Slow leak - had to haul....

[NYCSAILOR]

well after a few weeks of the bilge slowly filling .. I determined it was NOT rain water coming in from the topsides or the new portlights.. it was from the hull.. checked and rechecked all three thru-hulls - dry-- could NOT figure it out but I determined that, although a small pesky leak from SOMEWHERE.. I bettter come out of the water since I could not find it.. a few boat contractors came and took a look and said it was nothing jsut a small leak through the hull from a blister or something not to worry...

I went to the travel lift and got haulled and sure enough, on the outside of the hull, where I thought the water was leaking in, there was some small spots of brown discoloration...on the otherwise smooth and pristine keel.... I will see what the boat yard ultimately tells me but I didn't think a solid molded encapsulated keel could wind up being so porous.... I dd NOT hit anything nor are there any stress or freezing fissures or cracks...just a few tiny random brown spots where water was coming in .. slowly.. but enough to possibly sink the boat after a week or so unattended ( I would NEVER trust my bilge pump...to save my boat)

I figure it will jsut be a epoxy barrier coat on the hull and back in the water ... but this was a new one for me.. OH, the joys of classic fiberglass

[CaptainScott]

It is a very prudent move on your part to haul her and get her fixed!
Two thumbs up here!!

I agree with never trusting the bilge pump to save your boat!
Scott

[hadaveha]

i had a buddy he had a leak like you are talking about in his power boat, he painted the bottom with bedliner paint minus the aggregate, the stuff totaly fixed his problem , that stuff is great he even got it in a light blue color looked great, dont know how it will do with marine growth though

[NYCSAILOR]

I will admit to thoguhts of just that, and figuring if she goes down in her slip, the insurance company would help me restore her.. but... I jsut sunk a large fortune into fixing her up, and in over 12 years of ownership... NEVER had a leak..in fact.. I sought out this solid moulded encapsulated hull design after owning several boats with a stub shoe and bolted on lead keel design ( J-30 ) and had to deal with rusting keel boatls, stress cracks and leaks etc... and low an behold... I had to haul in the first time in my boating life DURING the season due to a breech in the glass hull... I thought these hulls were known to be solid and strong and "overkill"

Anyway.. I am wondering if I should add some triaxl glass over this area as well or just go with the barrier coat.. I will see wha tthe experts say.. want to get back in the water asap.. knowing I will haul again at end of season in a few months... ( ugh!)

BTW: while I am the yard in the slings.. I take time to admire a gorgeous ( to me!) 79 benetaeu that has been sitting the yard for years.. I love it and been admiring it for a long time.. I then see some guy in the boat vacuming it out and taking out a few soiled cushions... I ask about the boat and he tells me that the yard just sold it to him that day --get this -- for LESS THAN I PAID JUST TO PAINT MY C-26!! --LESS THAN I PAID FOR MY SUZUKI OB!!!

Unreal.. this is a 32' bene with a inboard deisel gally head, nav station electronincs .. unreal.. solid l bluewater boat.. no soft spots..etc.. just dirty.. that is it... I couldn't sleep that night and the bene didn't need anything and the buyer (aka boat thief) was planning to sail her down to bermuda for a vacation...

moral of the story...REALLY enjoy the good sailing days 'cause sailboats have a way of torturing you one way or another...

[hadaveha]

ya i bought my c22 with decent sails nice trailer and nice 5 hp nissan for 500.00 i was so proud i walked around with my chest stuck out for 2 weeks, then the 26 foot compac that was mored next to my fathers wet slip the owner had pased away and his daughter just give it to one of the guys on the dock so not to pay the slip fees, i was crushed

[CaptainScott]

Beneteau's are nice boats! We love ours!
Here is an animated gif I made for my other website!



As far as sailboats and good deals go, they are out there! You just have to have the ability to go find them and guts enough to make low ball offers. Most offers will get declined but from time to time and often enough the seller really just wants the boat to go away. My wife thinks I'm crazy and that I should never make such offers but my attitude is the owner can always just say "NO". No harm no foul. I also never get offended when someone makes me offers. I can also just say no. Yesterday I was offered 30K for my vette. I said no yet the guy and I still hung around and chatted cars without issue. I don't understand why one would be offended by any offer! I was impressed the guy came right out and quite frankly it is flattering to know he has interest. So watch the ads, find a boat that has been for sale for a long time, and . . . . . go offer a crazy price! If the offer is in cash and you are prepared to move it right then and there you just might get a very nice surprise!

Scott

[NYCSAILOR]

Good advice everyone... thanks... I know that a few really nice sailing days on my c-26 will be all the cure I need for my current chrysler malaise.. wondering what else to do while I am on the hard to try and make this haul-out worth while...

Boatyard checked it out and said they think the "tabbing" for the hull has come apart or come loose and it needs to be reglassed...

1) could this have happened if it was on the trailer ( it was the first off season in its entire life not hibernating in its factory cradle) the trailer is a bespoke "sailtrailer" with 6 "pads" and was resting very nicely and squarely on its keel.

2) what the hell is the boatyard talking about? I thoguht these were one giant super stron solid glass mold ( which is the precise reason I sought out this boat!) I have a fixed fin keel boat and the leak is right at the cabin sole at the top of the bilge....

3) could they not know what they are talking about..? this particular guy prides himself on being a calamity jane and really trashing peoples boat problems as catastrophic... I told him to get a glass "expert" which they are doing on wed. for a second opinion... but they pretty much own me now as my boat is sitting in their yard...so I doubt the glass "expert" is going to be very independent..is this a lot of work? did anyone ever hear of something like this.. anyone know how these boats were made or put together to determine if they are BS'ng me?

I just sunk a fortuune into this boat and have yet to really enjoy it... will they need to rip up the sole ( I just glued down a brand new one... ) could the contractor who installed the cabin sole have done something wrong ( he inspected the leak and told me he did nothing wrong and it is not related to his work.

Now I really need this group's expertise and specialized knowledge of this boat -so I don't get ripped off or walk away from it..

HELP!!!

I did finally figure out how to "LOCK" the OB down in reverse.. so no more yelling .. " I don't have reverse..!!!!" to people on the dock as I approach a bulkhead..

can't get that beneteau and purchase price out of my head.. esp. since I know the boat and it is sweet..

[Mizzousailor]

My Chrysler 20 has a very similar leak issue...only comes in on one side of the centerboard trunk, maybe a half gallon after a day of sailing. But I cannot for the life of me find where the water is coming from. Do you have a photo of the brown spots you've identified as the source of your leak? My boat's on a trailer where I can see the hull and maybe I have the same kind of hull problem. How did you determine the brown spots were how water was getting in? Did water leak out of the spots when you hauled her?

[NYCSAILOR]

This is soooo weird.... just this morning I was looking at a CL ad for a C-20 in my area with a trailer... just in case I bail out of this c-26 alltogther ( don't know how much MORE this issue will cost and I already spent a fortune and that damn gorgeous Beneteau went for less than this repair will cost...) anyway...

The bilge would completely fill to the sole with saltwater every 10-12 hour period ( the bilge on a fixed keel c-26 is HUGE.. about 3 feet deep and easy foot, maybe foot and a half long )

I checked all the thru hulls bone dry.. I checked all the windows, hatches vents, scuppers , toerail , OB bracket, sink drain, chainplates etc.. nada...

on the starboard side of the bilge ONLY -- at the very top under the sole where the keel starts to curve ( this is a fixed keel) i can feel a nearly invisible sheen or waterfall dripping continuously. on the exterior of that starboard side of the bilge.. there are random small brown spots ( I see NO cracks or blisters or fissures but the boatyard guy says he thinks he sees a serious stress crack and that I need glass work. The boat contractor who did all the work says I just need a application of a epoxy barrier coat smeared on and then right back in the water for fun times.. no biggie...All very weird
I took pics but with my cell phone and the hull kinda shaded the sunlight and the spots are small maybe the largest is the size of a pencil eraser head ( for those of us that remember pencils and erasers)

[Mizzousailor]

Appreciated the quick reply. Your issue sure sounds like what I'm experiencing with my boat. I'll go take a very close look at the hull to see if there are any small cracks or pinholes. It's a nuisance issue right now, since I trailer-sail my boat. But it also prevents me ever putting her in a slip until I stop the leak. She'd eventually fill up and sink if I didn't resolve the problem. Unlike your boat, mine has a small swing keel that drops down from a stub.....my first thought was that water is somehow coming up through the swing keel bolts. But that area is supposed to be completely sealed off from the hull. Hmmm.....

[tgentry]

Sorry to hear about your leak, but hauling it was absolutely the right thing to do.

As for the Bene, I have looked at boats for sale that I wouldn't take for free. If it really was a good deal, it was probably asking the right questions at the right time.