Starting this year sailing season, my Horizon cat is taking on water. The auto bilge pump seems to be cycling on every 2-3 minutes for a few seconds. Raw water intake is sound, sink drain (above waterline). The only things I can think of are prop shaft packing or centerboard. I thought the board cavity was sealed. Any ideas out there? As long as my battery is charged it's not the end of the world, but recently accidentally left the battery switch on , and when I returned both batteries were discharged and the bilge pump had to run for several minutes getting all the water out.
Jim
Y Draig Goch
Horizon Cat
Scappoose, Oregon
With as much water as you seem to be pumping it should be an obvious leak. I would put dry paper under the stuffing box and check it in a couple of hours. The box is a frequent source of leakage. Regarding the centerboard, you would have to have significant cracks in the cavity. I think you might try to put paper alongside the trunk. Tape it in place and again check it.
I had a leak in my Eclipse and used the taped paper trick successfully to identify the leak at the base of the mast running on top of the inner liner. Water would wind up in the port quarter berth cabinet and then flow into the bilge. I figured it was the window, but the paper under the trim of the window stayed dry, so the window was good.
Good luck. Al