On Thu, 11 May 2006 18:12:44 GMT, "RG" wrote:



If the boat were hauled, and water poured into the compartment that fills
with water, and if there were a crack in the hull, would the water drain
out and expose the crack?
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It should. The only exception would be in the case of a very marginal leak.
The water pressure induced by the boat being in the water and allowing water
to enter the inside of the hull would be more than the water pressure
induced by the water contained in the hull and trying to drain by gravity.
I suppose it's possible that a very marginal leak would not be noticeable in
the draining scenario, but it's highly improbable. The water and therefore
the leak should be detectable as it drains from the hull, assuming it's that
type of leak he's dealing with in the first place.

The OP claims to have eliminated all on-board systems as the source due to
draining all tanks. Maybe so, but onboard water systems would be highly
suspect, since the leak has appeared immediately after post-winterization
recommissioning. On the other hand, the leak appears to be pretty quick to
re-present itself (within 5 minutes) after vacuuming up the water and with
all on-board systems drained and turned off. That sure sounds like a sea
water leak to me. The OP hasn't specifically mentioned if water was ever
found in the aft bilge. He only mentions water in the forward bilge. On
some boats, one drains into the other. On my boat, the two are physically
separated, each with it's own set of pumps and they do not drain into each
other. Based on the limited information given, I'm guessing that the owner
is a relative newbie, with little understanding of the boat and its systems.
These things can sometimes be difficult to trace, but nearly impossible if
you don't have a solid understanding of how the boat is put together and how
it works. With a solid knowledge of the boat and a methodical process of
elimination, it really shouldn't be that difficult to diagnose.

It's time for action. If it were me, I'd have the boat hauled immediately.
If it is a sea water leak, letting the boat remain in the water only
exacerbates the damage already done. The cabin carpet and perhaps even the
flooring underneath is probably already ruined. The OP mentioned earlier
that the floor felt soft. The carpet is permanently glued to the cabin
flooring, and will have to be ripped up. Mold and mildew will be an issue
going forward. Not pretty.


--
'Til next time,

John H

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