Strange leak and drain "system" in Salon

[L124C]

I've been trying to trace a very evasive leak in the Salon of my Yankee 30 for a while. I've become so desperate, I've even tried Captain Tollys, without success! The water is coming in under the shelf and running down (red arrow) onto the Settee. I left the cushions off and just noticed the water running into a weep hole (blue arrow) drilled in the front of the Settee, down the inside of a hanging locker, and exiting another weep hole in the bottom of the hanging locker. It then crosses the sole (black arrow) and exits via the bilge. I feel silly even saying it, but given how well the "drain system seems to work, I'm wondering if it was a factory design to deal with the leak. Seems even more ridiculous given the fact that the leak has to go through cushions to get to the weep holes when holes could have been drilled directly beneath the leak, which would drain into the battery compartment under the Settee, and into the bilge in a much more direct manner. Anyway, is it possible that a quality sailboat manufacturer (or any manufacturer for that matter!) would devise a drain system rather than simply eliminating the leak?

[mitiempo]

I don't think it is possible, not for a window leak anyway.

It may make sense to allow under settee areas to drain to the bilge. The problem with that is if there is water in the bilge when sailing heeled over the water can run from the bilge to the locker.

What you want to do is find where the water is entering and fix it at the source.

[tomperanteau]

Could it be the hull joint?

[mitiempo]

Or the genoa track?

[L124C]

Originally Posted by mitiempo

It may make sense to allow under settee areas to drain to the bilge. The problem with that is if there is water in the bilge when sailing heeled over the water can run from the bilge to the locker.
What you want to do is find where the water is entering and fix it at the source.

Tell me about it! I've been "wanting" and trying to do that for two years! When I can get talked into using "Captain Tolley's Crevice Crack Finder", you know I'm at the end of my rope! Now that I noticed the weep holes (you could have knocked me over with a feather at that moment!), it appears that possibly a PO had done the same without success. More likely (though less believable to me), it appears the holes are factory. Contacted my owners association without response (as usual). So now, I'm just wondering if manufactures sometimes anticipate leaks and design drains to deal with them. Even then, the locker under the Settee already drains to the bilge, so that would have been the most direct route. However, my question really is; Why would anyone create a drain from an interior upholstered surface, rather than eliminate the source of the leak? Very strange!

[mitiempo]

I wonder if the drain was standard or an extra cost option.

It can't be that hard to determine where it is coming from. Re-bedding the nearby fittings might help and couldn't hurt it they are original. Good chance the water coming in is passing through core in the deck as well.

[GaryHLucas]

I think you need to find the leak. You can do that on the outside, using soap bubbles which will detect the tiniest possible leak. Use a piece of scrap plywood inserted where your companion way boards go and cut a hole in it for the business end of a leaf blower. Seal up all the hatches, Dorades, Hawse pipe of the anchor line etc. Pressurize the boat with the leaf blower. Use a spray bottle of water with some Joy dish detergent in it. Spray all over the decks, rub rail, hardware etc. If there is ANY leak at all you'll see bubbles form immediately. I've used this technique on pipe threads, welds, my inflatable dinghy, and every waste water treatment system we build.

Gary H. Lucas

[SailnetChris]

I'm pretty certain that it wasn't factory, and that a previous, and equally frustrated, owner decided that if you can't beat 'em, clear a path for 'em (or something to that effect). As you say, Yankee made a fine boat (with a few horrible exceptions, like the edge of the cored deck), and designing around a leak just doesn't fit with everything else we know about them.

I haven't managed to see the photos of where the first evidence of the leak is, or I'd be happy to join the speculation on it's source - although I know that these things can enter in one place and travel an awfully long way before they become evident. Do you have any signs of softness in that side deck? If so, it could be entering anywhere uphill of the manifestation and travelling between the skins, in the core, and coming out where you see it inside.

Is there another thread with other pictures I can look at? I'll search on your username and see where I get.

Good luck!

Chris

[LarryandSusanMacDonald]

While GaryHLucas has an excellent plan to pressurize the cabin to find the leak, it's a lot of work and I would only do it as a last resort.

I have sometimes had luck narrowing down where a leak is coming from using a magic marker - not the indelible kind. Draw several horizontal lines against the inside of the hull above the area where you see the leak accumulation. Then use a water hose, or just wait until it rains. Then go inspect your lines. There should be breaks or runs in the magic marker lines (if you're lucky) which will give you an indication of where the leak is originating.

Sometimes the leak originates, as you probably already know, many feet from where it is accumulating. If you have access to the hull to use the marker, it can be an easier procedure. Otherwise, pressurizing may be the way to go.

Good luck and always remember - "If you don't have deck leaks, how do you know where to store your buckets."

[arf145]

If you haven't rebed everything on that side of your boat, that would be my first move: stanchions, deck hardware, ports, etc. Hopefully, it won't be something depressing, like the deck/hull joint.

My ports need to be rebedded, but I shut down one mysterious leak when I finally looked on the underside of the port (duh) and not just around the top and sides--huge gap there. A mysterious leak on my aft port side turned out to be two things: 1) leaking deck drain (why drain a deck by bringing the hose back into the $#@ boat on the way out?!!), 2) leaking pushpit support joint.

Water wants in--it's a battle.