Origin of fresh water leak in lower companionway

[Tawney1]

Last week after a day of being on the boat we noticed that the new carpet in the lower companionway of our 61 FBMY was wet. Its a Galley up model.

We at first thought one of our guests had spilled some water, so we soaked it up with a towel. The next day, however, the area was much larger and was completed saturated. I removed the hatch over the forward fuel tank to find water on top of the tank. We had not used the clothes washer. I vacuumed the water off the tank and it remaided dry. I shut off shore water. I then turned the house pump on until it shut off. With the house pump off we lost water pressue over the next 4 minutes, so we have a supply leak. I called our friend Roger Wetherington and Roger informed me that there were no fresh water lines in that area.

I then removed the carpet and padding. The carpet was not wet in the direction of the day head or clothes washer. However, water was still oozing heavily from under the wall in the area where the curved wall meets the floor just forward of the fuel tank hatch. I am attaching a couple of photos which show the area. The area of the leak is the very dark area on the floor at the base of that wall. I turned shore water back on and the leak became very heavy. The water appears to be coming out from under wall directly forward of the hatch - not from above. Water is not leaking down the wall on the outside.

Sorry to type so much. However, has anyone had this problem? Does anyone know where this leak could be originating? Is there a fresh water line in the wall here or in the ceiling above this area that could be leaking behind the wall? Any suggestions or help will be very much appreciated. I intend to take-up the companionway flooring there next, but according to Roger there should be no fresh water lines under the floor there.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[OBXTucker]

Do you have an AC unit on the wall? It could be heavy condensation or a backed up drain line.

 

[GJH]

First question would be, what's behind the wall? On my boat there is a curved wall there on one side of the hatch that is the forward inside corner of the starboard engine room. The copper pipes to and from the hot water heater (which is in that engine room) and the starboard heads run overhead through hole in the ceiling in that corner. I know many of the MY of this general vintage share many design elements. Take a look.

This is a case where having the owners manual can come in real handy as well. Do you have one? If not you can buy one from Hatteras. Roger can tell you how or just call them.

 

[rsmith]

Could be spraying up from underneath. I had that happen in my fwd head.
I invested in one of these videoscopes. Its great for getting into places you cant see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGnAA7MAmME

 

[Tawney1]

Many thanks for the comments.

First, there is no AC unit on the wall in that location. The location is just outside and to the right of the door to the VIP stateroom (on the port side of the boat), and is almost directly across the companionway from the door to the day head (on the starboard side of the boat). The VIP stateroom is behind the wall. The engine rooms are split on this model and are well aft of this wall. The water is cold and based upon the loss of water pressure when the water is turned on, it is a supply side issue.

Yes, I do have the owners manual for the boat and have checked the drawings. The plans show no water lines under the floor in this area (which is the middle of the boat directly over the fuel tanks) and according to Roger there should be none here. Roger does indicate, however, that there may be (only may be) a fresh water line running beam wise across the ceiling above this wall. It's pretty frustrating at this point. I am preparing to take-up the floor. Next will be to take down the new headliner.... Ugh!

Any additional thoughts would be appreciated. Again, this is 61' 1985 FBMY, Galley Up.

 

[bigbill]

do you have anything above that area that needs water? on my 58yf, the water line for the aft deck wet bar runs through the overhead from stbd to where it comes up to the wet bar. bigbill

 

[captddis]

Check your deck drains. I have had to replace all the nuts on the deckdrains on the 61 I took care of. One flooded the GSR medicine cabinet and another flooded the SR carpet and got into the hall.

 

[rsmith]

What ever the cause where ever it was wet can grow mold. I would spray the wet areas with something to prevent it.

 

[GJH]

I am going to guess it is a crossover line to that head, a variation on how mine are routed. Start in the port engine room and look up to see what might be branching off.

There is one other factor that can make leaks frustrating, and that is the source may not be where the leak evidences itself. So you may have the water lines just like mine and the leak is finding its way either overhead and down to where you are finding water, or underneath and across the tanks or adjacent sub floor. That's why the other suggestion on deck drains is not far fetched, so to speak.

 

[doc g]

I assume that you know it is fresh pressurized water?? I had a leak from my salon a/c evaporator that used to dump water into that area of my 61cmy. The only pressure water in that area I can remember is the fresh water spigot in the port ER . It is just to the right as you walk in the port ER. The water lines (on mine) that go to your "day head" all run along the lower stb ER wall. I put valves in them recently so I can winterize sections and use others. The only thing I can think of that may cross over there is the dockside water connection from the stb side and my boat has a line that feeds the FB galley on my boat, that again originates in the stb ER and crosses over to the port side of the FB. I would try putting small ball valves in various copper water lines, then you can shut off sections of the water system and find the leak. They make these nice small ones that you can cut and flare nut them in. It would give you some options before ripping headliners apart. I have been there and done that too. Hope this helps ...... pat

 

[dcate]

Does taking the aft underberth drawer out in the VIP b/r allow you to see the flooring?

fwiw...If it were me I would probably try to determine the wettest part of the flooring and think "up" instead of "down" before I tore up the floor. Just my .02

Shouldn't be too hard to find if it's getting that wet.