"whacker" still leaking!

[Simon Weston]

Has anyone had any experience of leaks occurring on a swift that has been left on a mooring? Last season I noticed that water was entering the boat and lodging between the inner and outer hull. Because a previous owner had installed a "bilge" in the cabin floor which was not properly sealed water was able to enter the cabin.

I suspected that this may have been getting in around the poorly sealed outboard cut-out and duly fibre glassed this up last winter hoping this would solve the problem. Unfortunately after only two weeks on a drying out mooring water has found its way back into the cabin. I have ruled out any leaks above the water line - there is no sign of any rainwater ingress around the windows, nor having removed the head-lining was there any evidence of water coming in around the fittings (which have all been re-sealed with sika-flex). I am wondering if water could be entering the boat via the keel box? Any ideas?

[RobCourt]

I had the same trouble and apart from resealing everything obvious (fittings, windows etc) I did two other things which I'm pleased to say have cured the problem. I never identified which of these two things actually solved the problem but they worked! The first was to epoxy some narrow fibreglass bandage around the keel box where it joins the hull (exterior); and the second was to make sure that the anchor locker was watertight at the point at which it meets the drain hole, and to make sure the drain hole itself was waterproof (by slightly enlarging it and lining it with a short piece of plastic tube). I am pretty sure rainwater was finding its way into the bottom of the boat by this route. I put in two bilge inspection hatches in the cabin floor, and another hatch in the forward bouyancy at low level to be able to keep an eye on things. This was at the beginning of last season and I now declare Swiftwind to be leak free (famous last words!!). Good luck with it - it took me years to work it out - and I know others have the same problem.

[CHERRY PIE]

Simon, if your thoughts are towards the keelbox leaking you could check the screws that hold the outer casing, we noticed a slight leak many years ago because the screws that hold the outer case in place were to long and protruded into the keelbox allowing a slight ingress of water.....just a thought?....Gary

[Terry]

I had a small leak at the forward ends of the cockpit lockers where they meet in the middle. Via this route water was finding its way into the cavity under the cabin floor. I too arranged access to this cavity by creating a small bilge. By tipping the boat backwards and allowing the water to drain back from whence it came, I managed to dry it out over the winter before sealing it up. I’m now trying to make the lockers rain proof. The main leak here is through a badly fitting and useless ‘coit on a string’ MOB device which, when removed, will leave a 6” dia hole in the transom.

[mikeprojectboat]

Have you any through hull fittings,?Tranducer,etc and is it possible to check around the keel pivot bolt for delamination of the grp from the inner lay-up(keel side) To the outer lay-up(final layers) inside the cabin. If the keel bolt pivots with the keel in the grp keel box,you WILL have water ingress. as water will track between the grp layers!!(see other message about keel bolts) Check again your seal around the outboard engine well, as this is a flex point,as it is by the rudder/transom area. hope this helps mike in sunny norfolk

[Simon Weston]

Thanks everyone for your ideas - very much appreciated. I will check out the keel bolt, anchor locker and screws holding the keel cover in place at the weekend. It's been two weeks since I visited Whacker so will be interesting to see how much water has accumulated over this period. I will keep you posted.

Simon