Leaking problem in Hallberg-Rassy Rasmus 35

windtraveler · #1 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009

Hi everyone - I am very new to this site (although have been viewing for a long time and benefitted tremendously from all the great info in here!) so I apologize in advance if I am posting in the wrong forum.

I recently bought a Hallberg-Rassy Rasmus 35 (I am insane in love with it - it's just fantastic). The boat has been out of the water for about 2 years (stored in a heated barn) and has been a "freshwater only" boat (score!).

My boyfriend and I delivered it from Michigan to Chicago over the 4th and we discovered that we have a leak somewhere. When we were underway - we had to manually pump the bilge every hour and a half or so (the float switch wiring was corroded, we have since fixed this - but obviously still need to find out where water is coming from!!). I would say we were taking on at LEAST 15 gallons of water every 2 hours underway (motoring at 7 knots). In the harbor it was less so, but we still had to empty about 5-8 gallons of water out of the bilge in the morning.

We have opened up the boat and checked under every single floorboard and, aside from a few drips coming from the rudder post and stuffing box (not enough to justify the amounts we are talking about) we cannot find this leak. We are 100% certain, however, that it is coming from AFT of the bilge. Everything forward is bone dry.

I am not sure if their is an issue with the water pump or a cracked manifold. We did see a pretty constant drip of water (about 2 drips per second) from under engine (about 3/4 of the way back - but we can't access under there) - we are pretty certain this is our souce. We just don't know what "it" is!!

It was our friend's inclination that there is a leak in a thru hull fitting most likely the exhaust or the stuffing box, but I think it's coming from some hose on the engine (Which is a Volvo Penta 75 HP MD21-A).

Does anyone have any experience with this engine and know what hose might be dripping back there? Or, based on my description, does anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks in advance!!

Vasco · #2 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009

Check the cockpit hoses at the through hulls. There might be a leak in the hose near the seacock that gets worse when the boat heels or squats.

sailingdog · #3 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009

There are a few things it could be. First, you should check the stuffing box on the prop shaft. Second, check the rudder tube, which often has a stuffing box of some sort if it terminates below the water line. Third, check the exhaust system, since most boats with an inboard engine use a waterlift muffler of some sort. Finally, check the seacocks and through-hulls for the engine's cooling system.

Are you motoring or sailing when you say you were underway?? Also, did you have the boat surveyed when you purchased it?

windtraveler · #4 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009

Thanks guys - I really appreciate the input. Sailingdog - the stuffing box is almost completely dry, just a drip every minute or so - no where near enough to justify this amount of water. We were motoring the whole time because we had to get to Chicago (in delivery mode) - and yes, we did have the boat surveyed. The survey came back with the first line reading "the boat is nearly in Bristol condition" - the only problem is that the boat was surveyed while it was dry docked so certain things were impossible to check.

bubb2 · #5 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009

If I remember correctly the water pump on this motor is on the rear of the engine and driven off the cam shaft. You have 2 sets of seals on the pump. 1) oil seal to seal the oil in the crank case and not let the oil mix with sea water. 2) pump water seal keeps the sea water from getting to the oil seal.

If the water seal is going bad you will get a drip WHILE the ENGINE IS RUNNING from under the engine as the drips will run down the water pump to the bottom of engine (oil pan) and then fall to the bilge.

also, check your oil if it looks like chocolate milk or lighter in color, both seals have failed.

scottyt · #6 (**permalink**) 07-10-2009

i would second the check on the water pump, mine leaked a gallon every half hour when the seal went bad. it started as a good fast drip, then over just a few runs it became a stream of water. it was a pretty easy fix, about 50 bucks for a new impeller ( while it was out ) and the seals, it took less than an hour.

the other thing you might want to look at because i did not see any one say it is the shaft strut if the boat has one. it might be getting pushed or pulled out of line by prop forces and if its not sealed ( where bolted to the hull ) right it could leak

brak · #7 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009

no shaft struts in that boat

I have HR35 and she is absolutely dry (spider webs in the bilge is all I have). Aft of the cockpit there should not be much. The stuffing box is probably not it as you mentioned, and the rudder "stuffing box" is usually grease filled and is above water line most of the time.

Original Volvo certainly can be it - look at exhaust manifold.
And congratulations - it is an excellent boat.

sailingdog · #8 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009

If the stuffing box is relatively dry and it isn't the rudder, the water pump is a good suspect. However, I'm not sure if a leaking water seal on a water pump would allow that much water in when you're not running the engine, just sitting in the harbor.

Quote:

I would say we were taking on at LEAST 15 gallons of water every 2 hours underway (motoring at 7 knots). In the harbor it was less so, but we still had to empty about 5-8 gallons of water out of the bilge in the morning.

scottyt · #9 (**permalink**) 07-11-2009

one thing nobody has said yet, try closing all the thru hulls and see if its dry in the morning. when my water pump leaked i just closed the seacock to stop the flow when sailing, and waiting for parts.

if its a water system, closing the seacock will stop the leak, be it the water system is the water pump, head intake, sea water sink faucet or any other

windtraveler · #10 (**permalink**) 07-13-2009

Thanks everyone!! Brak - happy to be in touch with another Rasmus owner - we are in love with the boat - it's fantastic!! Scottyt - that is exactly what we did (before I saw the post). The culprit was the intake hose to the transmission (on the port side) - we did some crazy yoga moves to get our heads down there and located where the drip was coming from, then shut off the gate valve (we will be switching all through-hulls to sea cocks over the winter) - and the next morning - NOTHING!! VICTORY - so yesterday we removed the hose, found the crack and will be replacing it with a new hose today. Sigh. Mystery solved - and we learned more about our boat. Amazing how happy these things make you when you own a boat!! Thanks again for the support guys!!
-Brittany