CP-16: water under starboard settee

[Mountaineer62]

I need to find the source of the leak that allows water to accumulate under the starboard settee.  This accumulation of water is probably the reason for the settee boards to rot and disintegrate.  The CP-16 is/has been on a trailer (level) since last Fall, and covered with a tarp that extends forward of the companionway hatch back into 2/3 of the cockpit.  Hurricane Irene dumped about 10-12 inches of water which was followed a couple of weeks later by another heavy storm.  I have checked the aft lazarette and no water accumulated there.  It seems the water (rain) must enter from the deck somehow.  There are a lot of small "spider cracks" in gelcoat in the area forward of the mast.  Also, the starboard rub rail has a split in it.  I can't imagine the split rub-rail nor the dorade on the bow are the source of intrusion; I keep the dorade facing aft.  Any suggestions as to the intrusion area and potential corrective measures would be appreciated.

[Cruzin]

I would suspect  that a potential place to investigate is the hull and deck joint where the rub rail is split. My Compac 23 had a similar leak and my rub rail was split. After pulling off the rub rail I found that the hull the deck joint had been damaged, probably by smashing into a dock somewhere by the previous owner. I did not have to pull the whole rub rail off, just pull it down where the split is if possible. I was getting water running down the rub rail and then entering at the damaged area. You may have a similar situation, but who knows. Good luck! Dale

[Salty19]

Chainplates can and do leak.  So would a damaged rubrail.

Also having a tarp over it traps moisture.

Is the vent a true Dorade..meaning a box under the vent that prevents water intrusion?  If it's just a scoop type vent, rain will come right in.

[Mountaineer62]

It is a"scoop" doade w/o a collectioin box.  I repainted the entire interior but am unable to find any  signs of water intrusion at the usual suspect locations, i. e., hatch slides, chainplates, ports, "dorade", etc.  Is it possible the foam flotation would absorb moisture then release it to form a puddle when it became super saturated?

[Keith]

Hey Mountaineer,

I'm not familiar with the internal layout of the CP16, but am dealing with a similar phenomena with my 1986 CP-19/II, although I don't think I have a standing water issue.  What I've noticed is moisture at the bottom edge of the wood that supports the quarter berths; where the carpet meets the wood frame.  I can't find anyplace where water is coming in and moving with gravity.  However, I have noticed during certain weather conditions (cool nights, high humidity?) that condensation forms on the external keel, just where the concrete ballast is located.  In fact there's a very distinct vertical demarcation where the condensation stops at the bilge sump (eg. no concrete).  I've also noticed that the condensation occurs a bit farther up to the horizontal portion of the boat's bottom, like the keel ballast concrete was over-poured slightly.  So the concrete cools overnight, then as dew point changes (I can't recall whether up or down), condensation forms, like a glass of ice water on a humid day. 

So I'm thinking that if condensation is forming on the external surface of the keel, it's likely forming on the inside of the boat also where the mass of concrete is (eg. top of keel, bottom edge of berths) and the carpet is wicking the moisture up to the wood.

Any chance that's what you're seeing?

HTH,

Keith

 

[skip1930]

Condensation seems quite plausible.
Any newly poured heat sink mass making up ballast in the keel of iron and cement turning to concrete, read constantly loosing moisture for the next 80 years as Portland Cement Company likes to say, is possibly a source of moisture condensing into droplets of water.

Get a fan move some air.

" Is it possible the foam flotation would absorb moisture then release it to form a puddle when it became super saturated? " Unlikly since the two part sprayed foam is a closed cell foam and not subject to water absorpion. It's not for flotation but rather a sound deadner and stiffener witch reduces vibration: The source of sounds.

skip.