26S - Water coming in aft compartment

[sonofasailor35]

I've had my 1994 26S for 14 years, and something unexpected happened this year. I keep the boat at a dock from April to October, and after I launched in April, a couple times I noticed a lot of water in the lazarette (aft compartment). I thought that rain must somehow be getting in, since it would sometimes be a couple weeks between times I would take her out, and I figured that was enough time for that much rain to get in. I had also noticed that the fitting for the motor well drain had come loose - I couldn't find the clamp that goes on it, so I had just stuck it on without the clamp, figuring I would find it later when I had the time - I also figured the most that could go wrong is some rain would come in by way of the motor well - and, this is what I thought at first was happening. Well, last week I was planning a 35 mile trip, so I went and checked the boat out the night before, and sure enough there was plenty of water in the lazarette. I pumped it out with a small bilge pump, then the next morning I started out on the trip. 2 hours out, I looked in the lazarette and it was half full of water. I turned around and headed back to the dock, thinking I had a serious problem. I took everything out of the lazarette, and got down in it, where I found that sure enough the hose from the motor well drain had come loose. This is when I got the head-slapping, how-can-you-be-so-stupid realization: the drain empties at about 2 inches above the waterline on the port side, and when heeled on a starboard tack (which I was for the 2 hours I was out), the drain was below the waterline, and the movement of the boat was essentially sucking in Lake Erie water at a pretty good clip. I found the clamp, finally, in the now-empty lazarette, and secured the hose. Problem solved - or, I should say, problem that never should have been a problem solved.

[vizwhiz]

Thanks for posting this. I have a 95 S and the hoses back there look pretty...old. They still drain, but I was contemplating changing them while I had the time and before I stuffed the laz full of...stuff. Sounds like the right thing to do.

[finding41]

The motor well on my 26D leaks too. But mine is form a mod a PO did with aluminum stair edging. And brown glue of course. I don't have a picture because its to hard to take one when I'm shaking my head.
It rained here all day on Friday so on Saturday I went to see if it was still on top of the water. Only 3" of water on each side. I didn't check the laz. I have a bag of different size worm clamps in the tool kit just in case...

[vizwhiz]

I don't have a picture because its to hard to take one when I'm shaking my head.

Oh, I know that dance move very well...

[seatime1]

check the gudgeon mount and backing plate

[paulkayak]

Thanks I have been finding water in my new to me 26S and I think you just solved the problem.

[finding41]

Don't forget about the sink drain. Or the bilge pump drain if you have one. My bilge pump drain was filling the boat on a Port tack.
I found this out at a regatta. I won the first race, 2ne in the 2nd, 4th in the 3rd, 6th in the 4th! We could feel that we were going slower each race too!
At lunch I happened to notice water on the floor of the cabin. The bilges were full!
I now have a valve.