Mysterious Brown Liquid

R

Rhodesmj

New member
I own a 2006, 25 ft cruiser. My boat has a dark brown liquid periodically seeping from two hairline cracks in the cabin floor.
One crack is located at the approx intersection of the entrance to the double berth/raised helm storage compartment. The other is located within the helm storage compartment.
The liquid doesnt have any odor and I think it feels slightly oily but I could be mistaken about the oily part.
Leaking doesnt seem to be associated with rain events like rain water somehow getting into hull.
Any ideas?

cant figure out how to post photo. Contact me for photo or instructions to post photo in forum.
 
You sure it is coming from cracks in the floor? A problem that can occur on these boats is that the fasteners holding the rub rail on start to rust due to water ingress. The rusty water can run under the interior paint or gelcoat and appear elsewhere, although it it usually a straight line down the hull from a fastener.

My boat has this in a couple of places, but so far it is not enough to go through the hassle of removing the rub rail and replacing all the fasteners (the rub rail is still securely attached). However, I see it as a eventual future project.
 
On the 2007 we had, there was a known leak issue from the anchor locker, where the drain was not properly drilled. That allowed water to drip down into the area under the V-berth, which was filled with a blow-in type foam. The water would pick up a brownish color from the foam.

Dealt with it by drilling a small hole in the slight upraised area of the storage cubby at the V-berth, adjacent to the cabin sole. Put in an inspection plate on the floor area of that cubby, so we could check it.

Solved the anchor locker drain leak by putting in a brass tube and epoxying at either end, then re-drilling. The factory had drilled for a drain, but didn't have solid material between the anchor locker and where the drain exited, causing a place for the leak.

Also, if you have a leak in the hydraulic steering behind the panel where the steering wheel connects, it may be brown and oily. That will be slick feeling.
 
Another problem is occasionally the holes that are drilled to mount the brass strip, under the bow of the boat, were drilled al the way through the hull and were not sealed. I have personally found this in 2 of the 25's that reported a similar finding.
 
How is the anchor locker compartment drain water getting below the upper layer of the floor laminate ? Is someone suggesting the floor balsa is exposed in the anchor locker ?

The original posting indicated " hairline cracks " in the floor.

The gunnel bumper strips were pot riveted on, mine leaked ( lots of them ). But the water ran down the inside of the boat hull sides. A long distance above the floor.

You might have to cut open a area of the floor laminate to investigate the extent of the brown colored water.
 
san juanderer":1da3krd7 said:
How is the anchor locker compartment drain water getting below the upper layer of the floor laminate ? Is someone suggesting the floor balsa is exposed in the anchor locker ? ...
Click to expand...

The way the anchor locker is made (on my boat anyway) can allow water to enter the area under the v-berth. I expect it is similar to problems with the rub strip. If the drain hole is drilled in the wrong place (too low) water can get into the area underneath the bottom floor of the locker. The manufacturer does not line or have a tube for the drain, just a hole drilled in the side of the boat (again, at least in my case).

I think to avoid a problem with water getting into the hull, the locker drain hole tends to be drilled high. In my case, this let about an inch of water sit in the bottom of the anchor locker. I drilled a new hole at the actual bottom of my locker for better drainage and found that this caused an opening that would allow water to get inside the hull. Fitting the new hole with a plastic tube fixed this issue. I'm guessing that not all anchor locker drain holes are drilled in exactly the same place and that the floor of the anchor locker is not a precision fit so some locker drains are in better positions than others.
 
I own a 2006, 25 ft cruiser. My boat has a dark brown liquid periodically seeping from two hairline cracks in the cabin floor.
One crack is located at the approx intersection of the entrance to the double berth/raised helm storage compartment. The other is located within the helm storage compartment.
Click to expand...


How is the anchor locker compartment drain water getting below the upper layer of the floor laminate ? Is someone suggesting the floor balsa is exposed in the anchor locker ?
Click to expand...

The way all of these boats are made, is that the V bunk platform, and the molded area where the porti potty sites in the 22, and a storage area on the 25. is one piece of fiberglass tabbed in place. This is on top of. the molded hull. There is no opening to Balsa core--the boat is solid glass laminate from the area of the beginning of the V berth forward.

Comment was made about gel coating the interior of the hull--some places it is rolled on and many other places there is no gel coat on the inner side of the hull. Under the V berth there is no gel coat. In my boat it has been painted. Many fiberglass boats that is the only application, if any. The laminate is not particular permiable to water, although epoxy resins are less permeable than polyester resins.
 
Thataway has said it correctly. All cabin parts, bulkheads, and v-berth parts are tabbed to the " molded hull ". A penetration " screw", etc. is the only way to compromise the core material.

And as some have discovered, the builder was very lax at sealing properly.
 
Thataway has said it correctly. All cabin parts, bulkheads, and v-berth parts are tabbed to the " molded hull ". A penetration " screw", etc. is the only way to compromise the core material.

And as some have discovered, the builder was very lax at sealing properly.
 
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