Waleed Almulla
Portland, oregon
Boat Name: Catalina 22
Model/Year: 1973
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
 12/10/2006 9:27 AM Pacific Time
I check a Catalina 22 to purchase. It is a 1973 Catalina. In general she seems to be in a good shape. I also beleive the price is good. While examining her, I found some water in the blige (under the seats). An inch of water. She has been left on the water and it has been raining hard for few weeks. Is this normal or should I warry that there might be a leak some where?
Let me know what you think.
Thanks.
Waleed |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
12/10/2006 2:20 PM Pacific Time
If the boat was not covered/tarped, it would be a near miracle if there was no water in it after extensive rain, especially if it was wind driven. Possible leaks are the crib boards, window seals, rub rail, all through deck fittings, etc. These are all easily fixed.
However, I suspect your concern is more aimed at hull leaks, and those are likely to be more serious, both in terms of money and time, to repair.
Dry the boat out, come back in a day or two, and if it has not been raining and the interior is dry, there is probably no serious hull leak. Also, you can turn a hose on the deck and spray everything (including UNDER the rub rails) for a good long time and then see if water has begun to collect in the bilge. However, simply because there are deck leaks does not mean there are not hull leaks. You need to check for both.
Having said all that, know that above the waterline leaks in old boats are common...and in almost all cases repairable without spending a fortune.
Eric |
Waleed Almulla
Portland, oregon
Boat Name: Catalina 22
Model/Year: 1973
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
12/10/2006 4:36 PM Pacific Time
Thanks for your comments Eric. I am mostly concerned because the cabin is actually dry. So the deck seems to be sealed well. The only water found is at the bottom (below the seats and the steps to the cabin). So I am not sure where is it coming from. On the other hand, it has been raining hard so it might not be too surprising. I will follow your advice, dry it and see if it come back.
|
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
12/10/2006 9:13 PM Pacific Time
Yeah, if you get it dried out and nothing comes back until it rains again, you've got a high likelihood of it NOT being the below the waterline.
With water in the area you are talking about, some suspect areas would be a poorly tightened volcano hose clamp, rub rail that could use some caulk, leakage thru the locker lids, poorly connected drain tube clamps and the like. Also, water has a way of migrating, especially if it is coming thru the deck-hull join behind the rub rail, so don't ignore the possibility of an above-the-waterline leak being well forward.
Good luck in your search. |
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 |
12/11/2006 9:29 AM Pacific Time
Other places to check for leaks are the little storage compartments on each side of the cockpit. I'm not sure what they are called, but they are the places that inch handles and sunglasses are often stored. I had caulk mine where they met the seat backs. Look inside with a flashlight and mirror. These compartments have drain holes that can easily become clogged. Check these too. If there is a question about the winch cable hose, tape a folded paper towel around it to check for small seeping leaks. If your boat is in the water where there is a lot of wake or wave action it is possible for water to slosh over the top of the keel cable hose. If this is a possibility, put a paper towel there and see if ti gets wet.
Ejnoy the boat |
Greg Nelson
Rose Haven, MD/Oro Valley,AZ
Boat Name: SOBB TOO
Model/Year: 1975/6
Hull No. 5953
Hailing Port: Deale, MD |
12/12/2006 11:04 AM Pacific Time
One place that C-22s often leak and that is almost impossible to trace is the lower gudgen (sp?) that holds the rudder. Over time the torque works the bolt loose and enlarges the hole. Whenever the gudgen goes under water - wave action or when motoring - water goes into the bilge.
The fix is easy. Take the gudgen off, fashion a rubber gasket (you can buy a kit that includes rubber gasket material for a couple of bucks at Ace Hardware), put everything back together. For good measure you can seal it with epoxy.
My bilge has been essentially dry since I took this advice from someone on Chip's list. |
stephen moscatello
westport ,ct
Boat Name: The Breakaway
Model/Year: 1980
Hull No.
Hailing Port: westport |
12/13/2007 2:22 PM Pacific Time
i think its normal .i check mine if it has rained alot and theres alway water .i need to fix my auto bilge pump this season and then it wont be so bad |
Joe Novello
Newport, Oregon
Boat Name: Tenderly
Model/Year: 1977
Hull No. 7259
Hailing Port: Newport, Oregon |
12/17/2007 6:19 AM Pacific Time
My 1977 is bone dry and stored in the water year round. It was not always that way. I used to have to pump 10 - 20 gallons of water out each week from the bilge until I decided enough. I replaced the window seals with the CD kit and rebedded all the deck fittings. I was still getting water in the bilge until I discovered water coming in through the sink drain. Simply keeping the valve closed brought the boat to almost dry condition. The last thing I did was install a small heater in the cabin. As it turns out there was quite a bit of condensation making its way to the bilge. Now my boat is pretty much bone dry. This past storm we had 125 mph winds and a bit of water made it through the sliding hatch, but it was so minimal a paper towel took care of it.
|
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
12/18/2007 6:23 AM Pacific Time
I dry sail my boat and did all the things that you did with the window seals and deck fittings but I was still getting water in the bilge after a rain. I have found that if I lower the bow so the water does not stand in the area of the starboard inboard tracks, that I don't get water inside. I had reset that track, but evidently didn't do a good job. That is on the 'to do list' to correct when lazieness is overcome with ambition.
Al Ge |
Wade Phinney
Centerport, NY
Boat Name:
Model/Year: C22 1984
Hull No.
Hailing Port: centerport ny |
07/09/2008 5:51 PM Pacific Time
In my hull it seems that it fills up a certain amount and will stay that much and then if i empty it, it will come back in and stay at that level still... |
Steve
Pocatello, ID
Boat Name:
Model/Year: Capri 22, 1973
Hull No. 2584
Hailing Port: Bear Lake, Idaho |
05/04/2009 8:23 PM Pacific Time
I know Waleed's message is almost 3 years old but I just joined the Clubhouse and am a new owner of a '73 Capri 22 so I'm looking for advice from 22s or other salty folks. I have lots of questions and no sailors with Catalina's to answer me. # 1 is about water in the battery compartment- rain from outside storage and, as the low point I'd like to install a bilge pump. Where do I put a discharge hose and can I do it without a thru-hull? If I need a thru-hull, where? I have an after market 6 hp inboard and the slide out galley model My other question is about my (unknown name) roller furler tangling in the jib-stay, mostly due to what seems like the angle that everything comes down to in the bow.
Thanks in advance!
Steve |
Lynn Buchanan
Nevada City, CA
Boat Name: SAILYNN
Model/Year: SWING 1984
Hull No. 11994
Hailing Port: SCOTTS FLAT LAKE, CA |
05/05/2009 12:16 AM Pacific Time
I believe Catalina Direct has a fix part for your roller furling/rigging issue. Check out the "Shop our Store" section in the upper right corner of this page. Also, as stated on another post, if you have more than a couple sponges full of water, I would check for leaking problems and fix them. Manual bilge pumps aren't as effective as a dinghy water scoop and bucket, and an automatic bilge pump can have it's own problems if not monitored often. |
Mike McAuliffe
Neenah, WI
Boat Name: Sanity
Model/Year: C-22 1982
Hull No. 10824
Hailing Port: Neenah / Lake Winnabago |
05/05/2009 5:39 PM Pacific Time
Looking for alternative suggestions to "Water in the Hull".
I have a 1982 swing keel, it is currently on its mooring and I have had it out once so far this season. It has not rained since it has been in the water, however, anytime I check the boat, (4 times including the first sail) I have had to sponge up around a quart to two quarts of water near the volcano. It appears to seep in through the small fissures in the fiberglass on the bottom.
Is it possible to have a small crack near the stern portion of the keel trunck? Dumb question, I now its possible, the question is has this happened to anyone else? Any other known issues I should be looking for. |
Lynn Buchanan
Nevada City, CA
Boat Name: SAILYNN
Model/Year: SWING 1984
Hull No. 11994
Hailing Port: SCOTTS FLAT LAKE, CA |
05/05/2009 11:22 PM Pacific Time
It's possible. Is there wake action where the boat is moored? The first and easiest to observe suspected area I would check for leaking near the waterline, is on the transom around the bottom gudgeon. I personally experienced a pesky leak there during summer months on a almost new wing keel C22 #14644 a few years after trailer sailing it and keeping it on a mooring. |
R. C. Luiken
Milford, DE
Boat Name: Ricochet
Model/Year: C-22 Swing Keel/1986
Hull No. 13560
Hailing Port: Milford, DE/St. Michaels, MD |
05/06/2009 5:12 AM Pacific Time
You might also think about the possibility of a crack in the area where the bottom end of the keel comes when it is stowed. I had a case where the boat ran aground after it slipped its moorings. I developed a crack quite near the point the cable enters the volcano. |
Ron Peak
Grove, OK
Boat Name: Quiet Time
Model/Year: 1980
Hull No. 9772
Hailing Port: Cedar Cove, Grand Lake, OK |
05/06/2009 9:18 AM Pacific Time
If you keep your boat in salt water you can simply taste the water to see if you have a real problem. If it is salty, you might want to worry. If it is not salty, you are probably okay. I don' t think anyone mentioned the cockpit drains. They are subject to leaking from the below deck connections, or leaks in the hosing. Ron |
Mike McAuliffe
Neenah, WI
Boat Name: Sanity
Model/Year: C-22 1982
Hull No. 10824
Hailing Port: Neenah / Lake Winnabago |
05/06/2009 11:20 AM Pacific Time
Water is not coming from the volcano, the water seeps in forward of the volcano. It is not coming from the keel lock pin, however water does end up in that compartment eventually. It is not coming from the grudgens, they are above water line and aft of the leak. The cockpit drains are not leaking from the deck level.
The water (fresh, not in salt water) seeps in forward of the valcano. Basically coming in from under the cabin floor.
I am fairly confident it is coming in either via a crack in the trunk (RC's comment) or, is it possible that it could be coming from the keel hanger bolts? |
Bob Conway
Huber Heights, Ohio
Boat Name: Spindrift
Model/Year: C22/1979
Hull No. #8717
Hailing Port: Buck Creek, Ohio |
05/06/2009 4:26 PM Pacific Time
I get water in the areas you are referring to. My windows are the culprits. They leak. Has it been raining and windy? I have had water under the settee floor and had to drill holes to get it out. The water leaks in between the hull and the liner. It's hard to spot. But all of a sudden there is water under the seats and under the floor.
I need to get a kit from CD and reset my windows. A winter project. |
