bilge water eventually finds it's way to the master SR bilge drain plug. If you're getting rain water here it's *probably entering primarily through the engine room hatch cover in the cockpit. I replaced all the D-channel gaskets on my cockpit lids and solved that problem.

    I absolutely love this boat, but still scratch my head as I find the simplest things the factory could have done better at minimal cost.
  13. Kailherd, Oct 15, 2018
    #13
    Kailherd

    Kailherd New Member

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    Tashmoo

    Any pictures? Try to figure out what the small drain holes in the aft corners of the cockpit are?
  14. Prospective, Oct 15, 2018
    #14
    Prospective

    Prospective Senior Member

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    I am not totally sure water drains from the engine bilge forward to the master stateroom bilge. In fact I think there's a solid bulkhead at the engine room to prevent water moving forward. I am guessing this as I can't see behind the battery compartment but my forward bilge can be dry while I still have significant standing water in my engine room so that's my guess. With respect to how water gets into the engine room bilge, there are a LOT of ways. Could be engine room doors, rod holders in cockpit coming, the drains in the fish boxes, and those little scupper holes in the aft quarter you mention ALL drain into the bilge and wind up in the engine room. Nothing on my boat is plumbed to go overboard. So when it rains I accumulate significant rain water in the engine room bilge. The worst is those stupid fish boxes. No matter how good your hatch gasket is, the gutter has a hole drilled into it and drains into the fish box. So that fishbox fills up with lots of water. On the smaller one, it drains straight into the bilge.

    I think the water coming into the forward bilge under the master SR is coming from a combination of my bow rail that needs to be rebed, along with the windlass which drains directly into the anchor locker then down under the forward head and into the forward bilge.

    I totally agree, I love the boat but the planning for some stuff including how water drains is a real head scratcher.
  15. Tashmoo, Oct 15, 2018
    #15
    Tashmoo

    Tashmoo New Member

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    upload_2018-10-15_16-30-8.png
  16. Pamela005, Oct 15, 2018
    #16
    Pamela005

    Pamela005 New Member

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    I bought a bore scope at Lowe's to be able to look in places on the boat. I bought a cheep one because I only wanted to see what is in the spaces I cannot get to. It has paid for itself, $100, just being able to see inside closed compartments.
  17. Anthony Kaduk, Oct 15, 2018
    #17
    Anthony Kaduk

    Anthony Kaduk New Member

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    I may be wrong but I believe the cockpit freezer drain and the drain in the cockpit transmission control box all dump directly into the bilge or at least did on my 45 and now my 52SS.
  18. Trinimax, Oct 16, 2018
    #18
    Trinimax

    Trinimax Senior Member

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    Interesting, my 43 does not have those drain holes, and water pools there. The smaller aft cockpit hatch drains into a sump with a separate pump, ( I believe the previous owner did this,) but as you say after some heavy rain the fishbox fills with water, which is rather annoying. The engine room does get some water in it if you are not careful when washing the deck by the cockpit entrance. I might look into installing a heavier gasket there. Other than that the boat is pretty good with a few head scratchers as you say, but then again, all boat builders do things that will make you wonder.
  19. Stir it up, Oct 27, 2018
    #19
    Stir it up

    Stir it up New Member

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  20. Boomer, Nov 5, 2018
    #20
    Boomer

    Boomer Senior Member

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    Dont forget driplets shafts can leak when the shaft is turning if the mating surfaces are not clean...1000 grit sandpaper solved that issue for me
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