Water in the bilge?

[50/50]

Hi, Had a Mac 26x for a couple of weeks and still getting to grips with the boat.

Weekending in the boat for the first time I discovered some water in the bilge. Where should I start looking for the source of this ingress?

Hope this is not too vague a question.

Thanks guys.

[Scott]

Not at all vague. Do a serch in the archives with the keywod Leaks.

You should get a ton of results as this is a common thread.

Welcome aboard.

[50/50]

When we bought the boat it had been out of the water for three years. It had been out in the open un covered. There was about 2 gallons of water in the bilge.

This was completely removed.

This weekend when unloading the boat I noticed water down under the galley and under the cooler.

The boat was used the previous weekend and there wasn't any water then.

[Larry W]

I too had water in the bilge when I first bought my X (Im the third owner), but only after sailing. It turns out the previous owner installed a bilge pump under the cooler and used a T fitting to attach it to the head sink drain. When heeled over on the starboard side, water would make its way through the thru-hull opening from the water pressure and back wash into the bilge. I would check the thru-hull hoses first (galley and head) and make sure there are no cracks or one of the hoses havent come loose. I can tell you after fixing my problem, my X has been dry as a bone.

[RandyMoon]

A strong rainstorm with water through the companion way hatch is the only reason I have gotten water in the bilge.

[mtc]

Poor drilling on the port shroud plate resulted in about a cup of water in the bilge. No seals on the engine cabling drilled through the ped pipe placed water in the aft area under the queen bunk.

Look for ingress - there are only a few ways the water can get in.

Almost always something wasn't put together right, or has come apart for whatever reason.

Clean everything up, get it real dry, then close yourself in the cabin and have someone 'rain' over the boat with a hose. Don't direct the spray, just let it fall. Be surprized where water can get in.

Welcome aboard.

Michael

[Moe]

This weekend when unloading the boat I noticed water down under the galley and under the cooler.

That's a frequent location. Detach the rigging from the chainplates, drill out the rivets that hold the covers, and slide them up and off. Clean out all the old sealant on and around the chainplates and the covers, and reseal them well, riveting the covers back on. I used white marine silicone sealant. You may as well do the stem at the bow too.

The next location is the windows. If they're leaking pop the cap off and tighten the nut while someone holds the screw with a screwdriver outside. Do NOT turn the screwdriver or the sealant will break loose from the screw. If that happens, you'll probably have to pull the screw out and reseal it.

Another place you may experience leaks is water running down the cables and wiring in the pedestal over the aft berth.

Check the sink drain hoses and clamps, too, as well as the drain from the anchor locker and the drain from the motor well (behind the aft berth footboard).

If you don't have a rubber boot where your steering and motor cables pass through to the motor, install some. They help.

These are the most likely places for leaks.

[mtc]

Bellaroo had water in the bilge and the carpet under the port windows was wet. Upon inspection (didn't need to look really hard. . . ) I found this:



and under my chain plates:



The holes were not only drilled out rather than routed, or die grinded, but they were not parallel with the hull. As the chain plates are through bolted to the hull, it must be parallel to the hull. You can see in the first image that the chain plate mounted in the hole is off center about 15 degrees.



Once the chain plate is secured to the hull, it twists, cracking the leading edge hole, gel, and glass.



To top it off, there was no, none, nada, nunca, zip sealant on the screws. Incredible.

This is something to check for on your M boats, particularly if you have water entering.

Michael

[Frank C]

Nice work Michael. Too bad that Roger chose to weld those cover plates. It clearly complicates his installation process.

Macgregor Yacht's marketing boasts they widely uses jigs to control the fabrication and manufacturing process. I'd have figured they recognized such a need for those chainplates, but apparently not. Agree with you, it looks like a weak spot deserving survey by the M owners.

[mtc]

Macgregor Yacht's marketing boasts they widely uses jigs to control the fabrication and manufacturing process. I'd have figured they recognized such a need for those chain plates, but apparently not.

I immediately contacted my dealer for assistance. Rather than have someone else 'touch' my little boat and replicate, or worsen the area, I repaired myself. Fortunately, almost all of the force on the chain plate is sheer through the hull bolts/screws. I also installed SS fender washers to prevent the screw heads from wearing through the hull as the hull flexes.

Expecting some remedy from my dealer, he was going to deliver another boat in my area and after calling several times I was able to get him. He agreed this was under warranty and would cover the cost of the sealant, washers, but not my time. I figure had I repaired through a boat yard, it would have cost a hundred or so.

Never got the call when dealer came through my area, called him - no time. Odd that there was time when selling the boat to me?

Anyway, point here is to encourage other M owners to carefully inspect the drilling and the sealant around the plates. I can't imagine, on an assembly line, that my drilled holes were an anomaly. Probably an entire production run like this.

Check you boats, maties.

Michael

[Moe]

Just a clarification for 50/50... you do NOT have to remove the chainplate to reseal it. Unlike the 26M pictures above, where the chainplate is welded to the cover, on the 26X, the chainplate goes up through a slot in the cover and floats inside it. Once the rivets are out, you can just slide the cover up the chainplate and off.

[Frank C]

After reflecting, that single chainplate (versus two on the 26X) ...
that new chainplate PROBABLY IS Roger's new jig. Consider ...

• The chainplates are likely purchased to a spec and measured on delivery;
• They need to jig the deck where drilling begins;
• They simply drop the chainplate thru the hole;
• Then they drill the hull at the bottom holes of the chainplate.

Wow! It's a foolproof Mfg process! Too bad that they're not using a jig to align and cut the deck slots.
Unfortunately the welded cover plate constrains future creep or flexing at the deck.

[mtc]

Exactly my thought, Frank. Having the chain plate as the jig would work, except you can't locate the drill on the outside of the hull.

Would love to see how the 'craftman' did that job.

Michael