Water leak in bow area (2010 390da)

J

jmauld

Well-Known Member
Jun 9, 2020
2,844
Carolina Beach
Boat Info
2010 Sundancer 390
2016 Sea Hunt Ultra 211
Engines
Twin 8.1l of gas guzzling iron
We have had some heavy rain/sleet this past week and now I have water stains on my speaker covers in the main stateroom. It looks like it is on both sides. Any thoughts on where it’s coming in?

also, how do I remove these speaker covers? I don’t see anyway to get inside these things without prying wood pieces apart.
 
Photo

3AC40573-4A1B-4E5D-B9E5-034627383B1A.jpeg
 
If not the rub rail, then check the stanchion's they dry out and leak pretty bad at times.

You need to pull out everything inside and get to the hull in the area of the leak, and then run a hose out side to check where the leak is actually coming from. It could just be showing up in one spot, but actually coming from another area entirely.
 
Any suggestions on how to open this area?
 
jmauld said:
Any suggestions on how to open this area?
Click to expand...

Start by prying things up gently and see where they are attached. Start with the grill and go from there.
 
I would bet the grill is on with Christmas Tree fasteners...thats Sea Ray's MO. Get a small hook tool around and behind it and pull in one corner.
 
Here is what I have discovered over the years on water leaks.
Rub rail on the front of the boat - rare.
Rub rail on the rear of the boat - common (SR does not correctly caulk / fill the shoe-box assembly before the rub rail goes over.
Portlights on the sides - common (SR does a poor job cutting portlight holes and sealing).
Hatches - common (again SR does a poor job in cutting the holes and sealing).
Stanchions, wiring, and fastener holes - Time is the culprit; the sealant will eventually dry and fail. These are some of the hardest to correct due to access to the underside.
Superstructure assembly joints - common - Time is the culprit on these also. The sealant is always exposed to sun and the elements. These are those types of leaks that intrusion is in one location, but the water gets inside in another location far away. These types of joints need attention about every ten years.
Canvas leaks - Unless there are gross leaks the boat should be water-tight sans small leaks through canvas corners and zippers. Interior deck hatches have gutters and drains, doors have steps, decking slopes for drainage. It's rare to have completely water-tight canvas.
Fixed glass/windshields - Like the superstructure joints, glass is held in place with adhesives / rubber and again the environment is the degrading factor - Ten years....

What am I missing...?
 
ttmott said:
Here is what I have discovered over the years on water leaks.
Rub rail on the front of the boat - rare.
Rub rail on the rear of the boat - common (SR does not correctly caulk / fill the shoe-box assembly before the rub rail goes over.
Portlights on the sides - common (SR does a poor job cutting portlight holes and sealing).
Hatches - common (again SR does a poor job in cutting the holes and sealing).
Stanchions, wiring, and fastener holes - Time is the culprit; the sealant will eventually dry and fail. These are some of the hardest to correct due to access to the underside.
Superstructure assembly joints - common - Time is the culprit on these also. The sealant is always exposed to sun and the elements. These are those types of leaks that intrusion is in one location, but the water gets inside in another location far away. These types of joints need attention about every ten years.
Canvas leaks - Unless there are gross leaks the boat should be water-tight sans small leaks through canvas corners and zippers. Interior deck hatches have gutters and drains, doors have steps, decking slopes for drainage. It's rare to have completely water-tight canvas.
Fixed glass/windshields - Like the superstructure joints, glass is held in place with adhesives / rubber and again the environment is the degrading factor - Ten years....

What am I missing...?
Click to expand...
Tom,
I think you covered it well just the one thing I would add is wiper motors. The rubber washer seals on the through shafts are probably good for 10 years. I just had to seal up one of mine is how I remember this.
 
This may sound a little crazy, what do you have the heat set at. We have zero leaks in our boat. We still get moisture stains, but they are coming from condensation. Very cold outside, very warm inside. First few years with our boat drove us crazy. Finally figured it out. We run a dehumidifier for a few hours every few days.
 
I have confirmed that I am getting water in through the navigation lights. These lights are faded and I was looking to replace them anyway so they just moved to the top of the list. I would like to replace them with LEDs, if I can find something that is a direct replacement for searay part number 1770167.

When the USCG has a requirement for lights that changes at 39.4’. Are they referring to LOA or feet at the waterline?

I will go with 2 mile lights anyway but curious about this.
 
Last edited:
bahamabreisus said:
This may sound a little crazy, what do you have the heat set at. We have zero leaks in our boat. We still get moisture stains, but they are coming from condensation. Very cold outside, very warm inside. First few years with our boat drove us crazy. Finally figured it out. We run a dehumidifier for a few hours every few days.
Click to expand...
The heat is set at 55. And I turned my dehumidifier off for the winter. I will turn it back on. Thank you.
 
jmauld said:
I have confirmed that I am getting water in through the navigation lights. These lights are faded and I was looking to replace them anyway so they just moved to the top of the list. I would like to replace them with LEDs, if I can find something that is a direct replacement for searay part number 1770167. EDIT: Looks like the Attwood 3500 series is the right choice but out of stock everywhere.

When the USCG has a requirement for lights that changes at 39.4’. Are they referring to LOA or feet at the waterline?

I will go with 2 mile lights anyway but curious about this.
Click to expand...
These are what I replaced mine with

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324822198000?epid=22021398922&hash=item4ba0e966f0:g:JVAAAOSwsZJbRLJQ

upload_2022-1-29_9-8-38.png
 
Lights and tools ordered. Thanks.

I’m not sure how these tools will pull these grills out, due to the way they are recessed, but I’ll give it a shot. I’m always afraid I’m going to break one of these parts, knowing that a replacement will be custom made.
 
I ripped into the area tonight. I can see where water is moving down the side but I can find the source. Nearly every hole in the bow is above this area in a way that the water could travel down to it. It also looks like the components through the bow are secured with nuts in the back side. How are you supposed to pull these components up to reseal them?

Here’s a photo of the water trail.


87ECB06C-0DE0-4BAF-A218-09C6D2423F3A.jpeg


to get this off I first had to remove the corner trim which was glued on. A little prying and it came up. Then pull the speaker grill off. Then remove screws on the board behind the grill. The speaker had to be removed because one screw had to removed from the inside.
 
I pulled the navigation lights off today, the gasket for the port side light was ripped apart and the previous owner had tried sealing it with some kind of caulk. Took forever, but I got all of that off and installed the new lights. Hopefully that will take care of the leak from this housing, but I’m not sure that this leak was what soaked by speaker fabric. I’ve ordered new fabric and will put it all back together soon.

It’s rained a few times since I’ve opened this area up and I haven’t seen any fresh water. It’s possible that it was condensation as suggested earlier.
 
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