Fixing small leaks

Pacificcoast101

Pacificcoast101

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2007
Messages
752
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11
Location
Torrance
C Dory Year
2008
C Dory Model
255 Tomcat
Vessel Name
No Pressure
We have two tiny spots inside our V-Berth that have water stains from leaks. I'd like to patch the area on the walls to stop the ingress of water. What is the best patch material to use?
 
Do you know precisely where the water is coming from? Rub rail rivets perhaps?
 
If the spots are on the sidewalls it is probably corroded rivets for the rub rail. This is a common issue with these boats. Usually the water stains from these areas are stained brown from rust. Eventually you will need to removed the rub rail and reattach it with better hardware. If the leaks are just one or two places you can delay the replacement by applying sealant to the outside of the rub rail where it meets the hull.

full


Other issues could be the hatch leaking or through bolts from the hardware on the front deck.
One source can be condensation collecting on the inside of the through bolts and dripping down.
It all depends on where the leaks are.
 
Hi Phil,
For a temporary expedient block, I’d rather seal the leak at the outside source rather than inside. Otherwise the water will filter into the core and stay there. I like BoatLife because it’s not permanent and easy to remove. Steve shows where to seal a rubrail, but if you use 3M 5200 it might be a bear to remove when you decide to do a permanent rub rail fix.

Our tiny intermittent berth moisture is on the horizontal surface where the aft most bow rail support is bolted down. I smeared some BoatLife over and around the outside to last til we get home. Good Luck!
John
 
If these are truely on the side walls, of the Tom Cat Hull, then it is from the rail rivets--and common. There I would remove those offending rivets, redrill the hole, and put machine screw/bolts thru the side of the hull, then seal on the inside with either a product like the Boat Life, Lifeseal (combination silicone and single part urethane sealant). If you just want to seal them now, I would clean the area up and put epoxy over this area where the leak is--then down the line, pull the rub rail, and redo all of the fasteners.

If the fittings leaking are from the deck, such as the pulpit or stanchons, then it is a different story, if the bolts go thru the cored part of the deck. The outer flange may not be cored, but the core starts a couple of inches in. If you have a problem there, I would pull all of the bolts holding the piece in place, lift it off, and check for core--if core is present, then it has to be drilled out, backfilled and a new hole drilled for the machine screw ("bolt") holding the pulpit or stanchon in place. Then you use sealant of your choice. I do like Boat Life Life Seal for many applications, especially plastics to fibergass, and it is one of those which can be used here. I have also used 4200 and 5200. I did this on the Cal 46 and replaced all machine screws thru the deck. That had a plywood core, and I sealed each hole individually, before the bolt was applied and I used 5200 in that application. The boat was used for transoceanic voyages, and I wanted a "permenant" seal.
 
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