Have a 197 Carver 405 aft cabin. I have a water leak that I can not find. Water is coming in from aft area- goes forward into forward bilge in kitchen floor area- 5-6 gallons within 24 hours. rudders,shafts thru halls all dry or just slight damp as they should be. not fresh water. still got leak when water system winterized. no pink. Anyone have anything similar please advise. Thank You
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Water Leak
- Thread starter Tom Adams
- Start date
Thanks. Boat is out of water with intention of doing that. Also was told to remove bottom paint 1" or so back from end of hole. Was told last night by friend at yacht club party that on his 396 Carver, they found the bolts holding the struts had no sealant around them
distinctivelylost
Member
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2009
- RO Number
- 31639
- Messages
- 2
Tom,
Do you get just sitting in the water or is it just when underway?
Are you under cover?
I had a leak I finally tracked down to cracks in my cockpit drain hoses. Also, do you have dripless shaft seals? Are they really dripless right now?
I have a slight leak now, only when underway. I'm going to look at the exhaust area as Maxwell has suggested. So, interested in your outcome. Please keep us informed.
Do you get just sitting in the water or is it just when underway?
Are you under cover?
I had a leak I finally tracked down to cracks in my cockpit drain hoses. Also, do you have dripless shaft seals? Are they really dripless right now?
I have a slight leak now, only when underway. I'm going to look at the exhaust area as Maxwell has suggested. So, interested in your outcome. Please keep us informed.
quote:
Originally posted by Tom Adams
I have 3207 aft and also have water all the time up in the kitchen area. Iwas thinking that I have a leak in my potable water tank in that it seems I am filling it all the time.
I did not realize water could traveled from the engine bilge area. I thought I was closed so that you would not get vapores or fumes into your forward bilge?
I have a water leak in a galley cabinet on 325. Traced to the railing going around the boat. Condensation from the railing runs through the hole where the wiring enters the boat, on the top deck, not far from the galley. Go figure. Water is amazing stuff, as is what we do to try to keep it out.
We went to check on the boat (3207) this weekend. It's been on jack stands in the storage lot since October. I pumped seven gallons of water out of the bilge using the access hatch in the galley floor. During the season when it's in the water, there's always some water under that hatch then too. The bilge pump kicks on once about every 2-3 weeks. The engine area is always bone dry though, although I think that's only because that hatch in the galley is the low point on the keel so it runs forward. That's my theory anyway. I'm thinking maybe it's the line that drains the step in front of the salon doors.
Laissez-Faire
Member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2012
- RO Number
- 32833
- Messages
- 112
Tom, found the leak yet, very interested
pls post
pls post
quote:
Originally posted by Laissez-Faire
Tom, found the leak yet, very interested
pls post
The drain outside the doors drain out on the starboard side
Before I put my 3207 away for the winter the forward bilge in the galle was going off about ever 4 hours
Does any know if the water travels from the engine compartment to the forward bilge?
My engine compartment is dry except a little water at the middle stringers
I must have something leaking. Any suggestion ?
The boat is an hour drive away so I can't check right now, but one of these days I'm going to stick a marina water hose into that step drain and see where the water comes out. After the drain line runs through that little wooden box on the wall in the aft cabin (yes, starboard side) and then down toward the bilge, I lose track of it after that -- it's hard to squeeze myself aft of the engines to trace that line. I'm pretty sure it does not run out a through hull. I've always assumed that's the source of the water under the galley bilge hatch. I'm pretty sure it's not the boat (hull, shafts, etc.) that's leaking because in the summer I'll trigger the bilge pump by hand and take the water level down until the pump sucks air. If it doesn't rain, that'll be the same water level when I come back a week later. If it does rain, then the water level is higher,just touching the bottom of the bilge pump switch. The fact that I still have water under that forward hatch when the boat is high and dry on jack stands now makes me think my theory is correct, unless it's leaking through the rails or windows or something else like that. I'll have to nail it down for sure this summer.
if your 405 is like my 406 check you mufflers and water heater. My mufflers and water heater (behind the aft berth) sit outboard of the farthest out stringers. I haven't figured out how the water get from outboard of the farthest out stringers but they somehow drain into the forward bilge. --- When I drain my mufflers to winterize, the water does not go to the engine compartment bilge. It ends up in the forward bilge
370 Motoryacht
Member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2010
- RO Number
- 31959
- Messages
- 521
On the 370/405/406 the water on the outside of the stringers does indeed drain to the forward bilge. If you look at the weep holes in the stringers at the most forward part of the engine room you will see they are hollow fiberglass allowing water to travel through them. The holes do have a small pvc pipe kinda gooped in there but the water will always find its way forward.
Then look in your forward bilge towards the aft cabin (via the galley/dinette floor) and you will see a small hole at the aft section of the space (near the bilge pump). That is what connects the stringer system to the forward bilge. Now here is where it gets pretty goofy. The aft bilge is designed to drain to the forward bilge via the hollow stringer system. I found this out when I had a leaky hot water heater connection and was getting water in the forward bilge after launching one year. I was freaking out thinking nothing connected and thought my seacock was leaking. Emptied and dried out the bilge and went to bed. While laying in bed I heard a dripping noise, I opened up the aft berth and there it was spraying all over the place from the pressure of my dockside water connection. Fixed the leak and the forward bilge stopped filling up.
I still get a little water in my forward bilge from time to time since I don't have dripless seals on my shafts but as I said earlier that water on the outboard side of the engine room stringers finds its way in there. I have also found another way water finds its way in after a rain or a good washing is the engine room blower vents, believe it or not they are designed to drain into the bilge and water lays in them for a bit until the boat moves. I chased this down thinking I had a leaky exhaust hose only to find it was coming in from the vent (since it was only a small amount and stopped).
Start shining around with a flashlight in that 405/406 and take a look at the schematics that Carver supplies in the owners manual and you will figure it out pretty quick.
Then look in your forward bilge towards the aft cabin (via the galley/dinette floor) and you will see a small hole at the aft section of the space (near the bilge pump). That is what connects the stringer system to the forward bilge. Now here is where it gets pretty goofy. The aft bilge is designed to drain to the forward bilge via the hollow stringer system. I found this out when I had a leaky hot water heater connection and was getting water in the forward bilge after launching one year. I was freaking out thinking nothing connected and thought my seacock was leaking. Emptied and dried out the bilge and went to bed. While laying in bed I heard a dripping noise, I opened up the aft berth and there it was spraying all over the place from the pressure of my dockside water connection. Fixed the leak and the forward bilge stopped filling up.
I still get a little water in my forward bilge from time to time since I don't have dripless seals on my shafts but as I said earlier that water on the outboard side of the engine room stringers finds its way in there. I have also found another way water finds its way in after a rain or a good washing is the engine room blower vents, believe it or not they are designed to drain into the bilge and water lays in them for a bit until the boat moves. I chased this down thinking I had a leaky exhaust hose only to find it was coming in from the vent (since it was only a small amount and stopped).
Start shining around with a flashlight in that 405/406 and take a look at the schematics that Carver supplies in the owners manual and you will figure it out pretty quick.
Tom,
Any luck finding your leak? Does this happen while the boat is at rest, or more when underway? Over the winter, why not drain all your water tanks, and hot water heater, and see if the leaks continue. Are you sure it's not fresh water? I've done the taste test on bilge water (yuk) and it's hard to know if it is salt water, or fresh water (or rain) mixed with the salt residue.
I had a problem with water in my forward bilge also. When plowing into waves, water would back up in the outlet for the forward shower/AC sump pump and flood the area. The check valve in the hose and the small sump pump couldn't keep up with the inflow.
Any luck finding your leak? Does this happen while the boat is at rest, or more when underway? Over the winter, why not drain all your water tanks, and hot water heater, and see if the leaks continue. Are you sure it's not fresh water? I've done the taste test on bilge water (yuk) and it's hard to know if it is salt water, or fresh water (or rain) mixed with the salt residue.
I had a problem with water in my forward bilge also. When plowing into waves, water would back up in the outlet for the forward shower/AC sump pump and flood the area. The check valve in the hose and the small sump pump couldn't keep up with the inflow.
It is river water. Comes in when sitting still. All water heater/tank was emptied before pulled for winter. still got water in forward bilge. seems to got worse later in year. Also at that time had all 4 fuel tanks full. Lowered rear of boat. Was there today, took spot light to exhaust sides and thru hulls. no water traces. Boat is dry in forward bilge. usually can see river water. Think possible connections at mufflers. Hard to get to. will try in next few weeks. Thanks
quote:
Originally posted by Laissez-Faire
Tom, found the leak yet, very interested
pls post
found leak in front a/c overboard discharge. way under foot of bed. found thru hull was broken in the threads that go through the hull. Most likely got overtightened at factory. replaced thru hull and no more leaks