New water stain in passage way floor

[MarioG]

Hi guys and gals, I have noted a new water stain in the teak and holly floor against the guest room wall facing the passage way door separating the engine room passage way from the state rooms. Also I have noted some water on top of the fuel tanks. The moisture can be seen through the fuel gauge access caps located in the floor under the passage way door. also there is water located inboard of the center engine stringers which apparently share the space under the engine room passage way floor. I think it's fresh water. I'm worried that my floors will be further damaged. I need to fix this asap!

any ideas?

Mario

 

[jim rosenthal]

Leak in the FW system, or condensate? Do you have a diagram of the FW system in your owners materials?

 

[MarioG]

It's to much water to be condensate i think. I do know that one of the fresh water tanks is under the bunk in the guest state room incidentally in the area of the stain but I cannot see the water lines going to or from that tank. This is a fairly new problem. I noticed it two or three months ago but brushed it off thinking it was condensation. but the water hasn't dried up and it is now causing stains. FW system diagram doesn't really say or show much.

 

[boatwright]

just guessing but it sounds like the under bunk f/wtank is leaking.three possible leaks,the vent or its line,the fill/drain between the keel tank and the bunk tank,or a rupturd tank. my first choice would be the fill/drain. on our 53 the bunk fitting is at the aft end. do you have the hatch in the master cabin closet ? that might show some thing. drain the tank til the problem is found to prevent more damage. vacum or low pressure air dry the corners where water can be traped and darken the wood. or.... it may be something completly differant

 

[bigbill]

mario, how about your shafts, could they be throwing water, (when running) on to the inside engine room wall? this would account for the water being on top of the stringers, and tank. this happened on my yf on her maiden voyage........... one of the people on the boat said that the hall way had water coming in from the engine room door. i was expecting a flood when i opened the door, but, all i got was spray being thrown on the door from the shaft. let us know what you find

 

[MarioG]

BigBill, No it's not the shafts. I haven't run the boat in over a month. Besides, it would leave salt residue as it dries. is there access to the guest room fresh water tank fittings and hoses?

 

[piripucha]

The water accumulates on the port or stbd stringer? We have the same problem in our 58YF with the port stringer. When we take out the boat the water even covers the top of the forward fuel tank. I have not got into it , but its freshwater so I am pretty sure is a leak from the galley or the forward bathroom.
Good luck.

 

[bigbill]

mario, my boat has a hatch over the top of the tank. i'm not sure if it is factory or if someone added it. if you dont have one it should be easy to cut a section out,add a lip to the underside of the opening that will hold up the piece that you cut out, or cut a section out, and add an aftermarket plastic hatch. if you need me to, i can get measurements so you will know where to cut. bigbill

 

[bobk]

Mario, I can't speak to the source, but if you can get it dried up, you may be able to lighten the dark stain in the teak by warming it with a heat lamp for a few days. Just don't wait too long or mold will grow under the varnish and make it impossible to lighten the 'easy' way.

Bob

 

[Pascal]

Hi mario

If you have a stain on the TH it has to come from somewhere art and the tank is a possible source

That tank feeds into the tank located under the master floor, the hose must be on the act side of the tank

On the YF I don't think you have a transom tank which is higher. So when the tanks are full it shouldn't put pressure on the vent hose since that tank is the highest tank. On the 53 the transom tank is higher so when it s full a leak at the vent fitting on the mid ship SR tank could cause problem

Among other sources i wonder if a leak in the shower drain could find it s way there thru a limber hole

I can't see how a shaft leak would get water there

Just to be safe, make sure it s fresh and not salt. Take some water and put it on a dark surface in the sun then check for salt residue

 

[bigbill]

pascal, there is a transom tank on the yf, the water fills from the aft tank, and gravity feeds to the tank under the mid stateroom inboard bunk. the tank is under the aft end of the bunk. the yf doesn't have a tank under the floor. bigbill

 

[MarioG]

Are the tank fittings on the side of the tank? Sorry guys, I'm in Denver right now and can't get back for another week. I'm going to try to put a space heater over the area where the stain is at to see if the stain is reduced.

 

[stilespb]

I also have a 1972 58 foot yachtfish (hull 353) and I have been through this same issue before. Hatteras installed a custom fiberglass tank under the bunk in the midships stateroom and just glassed it down to the plywood deck on the ends to hold it in place. Thick rubber hose feed the tank from the UNDERSIDE at the aft end via an elbow and straight piece the looked like it was Marine Tex expoxied into the tank with no other mechanical support. No threads, no flanges, nothing. Potable water pump takes suction via a copper pick up tube threaded down into the tank from the upper side near the aft end. Trap door under the bunk where you can see that.

Tank had built in fiberglass baffles to help it keep shape and stiffness, however flexing over the years and probably some over pressurization while filling cause the baffles to detach and the tank to flex even more. Eventually the epoxy cracked around the inlet on the bottom of the tank.

Most of my leak ran out about the plywood deck, then beneath the teak bulkhead of the stateroom to keep the carpet wet near the head door, but the leak was from the aft end of the tank.

Of course I could not find this out 100 % sure until I dismantled the bunk and could get light and inspection mirrors around the back edges of the tank.

Had to dismantle the bunk sides too and saws all the tank in half to get it out. Replaced with a plastic tank in an angle iron cage to control flexing.

Ugly job. Replacement tank a bit smaller so as to fit down the passageway, turn the corner, then lay down on the decking.

Had to open up the deck to get clearance to reconnect to the fill hose and of course move the connection to the aft end of the new tank vice bottom for tool access.

 

[bigbill]

stilespb, you have the sistership to my yf, i have hull numder 58yf352. where is she located?, how long have you had her? bigbill

 

[MarioG]

Well, I finally got back to the boat. I Pulled out the bunk top drawer in the guest room and noticed a leak on top of the tank. Apparently it seems that the tank has a hair line crack that may have been caused by flexing under pressure. I did fill the water tank and noticed that there is a steady, slow flow of water which flows down and onto the subfloor that the teak and holly sole is laid on. This might explain the stain on the T&H floor. . I also noticed that the tank vent outlet on the side of the hull seems to be painted over and not relieving pressure. I'm going to fiberglass the top of the tank and free the vent and cross my fingers that all of that water on top of the fuel tank is from the cracked water tank. If not I have bigger problems with the tank.

 

[Glory]

mario, my boat has a hatch over the top of the tank. i'm not sure if it is factory or if someone added it. if you dont have one it should be easy to cut a section out,add a lip to the underside of the opening that will hold up the piece that you cut out, or cut a section out, and add an aftermarket plastic hatch. if you need me to, i can get measurements so you will know where to cut. bigbill

Bill I think we all have that hatch, 58s and 53s.

JM

 

[MarioG]

Yes I also have the same hatch. I just hope it isn't the hose fitting UNDER the tank.

 

[boatwright]

does your dockside water fed thru the tank plumbing? if it does you should consider a bypas so the tanks aren't pressurized. also, when useing dock pressure if i forget to turn the bypass my tanks fill thru the 32 volt side and with a blocked vent could lead to over pressure in the tank. just a thought. is the vent for the aft tank clear?