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Water leak in cap

Discussion in 'Ocean Yacht' started by Boomer, Feb 21, 2019.

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  1. Boomer

    Boomer Senior Member

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    Found some water in the head shelving. It is coming from fwd area. As best I can tell, it is probably leaking where cap meets the hull as I couldn't find any other potential sources. It is not the thru stansions. Any ideas how to fix this?
  2. Capt Fred

    Capt Fred Senior Member

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    Boomer, I had the same issue, on my 44 Ocean SS, the water was coming in thru the hatch to deck seal and screw holes. I know this because it saw the leak during a rainy day. Also had a leak in the forward stateroom and determined it was coming in thru the stanchion screw holes. The screws were corroded. I inspected the cap seal, as best I can and it looks real good. Also, one set of stanchion screws are hidden behind a carpeted fascia board in the stateroom closet. I had to remove the carpet and drilled a 4 inch hole in the thin plywood fascia board to gain access.
  3. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Is this happening at the dock, or after running? If it's happening at the dock, it's probably coming from a deck hatch and running underneath the vinyl headliner.
  4. Boomer

    Boomer Senior Member

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    I can see one leak inside where the cap meets the hull in the forward stateroom upper storage cabinet. I cannot find the leak that goes into the head shelf below the counter. I removed the upper vanity closet backing and no water going in there. There is not any cracks in the seal around the hatch.
  5. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Get a good flashlight and have a buddy spray area you think are leaking for 10 minutes at a time, start at the lower areas and work your way up...…..until you see water leaking in. Water leaks can be tough to trace as the source can be many feet away.
  6. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    Can you tell if it's salt water or sweet? Is there an outside seam that is caulked beneath the "cap" and the hull ? If so is it still in good condition?
  7. PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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    This needs to be properly addressed. There have been cases of older boats running in seas and when the bow immerses, the water pressure hydraulics the hull to deck joint and separates it further, pealing it back, and allowing the ingress of seawater, flooding the forward sections, and subsequent sinking.

    Happened a few years back on a older 42 Uniflite off of SE Florida.
  8. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    Agreed. I had an older Egg Harbor (how I miss her teak) but if I didn't stand watch on that deck seam, I'd have salt wate rall over the front bunk in a head sea
  9. Doug Dasher

    Doug Dasher New Member

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    I was just in the yard and pulled the complete rubrail off, caulked the cap to deck joint and the top and bottom of rail. There was no factory caulk, just attempts by previous owners
  10. PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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    Used 3M 5200 for this job?
  11. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    I would say no only because 5200 is so hard to remove. My seam in the Egg needed regular attention because of the flex. What do others think?
  12. PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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    Because of the flex, I would say yes due to the structural strength of 5200. I would not want to be readdressing the same spot time after time.

    If the rub rail was off entirely, I would also consider glassing it from the outside, would be more costly, but would seal the deal.
  13. Doug Dasher

    Doug Dasher New Member

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    I used 4200, recommended for rubrails on the packaging
  14. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Given what you've said, I'd pull your deck hatches and re-seal them to. I had a Cabo 35' many years ago, had a leak up there when the owner ran hard. The deck hatch was replaced once. The caulking seam looked perfect. I pulled the deck hatch and the caulking wasn't adhered to either the boat or the hatch, and came off /fell off in one piece like a valve cover gasket.

    4200 should work, but I would've preferred to use 5200.
  15. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    so with the flex why 5200? in a good head sea even 5200 is going to separate IMO
  16. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    5200 bonds and stays put when the surface is prepped correctly (so does 4200 but it's just not as strong of a bond), there shouldn't be that much flex at the hull to deck joint if it's screwed every 4" +/- like most of them are. Not enough for 5200/4200 to separate. The deck hatch wasn't prepped properly or they used something weak such as silicone.
  17. motoryachtlover

    motoryachtlover Senior Member

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    I had all 3 of my bow overhead hatches replaced last year. They were leaking and I would have sworn it was the seal between the “glass” and frame of the hatch. So I took a water hose and let it run down on the hatch. No spraying and getting water on the top of the hatch. Sure enough it leaked and the one next to it leaked. In other words the leak was between the hatch and the deck. I know it is simplistic but it helped me solve the problem.
  18. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I have seen them leak between the plexiglass and the hatch many times as well. Usually though the dogs in the plexiglass keep that pressured down enough that it doesn't leak as much. But with the hatch unlatched, press up on the plexi and hold the hatch frame and you see it many times.

    I've seen them leak many times between the hatch and the deck and this is usually hard to see inside the boat because the vinyl headliner usually goes right to the inside hatch frame...….so if it leaks, it usually stays above the vinyl and runs to the side of the boat somewhere.
  19. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    Regardless of what you choose as your sealant., the forum seems to be indicating that you look to that seam at the hull/cap and any hatches. But we/you haven't conclusively determined that that is the leak problem, so continue your search??
  20. Boomer

    Boomer Senior Member

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    Working on it...