List to Starboard

Sea Wolf · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 11:01 am Post subject:

Yes, I'd recommend you get those rusting screws out while you can. Are they cheap stainless or just steel? No fun if the heads break off! (Understatement.)

From the looks at the list, I'd guess you have about 150 pounds or more of imbalance from side to side. That's significant. The mystery continues…and deepens!

Good Luck!

Joe. Teeth

ssobol · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 1:01 pm Post subject:

Sunbeam · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 1:08 pm Post subject:

Annoyingly, even "good" stainless rusts (especially) in a hot/salty climate such as Florida. Just one more reason I love bronze. I haven't used bronze all over the C-Dory, because it has so much stainless and it seems to suit the style of the boat, but I did use bronze fasteners instead of stainless for things that are "buried" (away from oxygen) and below the waterline, such as fasteners into the transom such as for the swim platform and trim tabs. (I used Armorcoated steel fasteners for the engine for the extra strength over bronze/stainless.)

I could barely keep up with the stainless polishing when in the tropics. It rusted every time you turned around (even 316 if you gave it time).

ZoeB · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 9:34 pm Post subject:

I drilled a hole in the dead space just fwd of the starboard fuel tank where there is flotation--lots of water came out. The 5/8 in hole drained for quite awhile and the list was corrected. Water (rain) is coming in through some sort of gap under the rub rail, requires further investigation but recreated the issue with a hose. Most likely the daily downpours over the last 2 months caused the increased list--any standing deck water added to the list.

I will pull the rub rail the next time I pull it out. Also going to look at the rust on the ladder--all stainless on the outside, but I bet the marina used some non-stainless washer/backing on the port handle.

Thanks everyone for you input, will post rub rail pictures when I pull it off.

picture in of water drian is in my album.

nordicstallion · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 11:29 pm Post subject:

ZoeB. Glad you found the source. I never even considered the rubrail as a possible source. Since our boats are related, I should take a look at mine. Maybe pull my gunnel rod holders & try to see that area inside. I just always assumed water got in around the rubber rod holder caps when they weren't fully seated when washing down. That saturated foam will take awhile to dry out compleatly. Good luck, I'll be watching for your findings.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 12:03 am Post subject:

ZoeB-

Quite a contrast! At least it's FRESH water!

Before: List to Starboard.

Draining. (Fresh rain water from rub rail.)

After: No list!

Good Work!

Joe. Teeth

ssobol · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 12:17 am Post subject:

The guy who had my boat before me, sealed the rub rail with 3M 4200 or 5200 all the way around the boat, I guess to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

Sunbeam · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 2:46 am Post subject:

Cool, glad you solved the mystery! And... no more list Thumbs Up

I've just recently removed about 20 of the rub rail fasteners on my boat. Don't know if yours is the same, but on my 22 the rail is riveted with aluminum rivets, and they corroded amidships where the low point of the rail is, then the heads just popped off (and hence the rail gapped away from the boat in that area on both sides).

I removed the black rubber trim piece for a distance on each side, and most of the affected rivet caps were just lying in the rail base. On the inside, each rivet is terminated in a "blob" of something like 5200 that is gelcoated over. After reading a tutorial here by someone else who did a rubrail repair, I used a punch to firmly tap the rivets from outside the boat toward the inside, then took a cutter that is normally used for cutting fabric prior to setting grommets and held it over the (now visible) "pimple" in the 5200 on the inside. Twisting it caused a neat circle of the gelcoat/5200 to come off and then I could just pull the rivet shank into the boat, leaving a clear hole where the original failed rivet had been.

I decided to use machine screws to re-fasten the rail, and then debated between aluminum (similar metal so so issues that way) or stainless (stronger but dissimilar metal). I haven't done this part yet, but think I'm probably going to go with the stainless with insulating washers. I may cut a few small slits in the bottom of the rail so water does not pool there and "soak" the metals. I'll probably pump some 3M 4000 (from a caulk gun) into the holes from the outside prior to fastening. Some of that should ooze into the area behind the rail as well as under/around the fastener. Then I'll put the rubber strip back over the outside. (I don't like to caulk around the edges of things, so won't caulk along the outside of the rail.) On the inside I'll use acorn nuts where they will show, and regular nuts where they won't (most of mine are under the galley counter).

Nice dramatic "un-listing" after you drained your flotation foam!

Sunbeam

ZoeB · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 7:46 am Post subject:

Thanks everyone for being so helpful. Thanks Sea Wolf for putting the pictures directly into the forum, I need to figure that out.

My rivets had corroded and the rub rail was bowed on the starboard side. I fixed it with stainless screws and used backing on the inside were possible. Will take pictures when I go back in to seal the rub rail leak. I did not think much of this at the time but should have taken pictures.

Going to check on the backing for the screw on the swim step handle to see where that running rust is coming from.

Thanks again.

Sunbeam · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 9:43 am Post subject:

nordicstallion · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 11:02 am Post subject:

Ah yes, that looks much better! On my boat there is no way to access the inside of that space where your swim step bolt is located. That space is one of the spaces where I discovered water while drilling a small screw hole for securing transducer & speed sending unit wireing in the splashwell. Always wondered how it got in there. Must be those rubrail fasteners again. Keep up the work in progress posts, I'm learning a lot. I wonder, do those fasteners go through any balsa core? Horrors!!! That could be an ugly can of worms!!!

nordicstallion · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 11:47 am Post subject:

Ok, I did the rub rail search & it's as I suspected. I say again.....HORRORS!!!!

Sunbeam · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 12:27 pm Post subject:

nordicstallion · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 5:09 pm Post subject:

Thank you Sunseam, that takes a load off my mind. That aft floatation section is pretty much inaccessible as are two spaces behind the two battery compartments. When replacing rub rail fasteners I'll have to use some sort of small headed lag screws 5200.

mdoug · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 10:53 am Post subject: List to starboard

My 22 cruiser always has listed to starboard, even when new. I try to keep port fuel tank full to compensate. I weigh 230, and with helm on starboard, that causes the list to starboard, I think.

Lenco trim tabs help, also.