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Hi Folks. I have a 1984 Mac25 (the "Loch & Quay") that seems to be doing something strange. There appears to be a dark brown, almost viscous liquid seeping from spots on the ceiling and walls of the V-berth. A year or two ago I painted that area white with BIN primer (Not fun when you're on the water!). Yesterday I went down to the slip to check things out as we've had some heavy rains lately. I was shocked to see that in 2 or 3 spots this liquid had entered the cabin and run down the sides to pool on the V-berth floor under the cushions. I checked outside on the deck for any cracks or holes and can't see any. It seems to be just in specific spots and wipes up easily. My first thought was melted resin or something. Any ideas re what this might be and how to abate it? Thanks Stonge

Ahoy,

Something is wrong. Not sure that the culprit is resin; resin does not melt, except under high temperatures.
Since there has been heavy rain, you probably have a leak, and that leak may not be immediately overhead from the spots you are seeing.
Water can run. If I understand you correctly, you are seeing the discoloring spots after a rain.

Two possibilities that immediately come to mind—

• Rotting wood
  Rust

Check your deck for any spongy or soft areas. Go over every inch.
If the plywood core is delaminating, the discolor could be wood residue you are seeing.

On the other hand, does the discolor spot look like rust?
Examine the deck and hull seam, especially the bow area.
Examine all screw connectors, especially the stanchions and cleats.
You may even want to remove all screws and fill the holes with silicon or some other product, and then, re-attach everything.
You may discover a rusty screw.

Look at the bow on the hull. Did someone hit the dock in the past?
There might be a crack in the hull at the bow.

Hope these suggestions help.



Fair winds,


Barnacle Jim

A long shot but
Does the skipper/crew or PO smoke below decks? Painting over nicotine stains tends to results in the stain seeping through the paint.

Is there a crack in the anchor locker or drain? Brown goo can also be organic from dirt and stuff gathering and rotting in an out of the way space - and then overflowing with the rains.

RobertB wrote:Is there a crack in the anchor locker or drain? Brown goo can also be organic from dirt and stuff gathering and rotting in an out of the way space - and then overflowing with the rains.

Completely agree. It's a distinct possibility with a strong likelihood. Bow pulpit and cleat attachment points, plus the anchor locker drain (if that model has one), navigation light, even the hull joint under the rub rail, which has already been mentioned, as well as places much further back on the cabin roof, since water can travel a long way before it shows. Lotta places where water can sneak in and turn brown on its way back out.

From my thread about cockpit water leaking into the stern berth:



http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 33#p283733

Thanks for the suggestions folks. We don't smoke, but maybe a previous owner did. I've seen that effect in houses. I'll check the various suggestions and I'll try to get a photo if it persists .
Happy Sailing
Stonge