water leak

[jose schneider]

Dear fellow Mac owners,
I have been chasing a water leak in my Mac for two years, and am now really DESPERATE. The water collects in the corner of the port side (in front of the head), below the cushion, and from there fills the bilge below the cushion. I have sealed all portholes, secured and sealed all screws on deck, and still the water continues entering. Strangely enough, when I post someone with a hose on deck and try to identify the leak, I never see water entering, but as soon as it rains, there it is!

Any ideas?? (I´ll appreciate really ANY idea)

[Currie]

Hmmm. Any wet streaks coming down the carpeted sidewalls? It could even be coming in further aft, then just running along the seat-edge. Another clue might be - is there standing water in the J-channel edge of the liner, above the seat? That will tell if water is travelling along, inside the liner from the center of the deck (like from the mast step, forward window, or a hardware fastener). If not, it might actually leaking in the hull-deck joint itself. If there's no wet carpet in the walls, I'm completely stumped.

~Bob

[Fxwg80hd]

If you get desperate, you might try putting some chalk dust above and to the sides of where the water is collecting. I would do a test in a hidden area first to make sure whatever you use for testing will not stain. This may give you an idea which direction to start chasing the leak. Continue process until leak is found. Also, if after doing this you find the chalk has not run, but the water still collected, you have a drip coming straight down.

[TAW02]

Dear fellow Mac owners,
I have been chasing a water leak in my Mac for two years, and am now really DESPERATE. The water collects in the corner of the port side (in front of the head), below the cushion, and from there fills the bilge below the cushion. I have sealed all portholes, secured and sealed all screws on deck, and still the water continues entering. Strangely enough, when I post someone with a hose on deck and try to identify the leak, I never see water entering, but as soon as it rains, there it is!

Any ideas?? (I´ll appreciate really ANY idea)

Welcome aboard Mr. Shchneider

You have the same-exact-problem as a friend of mine who too, owns an

I can at least tell you he has posted a video on youtube where he shows how to replace a rubrail on his You will see he takes great effort to reseal the deck-hull joint with 3M 5200 sealant ... did an excellent job and once the rubber rubrail had been removed he points out some hidden area where water may have poured into the boat.

Here's the video ===> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4Ib9j47LnY

Unfortunately, Capt Mark did seal off enough problem areas and instead of having over five gallons of water in his boat after each rainshower, he now only has a half a gallon or so. And exactly where you have your mystery pond, so does Capt Mark.

He hasn't given up yet. He suspects now it may be coming in from the shroud anchor mounting hardware (known as the chainplates).

I would follow the advice of Mr Fxwg80hd. Chalk, talcum power, baby power all would be a great dusting agent to help solve the mystery.

I will be watching this post in the advent you solve this problem. And hopefully you do sir.

Tom

[quintamala]

Jose...
You don´t say if it´s fresh water (rain or regular boat wash)... or sea water (salt taste)..
I have an . I don´t know on
I had trouble with my fresh water ballast (below cushions on V-berth). Regular boat movement operates as a sand on the ballast and leakage was bigger each time i inspected.
Once I found and solve that trouble, I found two additionals:
1.- On port and starboard gas locations, right inside the open section there is a gaulk sealed line (is hard to see if you don´t remove your gas container and look inside). That seal was leaking and (I don´t know how) adding fresh water when raining and/or washing the boat.
2.- Finally, a little more truble with spreaders plates on both sides and coming from rear a small leakage due to the opened holes for steering and batteries.
I hope all the above help you in solving your problems

[Highlander]

I have a leak @ the S/B aft right at the bottom of the ladder & soaks the aft berth cushions at that corner only happens when I have my full enclosure off so I'm thinking it might be the traveller mounting screw's

J
Ps I also think it comes in the entrance hatch doorway if the wind is blowing in the right direction

[jose schneider]

Thanks a lot to you all for your posts. TAWO2, there´s a saying in Spain that goes "shared troubles weigh half as much", or something along that line, means that I am happy that there´s at least another Mac owner that has my same problem (I´m not happy for him, understand me well). It seems that he has exactly the same problem that I have up to the last details, since I also sealed all other possible leaks, and now get a half-gallon or so with each rain downpour. Be assured that as soon as I find the leak (if I ever do), he will be the first to know. Pity that we won´t be able to drink some beers on it...

[TAW02]

Pity that we won´t be able to drink some beers on it...

Mr. Schneider;

Beer is the key word here

If only we found our bilges filled with beer after a rainstorm ... Well, maybe not!

Capt Mark's favorite (seeing the tailend of his rubrail video) that's a Coors Light beer he has wrapped in his hand. Just in case you fellahs wind-up in the same anchorage in the future bring Coors Light ....

[quintamala]

Jose:
I live in Spain (Cadiz) too.
My mail is on my profile.

[trip01]

We recently fixed a leak in this area by removing and resetting the skylight windows on the cabin top. Remove old sikaflex with thinners. Clean with Acetone, (Thinners removes sikaflex), then re sikaflexed them back in. Added additional screws also.

An aft leak repaired by covering the metal steering arm with 50mm PVC pipe sikaflexed in.

Spread baby power to help find the wet spot.


Kind Rgds
Dave
26M

[rtrinkle]

We found leaks from the sky lights, and resealed them with 5200. Also, ran a bead of 5200 sealant along the rub rail and hull to keep if from leaking there, and all around the engine support on the transom. We now only see about 1/2 cup of water after several huge rains storms. Still trying to find the culprit, but so far we have reduced the amount of water coming in from 1 gallon to 1/2 cup.

[trip01]

A piece of 50mm HP PVC sikaflexed in over the steering arm completed the elimination of our rain water leak blues. I cut a slot at the botton of the pipe so it could stretch over the arm. Didn't have to thread it on or undo any bolts.



Kind Rgds
Dave
08 26M

[Cris]

I've found it much easier to identify the source of rainshower leaks when I'm searching inside during the downpour.

[rtrinkle]

Trip01- That's a great idea.... I think I will have to incorporate as well with the PVC over the steering linkage.