C-26 Water in the bilge while on the hard!

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Fri May 20, 2011 6:58 am

I have some water in the bilge which seems to get in by running down the rudder post hose. I don't see how this can be, but the evidence is there.

There is a large gap around the hose inside the lazarette, but it has a rim around it to keep water out. I just don't see how rain water is getting in there.

Should I make a little "roof" for it which hose clamps onto the hose. I'm envisioning a cone shape made from an old bottle. Or should I try to fill the gap with some form of caulk?

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Fri May 20, 2011 9:25 am

Oh, boy, been there...the gap is likely too big to caulk - the only thing that stopped that for EE was taking a square piece of flat thin plastic, then cutting a hole in it the size of the rudder tube, a bit snugger actually. I then cut a slit in it so I could get it around the tube (didn't want to drop the rudder and disconnect the tube to slide it over the top). A liberal amount of 5200 on the under part of the square to glue it to the underside of the cockpit floor, as well as around the hole and the slit made a snug seal and stopped the leak.

I did this after trying everything to seal it from the top, nothing worked there...

hp18carr · Post by **hp18carr** » Fri May 20, 2011 9:54 am

E.E.

By chance do you have a photo of this little fix? I'm getting a little, but not much of a leak in this same location. I've bigger leaks elsewhere higher on my to do list,but I will get to this one someday.

Terrence
Wilmington N.C.
Chrysler 26' 1980
Pandora (for now)

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Fri May 20, 2011 12:05 pm

No, sorry I don't...picture one of these roof vent flashings upside down with the rudder post coming down thru it.

http://www.pricelesshomecenter.com/prod ... duct=10416

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Fri May 20, 2011 12:08 pm

EE, that makes sense. Rather than my cone shaped "roof" idea, you just made a big flat washer and sealed it on. Brilliant!

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Fri May 20, 2011 12:23 pm

Thanks. and the surface underneath the cockpit/lazarette is a lot less complex than the area on top..I tried capping the top side as well and it was just too hard...I was just being lazy..

EE's hole for the post had better than a 1/4" gap all the way around..not exactly a close tolerence there..

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Fri May 20, 2011 12:39 pm

Awe come on!

A little imagination here!

Boat on the hard . . . .

full of water . . . .. .

Use the stove to heat the water and make a HOT TUB!

O Lord, it is going to be 70 degrees here today for the first time in over 6 months! YEAH! Suns out! HEat is there! Top is down . . . .

Whoo hoooo!

I'm going home! Enough of this work thing! LOL!
Scott

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Fri May 20, 2011 12:42 pm

Yes mine has a big gap there too. I would think between the shelter of the lazarette and the cup shape around it, nothing would get in there, but it sure does.

I'll have a look this weekend.

"I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in, and stops my mind from wandering..."

Alanhod · Post by **Alanhod** » Fri May 20, 2011 2:28 pm

69Shark wrote:Awe come on!
O Lord, it is going to be 70 degrees here today for the first time in over 6 months! YEAH! Suns out! HEat is there! Top is down . . . .

Whoo hoooo!

I'm going home! Enough of this work thing! LOL!
Scott

Yea, Baby! Sunshine on Puget Sound.

I'm singing a song... (Sung to John Denver's Sunshine on my Shoulder) "Sunshine on my sailboat makes me happy....

Thanks
Alan

P.S. As for the leak thing, I've never seen a C-26 in the flesh. I need a photo man! I have no idea where this rubber tube is. I am C-26 impaired and I must have photos. Of course it does not mean I can help with an excellent answer like EE, but I'd still like to know where it is.

hp18carr · Post by **hp18carr** » Fri May 20, 2011 4:03 pm

Alan

Here is a couple of photos to give you a general idea. The first one is an old as found photo, in it you can see the bottom part of the rudder tube. The second is where it passes through up to the cockpit. The P.O. just filled the extra space around the tube with cocking. Once I get her up off the trailer and remove the rest of the rudder I'm thinking of replacing the old tube and fixing the extra space problem.

Terrence
Wilmington N.C.
Chrysler 26' 1980
Pandora (for now)

Alanhod · Post by **Alanhod** » Fri May 20, 2011 4:29 pm

Ah now I see. So when it rains the water collects on the cockpit floor and then finds its way down around the rubber hose (through hull for the Rudder I assume) and ends up in the bilge area where the bilge pump is pictured in photo #2.

Yea I like EE's idea. Maybe cut 2 "C" shaped 1/8" plexiglass sections. Slip one on each side of the rubber tube on the underside of the cockpit, flat to the ceiling. Then 3M 5200 seal the whole thing in place around the tube, flat to the ceiling and see if that helps. Or is the water coming down the inside of the tube?

Thanks
Alan

lecker68 · Post by **lecker68** » Fri May 20, 2011 4:57 pm

I have a helm so I have a rubber flap from the lazarette and covers the rudder post but if you have a tiller that would not work and for NYC sailor when I get the boat straightened out I will get measurements and photo's.

hp18carr · Post by **hp18carr** » Fri May 20, 2011 7:29 pm

What water collects on the cockpit floor is not really the problem. In this photo you can see the opening around where the tiller head bolts to the rudder tube is the culprit. I don't have a photo of the unseen back side at the moment, but there is a collar around the rudder tube that holds what rain water etc gets through giving it time to seep through the extra space around the tube.

Terrence
Wilmington N.C.
Chrysler 26' 1980
Pandora (for now)

Beady · Post by **Beady** » Sat May 21, 2011 3:39 am

Scott:

We also had a glowing orb in the sky here. The young ones in the village were afraid but there is a legend of a star that will warm and even change the color of your skin.

Hope to get out and enjoy this weekend as well.

brian

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 6:40 am

I wanted to report back that EE's fix is pure genius!

I cut out the flat bottom of an old plastic bin and cut a hole with a 2.5" hole saw (biggest I had). I then cut about a 5" circle around that with a jigsaw, and put a single cut from outside to the inner hole in order to flex it around the rudder post hose.

As expected 2.5" was a little too small when I test fitted it. I cut around the hole with the jigsaw, just the thickness of the blade, and it fit perfectly. I also roughed it up a bit for better adhesion.

I put a big bead of 5200 around the hole on the underside of the deck and pushed my plastic piece in place. Then I ran a bead of 5200 around joint of my plastic part and the rudder hose. 5200 from the initial bead had alread squeezed through the slit I cut.

This was a quick, easy fix that should last for the next 30 years.

Thanks again Beau!

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:14 pm

You're welcome, glad it worked !