Leaking bilge HELP

[Virginia Wolf]

Hi all, new member here, Virginia, from Rathmines Lake Macquarrie.
We bought our lovely little Investigator about three months ago, sail number 60 "Rawa".
We need some help.
I have browsed all the topics here but can't find guidance.
History.
The boat suffered some minor damage in the big storm, so out of the water( we are moored in Catalina Bay at Fishing point, usual stuff, anti foul, electrical and tidy up.
Problem.
All the time she has been moored she takes in water in the bilge, not a big deal, easy to pump out but annoying. Usually only fills up to just below the cabin floor, however in the storm she took on water about two inches over the floor. With the boat out of the water and on the trailer in the driveway, swing keel bolt out, pour in one cup of water into the port side centre bilge the water drips out through the centre board cavity, if the small well at the aft end of the centre bilge is filled with water it too drains out. Water nowhere near the centre board bolt hole.
No signs of a crack anywhere.
Suggestions. ???????????

[Steve]

Hi Virginia, Might pay to check out the tube for the center board lift cable, that might be leaking

[Yara50]

Over time, with groundings, trailer contact during retrieve, etc., the gel coat on the bottom of the keel can be abraded away. This can lead to permeability of the glass fibres. Maybe try putting some dye colour in the water. Berry juices like cranberry or blackberry are harmless but might show the path.
There are gel coat mixes which are easy to apply once the site is clean and dry.

[Dr. Peter]

My thinking, is that the problem may be sourced in more than one place. We chased a leak in Pip and would strongly suggest you look at the pintles supporting the rudder. Oh, and the drain holes.

With respect to the area around the bolt for the swinging hell we set up sponges as dams and back-filled with West System.

[Greg]

I have been having issues with with the bilge section in my I563 which I've posted in another thread. From what I have been able to figure out so far is that some keel sections have an open cavity that was covered over with a thin piece of plywood and an even thinner layer of fiberglass. In my case water had seeped through the thin fiberglass, through the plywood (rotting it) and filling the cavity with water. This may have happened with your boat and osmosis has taken it through to the bottom. I've made a crude cross section of what in happening in my boat.

Cross section

Ive also added a photo of where i have begun to remove the plywood to let it dry out. When i get time i'm going to remove the whole section front to back, fill the cavity and glass it over. A hi res image from the fb group is here:

https://scontent-hkg3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hp ... e=562DDFF3

I would recommend using a small screwdriver to poke through the section above the cavity to see if its rotten/filling with water. If its rotten the screwdriver will go through it like butter. Either way sounds like your going to need a fiberglass kit.

Take some photos and let us all know how you go.

[Virginia Wolf]

I think you have hit the problem on the head Greg.
Half a cup of water in the portside cavity drains away in half an hour, I will test your advice after my morning coffee.
Also I found a hairline vertical crack in the aft portside of the well at the rear of the cavity.
A fibrelassing we go.
TY very much for your advice and I will photograph the proceedings.
Also, also having fun steaming, bending and breaking timber to make wooden gunwales to replace the unsightly plastic/rubber things.

[Virginia Wolf]

Hmmmm!
A small screwdriver went straight through, easily.
Well done.
Off to the chandlery for some fibre glass and resin.

[Steve]

Hi Greg,
You may be correct about the osmosis, I have what looks to me like a big delamination blister down on the keel. It hasn't broken through the gel coat. It feels dry and crunchie , I should grind it out.
My boat is kept in a shed over a concrete floor and I have never seen water leaking from the hull. I had a few issues with water getting into the cabin from the cockpit but they have been fixed. The bilge on my boat has been filled and glassed over so I would say it has had a water problem getting into those cavities at sometime and someone has decided to fix it .

[Ozzie]

Interesting your keel case does not seem to have the cross braces the others have Steve ...or I am I misinterpreting the photo . Also side recesses seem shallower. As the 563 was apparently made in several locations including LM I guess the molds were the same but the nuts and bolts of the internals may have varied with the individual builder.

Has anyone found concrete yet. My boat has the fore and aft lead ingots or at least the lifting handles for them visible but I don't think there is lead at the side of the keel case itself , too narrow . It is reputedly concrete as one local boat dealer told me he watched then pouring one years ago.

There's nothing else for it I'm afraid . Someone is going to have to saw their boat in half and report back

Also welcome Virginia. I'm on the other side of the lake but often sail over to Rathmines and lunch near Styles point. Will keep an eye out for your boat.

[Steve]

Hi Ozzie,
I'm sure the bilge is the same, its just been filled to top of the center board case with what I think is concrete then epoxy/glassed over. It has a square timber beam glassed to the top of the center board case to support the floor that I have removed. Take a look at Greg's drawing I modified , I have drawn in the filler and the timber beam.