Water accumulation between inboard stringers/center fuel tanks

[MarioG]

Hi guys, lately it seems that I've been getting accumulated water between the inboard stringers/over center fuel tanks. This water is now to the point that it spills into the floor of the generator room. It's nasty,oily and who knows what. I have no idea where it's coming from or how it gets on top of the fuel tanks. Any ideas??

1972 58 YF

Cheers.
Mario

 

[SEVEN]

Not enough info to help. I’d vacuum out the bilge until dry then start checking all water entry locations. Shafts, rudders, sinks, showers, shower inspection boards, hot water tank etc. is it fresh or salt water? Are you in salt or fresh water?

 

[johnjen50]

Mario, did you check the drain hoses from the side decks that go down beside the hull and drain out through a sea chest by the water line? On the port side there is an access panel in the master stateroom closet the gives dir3ct access to the drain hoses. If these are leaking they tend To channel water down the stringer line all the way to the genny room. You can take a flash light and look up that channel under the floor boards on the port side of the genny room all the way to the aft stateroom. Those drains may be the source of wAter if it’s fresh.

 

[MarioG]

John thank you, I'll check

 

[Glory]

I think you should a good look in the ER underway at cruise speed, what ever that is.

 

[Freestyle]

Check your fresh water tank. At one point mine had a leak on the top of the FW tank so that when filled to overflow it leaked at the top of the tank and that water found itself on the inside of the stringers in the ER and eventually into the Gen bilge under the galley.

Bruce
Freestyle
1986 62 CPMY (54 MY with ext)
Tampa

 

[Pascal]

Hey Mario

That s a weird place to get water.

It can’t be the shafts as they would drip in the ER bilges which are much lower than the aera on top of the fuel tank. Can’t be the rudders either as there is no way for water to migrate forward and then Climb on top of the fuel tank

A leak on top of the lowest water tank is a possibility but it would also leak into the aft bilge. Have you checked the aft bilge under the master if that’s full it would migrate forward. And it wouldn’t be oily

I doubt it s leak from the deck drains and hoses, you d see water on the floor first.

That said with all the rain we ve had lately...

Take care. Hope to see Yaisy at the Boat Parade today

 

[johnjen50]

Pascal, weirdly that channel from below those deck drains goes all the way forward. So I had a leak in the hose and the water ran down behind the muffler that you can see when you pop that access hatch in the master on to that channel and it will leave water in the darnedest places if the flow is heavy enough because it will overflow that little ridge. Hard to visualize but if you take a flashlight and on the port side in the genny room almost to the forward bulkhead, and just aft of the shower sump you will see the floorboard to look under. A little tight but you can see all the way back to the master. I will take a pic and post later.

 

[ian w]

I have had this problem on my 53 my
It was leaking rudder stuffing boxes
If you leave the water sitting over the fuel tanks it can find it’s way into the tanks
The oily water does sound like bilge water however

 

[Pascal]

Pascal, weirdly that channel from below those deck drains goes all the way forward. So I had a leak in the hose and the water ran down behind the muffler that you can see when you pop that access hatch in the master on to that channel and it will leave water in the darnedest places if the flow is heavy enough because it will overflow that little ridge. Hard to visualize but if you take a flashlight and on the port side in the genny room almost to the forward bulkhead, and just aft of the shower sump you will see the floorboard to look under. A little tight but you can see all the way back to the master. I will take a pic and post later.

Interesting. On the early 53s the deck drains go straight down to the sea chest. In the master closet on the port side and behind the medicine cabinet in the rear heat stbd side

 

[johnjen50]

Correct. But if those are leaking the water goes straight down behind the muffler to a ridge that runs all the way forward to the Benny room. If that flow is strong enough, my hose had a huge gash in it, water will pour down and flow over that ridge into areas between that master access area all the way to the granny room. That had me baffled for a bout a year before I saw it myself in a monsoon like rains storm we had. Good to be on the boat during heavy rains if your Looking for leaks!

 

[Chasemmc]

Had a crack in the top of the fw tank, leaked into the exact same area Top of tank cracked where baffles are attached. Empty 1/2 tank, vacuum flooded area. See if it stays dry.

 

[MarioG]

I checked the guest room water tank, no cracks or leaks can be seen. I checked the engines while underway this weekend but nothing indicates it's from the engines or stuffing boxes. Rudder posts are try. Master bilge is mostly dry. I'm going to focus on the deck drains and the hoses running to the sea chest. I'll report back.

 

[johnjen50]

Mario, take a hose and turn it on so there is full flow down the side deck and into the drain. The watch through that access panel for leaks. When I first thought that was my problem the leak happened to be in a completely different part of the hose than I thought. With a full flow if they are the culprit it should be apparent pretty quickly. Good luck. PM me if you want to chat by phone.

 

[Pascal]

If your boat has the old original grey Ribbed hoses like mine... replace them. They were all brittle and cracked with very little stress

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Maybe this could help you. I have a some casual freshwater in the outboard stringer area of Aslan. It's never much, but it does accumulate. In deciding to investigate, I thoroughly dried the compartment and began looking at dockside water, salon condensate and cockpit drains all on that side, outboard. Then I spotted a shiny bit of water not associated with any of the foregoing.

The port side ER sump bilge pump check valve was cracked nearly in two. Sorry, no before pic. So I slathered it with JB Weld waiting on a replacement to arrive.

Washing down the ER center aisle, port side ER bilges, servicing the generator and watermaker sea strainers, the sea strainer for the heads plus guest cabin condensate line all travel through that valve. I always generously freshwater rinse the strainers when done to keep the green stuff from coming back. So, I'll dry it all again and maybe the gods will be kind to me.

That valve and hoses would have been the last place I'd have looked, and, indeed, they were.

 

[johnjen50]

Mario, did you find the source of this leak, or was there a leak somewhere else? Just thinking if there was another leak somewhere else that would be my next one!

 

[bwellen]

Currently having exact same issue. It is a leak coming from my lower water tank under master bed. Currently trying to decide how best to fix... Any ideas? Unclear if leak is on the top of the tank or the side against the stringer.

 

[Pascal]

I had a leak in the front of the transom tank. Emptied it, let it dry and then epoxied a layer of glass. Easy with good access ... not if the leak had been on the other side, against the transom... it would not have been fun

I still have a small leak in the bottom tank, near the pipe goon from the transom
Tank. That one isn’t going to fun

I know know why Hatteras use such small vents which causes the tanks to pressurize of filling too quickly.