Water in the boat....

[adudinsk]

Another really strange issue..
I was working in the battery compartment under the stairs of my 26M (2007)
I noticed about a cup or so of water on the PORT side of this area.
Ok.. I thought water dripped in from the entrance way..
And wiped it all up.

2 hours later.. 1 cup of water.. same place.

no more.. then that 1 cup or so... NOTHING wet anywhere around the area.. looked like it was bubbling up...?

I wiped it over and over..
We did drain the boat's ballast when loading on the trailer..
( no sloshing around.)
Could it be there is some water in the ballast, and it has found a pin hole to leak through?
I did check before winter .. no water I could see in ballast.. or at least NONE came out when opened.

Assuming it is a pinhole leak, should I just put resin over the area.. or resin/and glass.. or paint it with 3M 5200...
Any suggestions.

ANyone had a minor leak in the ballast?

Thanks
AD

[Jimmyt]

Another really strange issue..
I was working in the battery compartment under the stairs of my 26M (2007)
I noticed about a cup or so of water on the PORT side of this area.
Ok.. I thought water dripped in from the entrance way..
And wiped it all up.

2 hours later.. 1 cup of water.. same place.

no more.. then that 1 cup or so... NOTHING wet anywhere around the area.. looked like it was bubbling up...?

I wiped it over and over..
We did drain the boat's ballast when loading on the trailer..
( no sloshing around.)
Could it be there is some water in the ballast, and it has found a pin hole to leak through?
I did check before winter .. no water I could see in ballast.. or at least NONE came out when opened.

Assuming it is a pinhole leak, should I just put resin over the area.. or resin/and glass.. or paint it with 3M 5200...
Any suggestions.

ANyone had a minor leak in the ballast?

Thanks
AD

Are you posting that your boat is on the trailer with an empty ballast tank? If so, it is unlikely that it is ballast water leaking. Try dusting around the area with baby powder so you can see where it's tracking from. Is your ballast valve open and the trailer set bow high?

If it is actually bubbling up through the fiberglass, I'd be curious to know where in the boat exactly this is occurring. The ballast tank has a specific layout, so knowing exactly where you are finding it might help figure it out.

I've never had anything but dust in my bilge, so 2 cups of mystery water from a dry boat on a trailer is intriguing. I'd guess rainwater, or on-board tankage leak, and assume that you just can't see where it's coming from.

Very interesting. Please keep posting as you work through it.

[adudinsk]

Yes.. on trailer all winter.. empty ballast.. or it appears..
I wonder if there is SOME water left.. (does it drain 100% when loaded on a trailer with vent open? Or does some stay inside.. abit)

[adudinsk]

If you take the cover off the battery compartment under the stairs.. the boat is at a 5" angle to port.. the way its sitting on the lawn..
If you look into the battery area, there are 2 halfs.. ONLY the port side water bubbles up.
I suck it all up... still damp.. look in 2 hrs later.. water again.
NO water anywhere.
I put paper all around even put some koolaid.. dry.. so it will stain if water gets in... NOTHING
It appears to be coming up from the ballast?!?
Very strange.
I will put a camera into the drain valve.. and look around soon.

But I only get about 1" in that area.. no more.. soak it up.. and water again 1" or so..

[adudinsk]

Oh.. no tanks.. no water.. nothing on board.. all dry.
Even when I was working.. it was 25'c in the boat.. (70's F) and water came out again.

If there is water in the ballast,.. and there is a pinhole..
I am thinking..
1) Use a shop vac to put some pressure.. look for bubbles..
2) put a layer of resin over the area.. layup some cloth.. or maybe just pain some epoxy.

[adudinsk]

Water.. from here

[DaveC426913]

Water in the boat?

There's yer problem...

Your boat is inside out.

[Jimmyt]

The photo you posted, far left view, shows the ballast tank outline in the hull.

My ballast has very little, if any, water remaining after I pull up the ramp as far as I know. I ran my borescope as far into both ends as I could and found no water in it. But it had been inside for awhile.

Leaf blower and soap bubbles might be a way to hunt for it. Don't use a compressor on it. Shop vac might be ok. I think some folks have used vacs to blow the ballast while in the water, but don't hold me to it.

If you have a flaw, or crack, I'd do a little exploratory at the leak with a dremel to see what is going on, then glass it up.

Is this new, or has it always gotten a little water in there? Wondering if there was a flaw in the layup. If it's sitting outside at an angle, you may have gotten condensation in there and had it freeze and crack.

[adudinsk]

I will go out to the boat in a day or so.. investigate
I know we did drain the boat, I bought it in Sept, and have never put it in water .
Just double tarped it .. and left it out.
I hear some people say water can get in from where the ropes on the rudders penetrate the hull.
Will get some photos as well. for next post.


Thanks
AD

[Starscream]

I don't know about the M-boat but my X-boat leaks from....just about everywhere, as far as I can tell.

Sliding hatch track screws - each one leaked. Fixed except for two which still leak, on the list of things to do.
Rub rail...leaks in multiple places. I put a black outdoor caulk along the top rail/hull joint a few days ago and we'll see how that works. If you do this, use much less caulk than you think you need or it looks not so great. Test a short section first to get your technique.
Stanchions: Haven't tested but I bet they leak too. Maybe the pulpit and rails too, I don't know.
Steering cable boot - cracked all over. I just installed a new, larger boot completely over the old one.

It hasn't really rained since I caulked the rubrail and installed the new boot. But I always get water in multiple bilge compartments over time, even when the boat is on the trailer. It's not as bad when the cockpit enclosure goes up and I think that's because it covers the hatch screws.

[Starscream]

Oh, and of course, the chain plates. Leaked like crazy. I think they're fixed now, with the installation of butyl tape.

[Russ]

This is most interesting. I've never heard of a ballast tank leak. I drain my tank when pulling the boat and leave the valve open for a week or so. It seems to dry out completely. I've never seen water in there. Of course, it's hard to see the whole tank from the drain valve, but there is a good view from the port side..

I'm very curious about what you learn.

There's no chance it's water (acid) leaking from a cracked battery is there?

Keep us posted.

[Jimmyt]

It has happened...

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=27034&p=337668&hili ... ak#p335888

[adudinsk]

No chance for acid.. batteries in my garage.. glass looks.. MacGregor fine.. rough layup.. but ok.
I was thinking it was dripping in from somewhere and ending up in that one low spot.
Until I mopped it all up.. and it refilled.
I am strongly wondering if rain water got into the ballast in the past few months (lots of rain) and there is a leak.
I ordered some epoxy resin, and glass and micro bubbles.. so I will have to dry it up.. keep it dry.. give it a good smoothing down.. and lay some 10oz cloth over it.

Its driving me mad to think that there is possibly that much water in the ballast..
we did drain it on the ramp when I bought the boat in Sept..2019.. Maybe some water.. but it could not be that much!
I am leaning towards rain water getting in the ballast..

I am putting in at a marina for the season when they open up, and do not want to find it underwater one day..


And yes.. bought a bilge pump ... have to install that too.

[adudinsk]

Thanks JimmyT for the post.
At least the area that has water is very accessible.. I hope...
I would hate to have an issue buried somewhere.

I will go out to the boat tomorrow.. take photos.. and try to track this down and post.

Hopefully it will be a 1/2 hr glass job for me.

AD