joel gordon
little rock
Boat Name: talofa
Model/Year: 1979
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Jolly rogers |
 12/30/2006 5:23 PM Pacific Time
Hey guys I could really use some help. I have a 1979 c22 with a phantom leak. I took her out for a day cruise and ran on to a sand bar. It was a gentle bump and slide and I got her off no problem. We sailed a little while longer and then went back to the slip. Two days later she was underwater. We got her back up dryed her out and now she is floating fine. I have been watching her like a hawk for two days. I even slept in my car the first night (it was two wet to sleep aboard). Since then no leak. There is water in the bilge but it isn't rising. No one at the marina saw it go down but it must have been fast. No one noticed it listing and everyone I talked to about it said they just turned around and it was down. I am a careful sailor and take great care of her. So, there it is. Can anybody help? |
Greg Guenther
Belleville, IL
Boat Name: Magnificat
Model/Year: 1970
Hull No. 473
Hailing Port: Belleville, IL |
12/31/2006 4:49 AM Pacific Time
Joel,
What a bummer! The only thing I can think of from your grounding is that in my '70 there are two through hull fittings under the v bearth in the aft compartment. Perhaps you damaged the seal around one of these. The only other question that comes to mind is some not-so-obvious hull damage. If it were my boat I would pull her out and do a really thorough hull inspection.
What did you do with your outboard motor? Did you get it running right away? If not, there could be some serious problems with it from internal rust and corrosion.
Greg |
joel gordon
little rock
Boat Name: talofa
Model/Year: 1979
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Jolly rogers |
12/31/2006 8:51 AM Pacific Time
Hey Greg,
Thanks for writing. I will have to check for the fittings you described. Some one else said I should put it on stanchions and check the receiver pocket for the keel. The really strange thing is that it went down so fast and now it isn't taking on water of any noticeable amount. It could have been a leak that just crept up and no one noticed the boat until it was to late. I have seen boats sink just below the waterline and then water starts seeping throgh a motor mount or some other through fitting and then just go down. My motor is in good shape but I'm going to tune it up at home. I'm taking her up on the trailer tomorrow and then we'll see.
|
Mike Bracket
Clinton Twp, MI
Boat Name: Gunsmoke
Model/Year: 1979
Hull No. 9150
Hailing Port: Lake St Clair MI |
12/31/2006 10:16 AM Pacific Time
Joel: check the keel lock down bolt area under the port forward seatee. It is a few inches above the water line when floating level in the slip. If you are heeled over on starboard or sailing in some chop, it will take in water and fill up the space between the hull and liner. Once the hole is below the water line, it wont take long to sink the boat.
Same is possible with the bolts for the lower rudder gudgeon. Pretty close to the water line and notorious for leaking.
Let us know what you find out.
Mike Bracket
Gunsmoke 9150 |
Aaron M Benham
33a Loomis Hights
Boat Name: Tidely-Idley: The never ending project
Model/Year: 1978 C22
Hull No. 8070
Hailing Port: |
12/31/2006 6:45 PM Pacific Time
Possible explaination for the quick sinking:
The top of the keel hose is open to the sea. Even with a slow leak, once the top of that hose gets below the waterline, your going to end up with a gusher at many many gpm. Enough to sink her pretty quickly.
I don't know if you have owned the boat since new. Given its age I would guess probably not so you also need to consider any possible PO repairs & damage, especially those you don't know about and can't see. That thick copper paint can cover up a whole world of problems. I would recommend a thourogh inspection of the whole bottom inside and out with the boat out of the water. Do it twice. once during the day in bright sunlight and again at night with a partner and the most powerful flashlight you can find. Shine the light across the surface at a steep angle to look for cracks. Then go inside the boat and have a partner shine the light against the outside of the hull. Look for bubbles, light spots, anything that doesn't match the surrounding area and mark those areas for further inspection. Swap places with the partner so that he or she is now shining the light on the inside and repeat.
Good luck, Phantom leaks can be very difficult to locate. |
joel gordon
little rock
Boat Name: talofa
Model/Year: 1979
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Jolly rogers |
01/01/2007 7:34 AM Pacific Time
She's out of the water and tomorrow the marina is setting her on stanchions. I'll drop the keel and check the pocket, lower hull, gudgeon and anything else that looks suspicious. Strange thing is she hasn't leaked a drop since she was recovered. Wish me luck. Thanks for all your suggestions, I'll let you know how it goes. |
steve smith
rothesay nb canada
Boat Name: all hours
Model/Year: 1975?
Hull No. 4928
Hailing Port: rothesay yacht club |
01/02/2007 5:18 AM Pacific Time
You have probably got it solved by now but I had the same problem but not the same result and the leak was the keel bolt hole under the port setee.Threw the bolt away and had the whole area re-glassed....bone dry since.
Cheers. |
joel gordon
little rock
Boat Name: talofa
Model/Year: 1979
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Jolly rogers |
01/02/2007 6:08 PM Pacific Time
I haven't had a chance to dig into the boat yet. I have a strong suspiscion that it is the lockdown bolt. I put it on the trailer and as I pulled up the dock, I watched the new 800gph bilge pump I'd installed launch a jet of water across the marina. I was so surprised I started laughing. It gave me a great idea for building a little deck mounted water cannon just for fun. Anyway, the water must have come from amids where I couldn't see it. This makes me suspect something around the keel. I'll get in there this weekend and find out for sure. I think I should move the bilge pump as well. When I bought the boat it was mounted near the volcano. Can anyone tell me the ideal spot for the pump? Some place efficent but accessible. Thanks for everyones help. I have crewed many boats but this is the first cruiser I have owned and I love my boat. |
Austin Cooley
Honeoye Falls, NY
Boat Name: Wings of the Morning
Model/Year: Catalina 22, 1983
Hull No. 11602
Hailing Port: Keuka Lake, Branchport, NY |
01/02/2007 6:19 PM Pacific Time
Thak you for involving all of us in your problem/project. I've never heard of this problem on the web before and I will be especially interested in how you solve this probelem because I leave our boat sometimes for seveal weeks at a dock. I want to know wh at to watch for. I had a much smaller phantom leak that I traced to a worn hose at the p oint where the keel cable went through the hull. Good Luck and keep us informed.
Wings of the Morning
11602 |
Lynn W Larremore
Phoenix, AZ
Boat Name: Tortuga Pirate
Model/Year: 1972
Hull No. 1651
Hailing Port: Clear Lake, TX |
01/09/2007 3:24 PM Pacific Time
Joel,
I think Steve figured out your problem.
We had a "phantom leak" when we first got our boat 4-5 yrs ago. We'd get 6 inches of water inside after a good day of sailing- sometimes- but couldn't find the source. My former partner got great thrills out of sailing with the port rail underwater. And it seems that the Keel hold-down bolt was loose. After he sold me his share & I kept the bolt well greased, the problem has never reoccurred. AND we don't use the bolt anymore. Glassing it over has never made it on my "to do" list.
Good luck. Keep the wet side down. |
Austin Cooley
Honeoye Falls, NY
Boat Name: Wings of the Morning
Model/Year: Catalina 22, 1983
Hull No. 11602
Hailing Port: Keuka Lake, Branchport, NY |
01/10/2007 6:29 AM Pacific Time
I think the lock-down bolt is a good place to check. We once inadvertantly unscrewed it completely while on the water and got a pretty good stream of water before we got it screwed back in.
Austin Cooley |
Gary Webber
Comox BC
Boat Name: loco motion
Model/Year: std 27/1976
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Comox Municipal Marina |
07/04/2019 4:03 PM Pacific Time
This is a little off-topic...
I've been offered a Catalina 22 with a swing keel, if I can raise it from the end of the dock where she sank in 4' of water. Apparently the owner's brother-in-law, an erstwhile and otherwise competent engineer and mechanic, removed the rubber hose on the keel lifting cable, because the cable had broken and he was hoping to retrieve the keel. He didn't, and the boat eventually took on water.
I'm looking at several options, but am formulating a plan to attach three come-alongs, one at the bow eye and two on either side of the transom, and attach the other end to available pilings. She's been down there over a year, so I have no idea what condition the hardware mounts are in. She's very well embedded in the mud. I can't rock the boat at all. Not sure if we can get slings under her, but even if we could, there's nothing dockside that could lift her out.
I'd be interested in any comments, tips, experience, suggestions. Thanks! |
Tom Lampros
Catonsville
Boat Name: Second Chance
Model/Year: Catalina 22
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Baltimore |
07/04/2019 4:03 PM Pacific Time
This is a little off-topic...
I've been offered a Catalina 22 with a swing keel, if I can raise it from the end of the dock where she sank in 4' of water. Apparently the owner's brother-in-law, an erstwhile and otherwise competent engineer and mechanic, removed the rubber hose on the keel lifting cable, because the cable had broken and he was hoping to retrieve the keel. He didn't, and the boat eventually took on water.
I'm looking at several options, but am formulating a plan to attach three come-alongs, one at the bow eye and two on either side of the transom, and attach the other end to available pilings. She's been down there over a year, so I have no idea what condition the hardware mounts are in. She's very well embedded in the mud. I can't rock the boat at all. Not sure if we can get slings under her, but even if we could, there's nothing dockside that could lift her out.
I'd be interested in any comments, tips, experience, suggestions. Thanks! |
