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Am I aspiring to the impossible? Is anybody's bilge always dry? I have tried everything to keep water out of the bilge. Caulked chainplates - made a huge difference. Replaced rub rail - made a huge difference. Replaced poorly sealing vent plug with auto-vent tube - works with no leaks. I was out today, in light winds, no rain, major sun. sponged out the bilge before the wind picked up and let the sun dry it. Wind came up, sailed an hour, and it was wet again on the port side by the battery. sponged again, wet again. not alot, it just won't give up. I disconnected the galley sink, and use the through-hole for a bilge pump with a back-flow preventer, and that doesn't appear to be the problem either. What's left?

There must be a hole in your boat!
Q1

Make sure that the motor well hose isn't broken inside the boat in the aft berth. You've got to have a leak somewhere. My 26x has been in the water for a week and is bone dry.

Mine too - and I've been in the water since April.

chrisv wrote:Make sure that the motor well hose isn't broken inside the boat in the aft berth. You've got to have a leak somewhere. My 26x has been in the water for a week and is bone dry.

You might want to check the main hatch slide area... I used to get water down below after getting water over the bow or on the sides.

So the main hatch used to grind everytime I slid it, until I put on soft velcro on the hatch... but the damage was probably already done. I finally removed all the screws from the hold down strip and then easily saw the problem:

Erik Hardtle wrote: I finally removed all the screws from the hold down strip and then easily saw the problem:

I had the same problem, and ordered the new gasket from BWY. It was a PITA to remove all the old gasket material. I works great now.

Rich

One thing to check is where the motor bolts through the transom that one of the bolts is not letting water past

Allan

Could be leakage at the bow eye (where the trailer winch hook connects) if a little loose and when sailing in waves big enuf to wet same.
Or we have had some leakage where the rudder mountings are
bolted thru the transom and the nuts loosened a bit.
We installed a computer fan in a hole on the side of the front dinette seat, to pull air thru the bilges, from behind the rear berth. The fan is driven by a small sollar plate on the rear pulpit. The purpose is to ventilate the bilges, minimize mold production in the bilges and perhaps gradually evaporate standing water in the bilges.
Ron

My 2010 M is bone dry unless I leave the vent plug out. Even in serious rainstorms we've seen no water intrusion whatsoever.

That picture apears to be were the main hatch has worn thru the gelcoat and laminite . If this is so than this is a major restruture of the area.
This will involve glass layups to bring it up to original strength. This can only be done from outside and needs underneath build up to.
Interior liner will prevent you access to do a proper buildup.
From picture this may be a major structual failure as the Jib track is next to the the wear thru laminite.
I would get proffesional advise .
There is also , am I looking at a picture thats someware else. Post other pictures.
If that crack is only the first laminite of layup than regelcoat to 20 mils thick. Hard to tell with photo.
Dave

Erik Hardtle wrote:You might want to check the main hatch slide area... I used to get water down below after getting water over the bow or on the sides.

So the main hatch used to grind everytime I slid it, until I put on soft velcro on the hatch... but the damage was probably already done. I finally removed all the screws from the hold down strip and then easily saw the problem:

Funny thing about my 2000 X is that bilge water would collect while she was on the trailer level. Since she has been in the water, not a drop. It didn't appear that there were any leaks around the mast step, so I'm not sure.

I finally solved the problem - a little embarrassed. I put in a bilge pump that pumped out through the port thru-hull where the sink used to drain. I installed it to pump out all the water coming in from the chain plates, ballast plug (under sail) and rub rail. As I fixed those three areas I left the bilge pump in, never realizing the back-flow preventer wasn't preventing. I ripped out the bilge, caulked the hole, and that was the final leak. Bone dry now for a month.

Johnacuda wrote:Funny thing about my 2000 X is that bilge water would collect while she was on the trailer level. Since she has been in the water, not a drop. It didn't appear that there were any leaks around the mast step, so I'm not sure.

My worst leaks were last winter, on the trailer, under a tarp. WTF! I'll never understand that one.

Check bottom plug in Porta Potty.. Post Sign.. In It NOT At It !

lol. 42 seconds in...Jim Carey in the bathroom in Me, Myself and Irene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed1yVqVHvt0

Divecoz wrote:Check bottom plug in Porta Potty.. Post Sign.. In It NOT At It !