Common Cabin Leak Sites - Found 4" of Water

[Just Right]

We've had over 12" of rain in the last 3 weeks. Our new to us 95 270 Dancer has been sitting next to the house with the cockpit cover on it. I went inside this morning and was shocked to find 4" of water (8-10 gal) in the cabin but could not find an obvious entry point. The cushions were dry, there were no puddles under the berths or in the bath or gallery cabinets. There was condensation on the ceiling and on the refer (the refer has been on).

The bilge in the cabin has the shower sump, but no bilge pump. Fortunately there was very little mold. I removed the water, used towels to blot water out of the fogged all the surfaces with Lysol, and left a portable heater & fan on the low setting to dry out the carpet.

It seemed like all the hatches seal, but not sure about the companionway slider.

Any ideas on how all that water got in?

 

[Dave S]

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5575&highlight=leaks

 

[sbw1]

My SR used to leak through the anchor locker and at the port rub rail. The anchor locker problem would happen when the wind blew the water from our sprinkler system onto the bow of the boat. The water would cling to the ceiling of the anchor locker and run through the port side down into the cabin, staining the fabric on its way. I mostly solved that problem by having a small tech crawl into the locker as far as possible with a caulk gun to seal the compartment. Not pretty but worked ok. The rub rail was never solved after doing all the obvious things. I concluded that the joint was simply not strong enough to withstand Lake Michigan's big seas. The joint would flex and let water in. Again, another stain and another repair bill. At least the vinyl wall coverings are easier to clean than fabrics.

 

[Just Right]

Re: Found 4" of Water - What's under the Galley Deck?

I read the other thread. Tightened the dogs on the ports, put a wad of papertowels under the ports, and checked it out after the last storm. Still have fwd starboard port leaking. I guess I will remove all the ports and hatches, replace the gaskets and rechalk the frames.

I had one other concern about water possibly being trapped under the galley deck? The spaces between the hull and outboard of the stringer on the port side are storage areas (under the v berth and under the mid berth), but what is in the void under the galley? I can't find any way of checking under the decking and I am afraid that I will find 8" of water and rotten floor boards.

Any thoughts?

One idea is to cut a whole in the floor beneath the sink and get a dip stick; at least the hole will be hidden. Of course, this could also lead to the discovery of more storage space! If so, I would then cut a hole and install a hatch to the left of the companianway steps in front of those little drawers.

Thanks!

 

[MLauman]

One thought would be to remove the refridgerator (not at all difficult) to see under the galley.

The area under the cabin floor should drain into the bilge. Have you tried jacking the front of the trailer up?

 

[magster65]

Had this problem with my '03 240... the mid-cabin got a bunch of water in it.
My leak was in the window seal... the water found it's way around and dribbled down beside the throttle control onto the little compartment below that. When the boat was prepped I guess they'd removed this to run an antenna wire and never sealed it back up.

 

[CAPT. JOHN]

I Had A Leak On My 310 Sundancer. Both Bow Running Lights Were Leaking And The Water Was Running Along The Wiring Harness And Driping Down No Where Near The Lights. Removed The Lights, Replaced Them With Led Units And Sealed With 5200 Outside & Inside. No Leaks

 

[330DA]

We had a leak that took me about a month to figure out where it was coming from. I would get water in the cabinet under the microwave on our old 330DA. Ultimately, the water came from leaking down the screw holes from the windshield frame where it attaches to the deck fiberglass. I took all of the screws out, cleaned the area, put caulk in the screw holes, and screwed the screws back into the frame. No more leaking.

 

[280 SeaRay]

Hey Blaine.... considering I am your neighbor I would be happy to come by and we could simulate rain with a hose ... and crawl around until we find the leak. I am not familiar with the potential leak sites on the 270.... but I had good luck finding and resolving the leaks on my 280. I will drop you a PM with my contact info.

 

[chef_doctor]

Lots of ways.
Portlights.
Hatch.
Running lights not sealed.
Deck joints/rub rails not sealed.
Windshield Wiper Seals.
Anchor Locker.

Good luck.

 

[Just Right]

Re: SOLVED! Common Cabin Leak Sites - Found 4" of Water

Turn out the factory screwed up. Per the Marine Max repair center, the opening porthole frames are a 2-piece design: inner and outer halves. The problem was that there was never any sealant or gasket between the two halves. Until this past year, the boat was only out in fair weather and always stored indoors.

They disassembled, used plumbers putty to seal it up, and then put it back together. A bit out of warranty, but at least they only charged the internal shop rate. Still $325. I could have done it myself if time allowe, but I did want them to be on the hook if it leaked again and rotted out some wood downstream of the ports.

Thanks for all your suggestions and offers of help!

 

[mawyatt]

Re: SOLVED! Common Cabin Leak Sites - Found 4" of Water

Turn out the factory screwed up. Per the Marine Max repair center, the opening porthole frames are a 2-piece design: inner and outer halves. The problem was that there was never any sealant or gasket between the two halves. Until this past year, the boat was only out in fair weather and always stored indoors.

They disassembled, used plumbers putty to seal it up, and then put it back together. A bit out of warranty, but at least they only charged the internal shop rate. Still $325. I could have done it myself if time allowe, but I did want them to be on the hook if it leaked again and rotted out some wood downstream of the ports.

Thanks for all your suggestions and offers of help!

So much for SeaRay QC!! I had a leak on the inside of where the canopy canvas meets the radar arch. Leaked all along the length, not bad just a slow drip in heavy rain. It was like the canvas was leaking all along the edge mating to the arch. Turns out the grooved plastic piece the canva spline slides into was not sealed to the arch all along the top. MM sealed it an now it doesn't leak. Where was SR QC??

Mike

 

[AlexK]

Hi everyone, I have a question. I noticed that on my recently purchased 280 Sundancer, water is leaking through the canopy in heavy rain. Slow drip right in the center, somewhere around or above center pane of plastic window. Enough that puddle forms under the steps that go down to the cabin. And it only happens in this one spot. To the left and to the right everything is dry. I couldn't find any visible tears or holes. Any suggestions for how to pinpoint the source of the problem? Could it be leaking through the plastic zipper around the window? If so, are there ways to waterproof the zipper?
Thank You
P.S. This is 2003 280 Sundancer, I don't know when canopy was last replaced. It looks to be in good shape and during heavy rain the rest of the cockpit stayed completely dry.

 

[Bill Schnell]

I have a 05 320 Sundancer. I recently developed water accumulating in the front floor storage hold just aft of the bed and AC and bow thruster. Seems to be fresh water. All hoses that run through it are on the port side and water is seeping down into the compartment from the starboard side. Help

 

[garybly]

I have a 05 320 Sundancer. I recently developed water accumulating in the front floor storage hold just aft of the bed and AC and bow thruster. Seems to be fresh water. All hoses that run through it are on the port side and water is seeping down into the compartment from the starboard side. Help

Check the a/c drain, had the same problem