[Rhodes22-list] Leak at the bow....where to look first

Tue Mar 9 12:00:36 EST 2021

My pulpit is leaky as well, so I'm going to have to do this. Many thanks for the detailed description. Any chance you have a link to the video you found useful? Also, now that you've done it, would you have to cut the electrical cords to use the butyl tape?

--
John Carlson
Lillipelli (2004/2012) 

> On Mar 9, 2021, at 10:25 AM, Reuben Mezrich <reuben.mezrich at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> After receiving the many excellent suggestions on where to look for leaks I
> started what ended being a 1 week process to find and ultimately repair the
> leak.
> 
> I first removed the cosmetic wood trim inside the forward cabin at the bow
> to expose the attachments of the Jib chainplate and the Bow eye. I sprayed
> water at the bow  and determined these were not the source of the leaks. I
> then sprayed water on the foredeck and initially saw no water leaking into
> the boat but when I came back to the boat the next morning found that some
> water (about 1 - 2 cups) had collected at the bow (By now I had removed the
> cushions and so could see the water in a puddle on the floor of the forward
> bunk at the bow). I had some sort of a slow leak.
> 
> I then had my wife spray water on the foredeck while I was on my back in
> the forecabin and was able to see that there were leaks at each of the four
> legs of the pulpit. The leaks would drip onto the carpeted shelf that is at
> each side of the forecabin (behind a white fiberglass trim piece) and then
> the water would slowly make its way forward to trickle down at the bow end
> of the forecabin.
> 
> The pulpit is attached by 3/8" bolts that are welded to each of the legs
> and which extend down through holes in the deck and fastened with a flat
> washer, lock washer and 9/16" nut. After unfastening the nuts the pulpit
> lifted up easily. One complication is that the electrical wires that feed
> the navigation lights at the bow extend through a seperate hole just
> forward of the hole for the aft-starboard bolt. That wire seems to run back
> to the distribution panel and has very little slack and so I had to cut
> it.  When I did remove the pulpit I found there was some white sealant that
> adhered to the deck but not the pulpit leg (which ends in an oval flange at
> the bottom) as well as an O-ring around the base of the bolt.
> 
> After consulting with Stan, who told me that his preferred method for
> keeping water out is to just use an O-ring around the nut (and not to apply
> sealant), I cleaned off the old sealant (a product called ReMov which was
> recommended in a Practical Sailor review, worked great for this) I put new
> O-rings on. Rather than putting an O-ring around the electric wire near the
> aft-starboard leg I put some wraps of butyl rubber tape abound it.
> I reattached the pulpit, tightened the nuts and had my wife spray the
> foredeck again and sadly found that there was again a leak (perhaps even
> worse than before) at each leg - but not where the electric wire entered
> the cabin.
> 
> I removed the pulpit again, removed the o_rings and this time used Butyl
> tape to form the seal at each leg. Using a technique I found on You Tube I
> cut a 3 - 4 inch length of the tape, rolled the tape along its length into
> a tube (or rope) and then wrapped it several times about the base of the
> bolt. The thickness can be adjusted by adding more or less wraps and I was
> generous, using the entire 3 - 4 inch tape at each leg. I added more Butyl
> to the electric wire.
> 
> After putting the pulpit back in place and only moderately tightening the
> nuts, my wife sprayed the foredeck again and this time - success - no
> leaks!!
> 
> I have become a big fan of Butyl rubber tape, which to be honest I hadn't
> even heard about till last week!
> 
> Of course now I have to splice back the electric wire for the navigation
> light and replace the cosmetic wood trim I removed, but I am much relieved
> that this problem is solved
> 
> Thanks for your advice and support
> 
> --Reuben
> Reuben Mezrich
> Pelican Cove in Sarasota
> Cell: 410-499-8922
> 
> 
> On Tue, Mar 2, 2021 at 12:49 PM <cjlowe at sssnet.com <mailto:cjlowe at sssnet.com>> wrote:
> 
>> I like to tape paper towels around the suspected areas and see which ones
>> show moisture first, then investigate further from there .
>> 
>> 
>> Jerry Lowe
>> S/V Country Rhodes '86
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> Roger, Rob and Mike
>>> Thanks for the good suggestions. I'll start by taking off that
>> cosmeticsus
>>> piece of wood at the bow and see what's behind. If nothing is loose I"ll
>>> have someone aim a hose at the bow while I"m inside watching in the hope
>>> that I might actually see where the water is getting in.
>>> I really do hope I don't have to rebed everything.
>>> Probably won't be able to do this till the weekend..I"ll report back on
>>> what I find
>>> 
>>> Reuben Mezrich
>>> Pelican Cove in Sarasota
>>> Cell: 410-499-8922
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Mon, Mar 1, 2021 at 5:15 PM Michael D. Weisner <mweisner at ebsmed.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Reuben,
>>>> 
>>>> I would check the bow eye. The wood backing block usually rots and the
>>>> eye
>>>> loosens up. Sometimes just lifting the boat using the bow eye will cause
>>>> the eye to loosen as the wood compresses.
>>>> 
>>>> Also, you may want to re-bed the bow pulpit rail deck fittings, chocks,
>>>> etc.
>>>> 
>>>> Mike
>>>> s/v Wind Lass ('91)
>>>> Nissequogue River, NY
>>>> I’d rather be sailing :~)
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> On Behalf Of
>>>> Reuben Mezrich
>>>> Sent: Monday, March 1, 2021 4:08 PM
>>>> To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Leak at the bow....where to look first
>>>> 
>>>> As I mentioned a week or two ago, I installed a Marinco 3" Day/night
>>>> solar
>>>> vent at the bow, using the hole already in place for the anchor locker.
>>>> It
>>>> installed easily, seemed to work fine but a few days later we had a
>>>> heavy
>>>> rain and the next day the forward tips of the forward cabin cushions
>>>> were
>>>> wet. I removed the vent, replaced the deck plate, installed a new gasket
>>>> under the deck plate, applied a generous amount of RTV silicone to both
>>>> sides of the gasket and reinstalled the solar vent. The next day
>>>> (yesterday
>>>> actually) I used a hose to rain water on the forward deck, aiming at the
>>>> solar vent for about 6 minutes and when I checked below everything was
>>>> dry.
>>>> I checked again in an hour and it was still dry.
>>>> This morning there was about a cup of water, maybe two cups of water at
>>>> the bow. There was no water in the tray that serves as the anchor locker
>>>> and which is directly under the solar vent. The vent itself was dry as
>>>> was
>>>> the ceiling around the vent. The walls were also dry. I dried the water
>>>> with a towel and a few hours later a small amount of water seemed to be
>>>> seeping under a triangular piece of wood at the very  bow of the boat
>>>> (see
>>>> attached photo). I haven't removed that piece of wood yet but I'm pretty
>>>> sure I'll find the bolts from the chain plate at the bow for the jib
>>>> stay.
>>>> My feeling now is that the solar vent was never the source of the leak
>>>> but
>>>> I've had a small leak for a while but never noticed because I never had
>>>> a
>>>> reason to go up to the very front of the forward cabin. As it turns out
>>>> the
>>>> bottom of the cushions, which are rubberized are stained, giving
>>>> evidence
>>>> that the leak is likely long standing.
>>>> Those bolts would be my best guess as the source of the leak but I'd
>>>> look
>>>> forward to suggestions as to where else I might look.
>>>> 
>>>> Its always something
>>>> 
>>>> --Reuben
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Reuben Mezrich
>>>> Pelican Cove in Sarasota
>>>> Cell: 410-499-8922
>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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