Water Leak

[gmerrill]

When I purchased my 2018 Eclispe in Sept of 17 until recently I kept it covered under my shop awning. I had a bottom job done because I was going to move it in a slip. After picking it up from the bottom job I noticed I had water in my port settee storage compartment and the little compartment above directly above it.  This happens when there is a good rain. I'm going to powered the the storage compartment in hopes it will show from what direction the water is coming from. Which I think I know. I'm led to believe it was like this when I purchased it because it was dry until I pulled it out of my shed. I think it's coming from the porthole but it's not wet around there. Really I can't find where the water is coming from. I just know where it ends up. Any ideas

Greg

[brackish]

This is a stretch because I don't know how similar the Eclipse is to the 23 in basic rig design, but I get a trickle of water running down the inside of the hull that can be seen by opening the settee storage door.  It is only in the area of the side chainplates after a heavy rain or in the case of burying the lee rail which is difficult to do in a 23. It is such a small amount that it never makes it to the bilge, evaps long before that.  The theory is that the deck to hull joint gets stressed in the area of the chainplates and loses its seal.  I'm told it can be resealed on the 23 from the inside, but it is such a small issue I haven't bothered with it.

[alsantini]

Greg. I have experienced the exact same thing.  When I bought the boat I brought it home in a blinding rainstorm and the cabin was wet but I figured it was the storm.  My boat sits in a slip in the summer and in a storage lot during the winter so no protection.  I sat in the boat while a sailing friend gently sprayed water at it.  I had leaks around the mast, through 3 port openings , the front hatch and one port side cleat.  No big deal for a 2007 boat.  An easy fix for all, except the windows.  I called CP and ordered new gaskets.  After installing them and re-bedding the other hardware boat was dry except rain with wind out of the North (in the slip).  I chased the water around for 2 years.  This summer I finished a container of pretzels and wanted to keep the container.  I put it on the shelf in line with the port, aft window rear corner.  To my surprise it had a 1/2 inch of water after a bad rain storm.  The window gaskets held for 3 of the 4 windows.  Water runs around the bottom of the window following the wall into the lazarette.  I temporarily put some caulk where I felt the window was leaking.  It is raining now with a slight N wind.  Tomorrow I will check.  Get a container of pretzels....  LOL

[Jim in TC]

I have been chasing small leaks around our new (to us - built 2006) Sun Cat and found that most problems were from hardware added post production with little regard to caulk. Enough water came through a round hatch added in the cockpit to need to pump the bilge after big rain. Removed and caulked fasteners and all around and I think I have that licked.

Water enters the cabin if the ports are not tightly sealed and I found small leaks around bolt holes for an added block, and some other added hardware. Again, caulk all around and in bolt holes (though cabin top) seems to have solved these.

I have heard of leaks around the mast and along the edge where hull meets deck but I would expect those to show up pretty obviously with discoloration.

[gmerrill]

Sorry for getting back so late with the findings of my water leak.  The water is coming through the rub rail aft on the port side. Gerry said he had never seen one do this. The caulking was very thin and in one area there was none. We recaulk along the rub rail thinking that would fix it but it didn't. After sending him pictures of the inside area between the deck and hull he admitted they had not done a good job of caulking that area. It wasn't the reason for the leak. But it was allowing the water to get in. Gerry then  suggested I caulk on the the inside where the deck and hull join. He said that would at least keep the water from coming in to the cabin. He was very apologetic. I added the caulking late this evening. I will check and test it 24 hours from application.
Greg

[gmerrill]

Ok
After caulking the inside, the leak has gone away. Thoroughly tested and the leak seems to be gone.
It was leaking between the deck and hull joint.  Gerry from the pictures seem to think they just didn't get enough caulking in between the deck and hull joints. Hoping this is a permanent fix. Thanks to Gerry for the help and patient
Greg

[waterwheels]

Greg or anyone else, when you had this leak between the deck and hull was there evidence along the carpet? or just finding it in the compartment under the port settee.

Thanks Don

[gmerrill]

Don
The only water I discovered was in the compartment but it was coming through deck hull joint and through carpet on the sides in to the port compartment.
Greg

[waterwheels]

Was the carpet showing signs of moisture?

I am getting water in the port compartments too but the carpet doesn't seem to get wet??

Thanks Don