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CD25 water in the fuel tank area
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Slipknot



Joined: 10 Aug 2017
Posts: 25
City/Region: Scappoose
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 2016
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
PostPosted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 7:46 pm    Post subject: CD25 water in the fuel tank area Reply with quote

On my 25 cruiser there is some water in the hull, below the sole, that you can see when the two round access plates in the side steps are removed.

All the interior hatches are dry and the bilge is dry, but this water is trapped and can't flow to the bilge.

How does it get there? The boat sat in the rain at the dealer for a number of months, but the sole seems to be well sealed.

Any thoughts appreciated.

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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20779
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The usual way for water to get in there is around the hatches. They don't always seal tight.

Also where hatches screw to the deck or any cored structures--any area where the screws are inserted into the core; The core needs to be removed, fiberglass under cut, filled with epoxy. Then screws and bedding compound (should be Boat Life Life Seal for plastics to fiberglass.)

I would take a pump with a tube on it, and get the water out--and then use a sponge (may need to use it on a "grabber") to get the last bit.

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Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
Thisaway 2006 22' CDory November 2011 to May 2018
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Thataway TomCat 255 150 Suzukis June 2006 thru August 2011
C Pelican; 1992, 22 Cruiser, 2002 thru 2006
Frequent Sea; 2003 C D 25, 2007 thru 2009
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Home port: Pensacola FL
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Slipknot



Joined: 10 Aug 2017
Posts: 25
City/Region: Scappoose
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 2016
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
PostPosted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 10:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you, I'll pull a couple of screws from the sole and see if they used any sealant under them.

The hatches above the bilge are not sealed, but water that flows in there from the cockpit stays in the bilge and is not supposed to flow into the fuel tank area.
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Avidmagnum12



Joined: 23 Mar 2013
Posts: 668
City/Region: Ocklawaha
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2011
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Otter
Photos: C-Otter
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

On my CD-25 there is a opening between the fuel tank area and the bilge area. Water freely runs between the two areas. Not sure if that's good or bad. I've put in a hatch in the cockpit sole to access the fuel sender. (The builder in 2011 put the access hole in the wrong spot.) That also allowed me to better circulate air in the fuel tank area when stored in my shed. Seems like every builder of the 25's has different ideas of how to set things up.

I love our C-Otter but have had to make some basic modifications to get things right.

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2011 CD 25 "C-Otter" 07/2015 to present
2011 CD 25 "My Girl" 06/2015 renamed C-Otter
2004 CD 22 Commuter "Out2C" 03/10 to 06/15
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Wandering Sagebrush



Joined: 21 Jan 2005
Posts: 2768
City/Region: Northeast Oregon
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Constant Craving
Photos: Constant Craving
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Didn't you just buy this new from Sportcraft? Ryan is a good guy, and will probably fix the issue on warranty. They need to get the feedback to Bellingham so it doesn't happen to anyone else.
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South of Heaven



Joined: 15 Aug 2015
Posts: 1459
City/Region: Sharon
State or Province: MA
Photos: Blue Water
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is the boat new? Contact your salesman ASAP. That's unacceptable and will have to be fixed. My old 25 had some water in there but it was a 10 year old boat at the time.
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2007 C Dory 25' Cruiser (200 hp Suzuki, sold 7/17)

2003 C Dory 19' Angler (80 hp Yamaha, sold 7/16)

1995 C Dory 16' Angler (40 hp Yamaha, sold 2/16)
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localboy



Joined: 30 Sep 2006
Posts: 4656
City/Region: Lake Stevens via Honolulu
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: 'Au Kai (Ocean Traveler)
Photos: 'AU KAI
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 1:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
On my CD-25 there is a opening between the fuel tank area and the bilge area. Water freely runs between the two areas
.

Ditto. I try to drain it at the ramp when I pull the boat. At home, I leave the cockpit hatches and battery hatches open so it's not all sealed and air can circulate. Not ideal, but whatcha gonna do...

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South of Heaven



Joined: 15 Aug 2015
Posts: 1459
City/Region: Sharon
State or Province: MA
Photos: Blue Water
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My steps/fuel line hatch areas didnt connect to the bilge. There was always water in there. They weren't sealed properly
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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20779
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 3:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Slipknot wrote:
Thank you, I'll pull a couple of screws from the sole and see if they used any sealant under them.

The hatches above the bilge are not sealed, but water that flows in there from the cockpit stays in the bilge and is not supposed to flow into the fuel tank area.


The hatches "above the bilge" should be sealed. The deck there is cored--OK now it is maybe foam? (I don't know if foam or balsa--it does not make any difference. Any screws into cored structure should be put into epoxy plugs). One can say "no rot with foam"--true, but especially in areas where there is freeze /thaw cycles there will eventually be delimitation and breakdown. Also as foam absorbs water, there will be unwanted weight in the boat.

None of the flush cockpit hatches are water tight. You can get them--for example Armstrong--and are considerably more expensive. All things are made to some price point...and boats are certainly no exception.

Again--there are different constructions on different years of the boats. Many of them have like a "grid" glassed into the bottom of the hull--(bilge), and I have seen a number where the area shown in these photos are not connected to the area around the fuel tank (which should not have water in it). Many boats have the main bilge pump, just aft of the fuel tank. Some of these have a round access port (which could be watertight), and some have hatches. The second hatch over the tank, should be over the fuel tank level sender--some are not over that sender.

It is also possible that the fuel fills or tank vents are not properly sealed (in fact a pretty good bet they are not 100% sealed). Usually they are small enough and water does not stand around their sides, so they rarely leak. But it is a possibility.
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journey on



Joined: 03 Mar 2005
Posts: 3593
City/Region: Valley Centre
State or Province: CA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: journey on
Photos: Journey On
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 6:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As mentioned by Avidmagnum12/Tom Schulke above, there's a direct connection/hole between the tank compartment and the rear bilge. Remember, Journey On is 12 years old, so the boat can survive, it's just built that way.

Here's a picture of the cockpit floor removed and looking at the tank:



It's not the clearest, but here's a few salient points. First, there's a direct connection between the center of the bilge and the tank compartment. Seek and ye shall find. It's built that way. Next, there's little or no connection (don't remember which) between the bilge and tank compartment at each internal skeg depressions, both port and starboard. I drilled new holes so the water can drain to the bilge even if the boat isn't level. When the boat is on the trailer and the front is tilted up, I drain and mop the bilge. More photos in Journey On Tank Inspection. Included is a shot of the floor with the steps removed, though they're not the main cause. Mopping out at the steps doesn't get rid of the water, because most of it is in the rear.

Water gets in when you wash your boat. A LOT of water drains down through the cockpit locker. Any time the cockpit floor is wet, more water drains in. So the first solution is to seal those cockpit lockers. Good luck, it can be done; I haven't. Also, put new o-ring seals in the removable hatches. I installed a hatch in the floor so I can be sure that the tank compartment is dry.

Boris
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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20779
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It seems that somewhere along the way, it may have been lost that in this case, the water is coming into the side parts of the grid (which surrounds the fuel tank. As I understood the PO, the water is only on the sides--by the access hatches to the fuel lines, forward, on port and Starboard side, under the steps.
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Slipknot



Joined: 10 Aug 2017
Posts: 25
City/Region: Scappoose
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 2016
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

All is well, I pumped out a couple of gallons of water (through the access hole in the steps) and found a small area at the base of one of the steps where the caulking had dried and cracked.

I'm going to reseal the steps and all the screws that hold down the sole.

What type of caulking does C-Dory use and what type should I look for?
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Slipknot



Joined: 10 Aug 2017
Posts: 25
City/Region: Scappoose
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 2016
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 8:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"First, there's a direct connection between the center of the bilge and the tank compartment."

Journey On - I believe you, but on my boat I cannot see any passage between the fuel tank area and the bilge. It is sealed off with a plate and caulked, and I had a completely dry bilge when the water was still in the tank area.

I did let Sportcraft know, and I don't think I'll have any more issues once I fix the caulking.
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smckean (Tosca)



Joined: 18 Jan 2014
Posts: 974
City/Region: Guemes Island (Anacortes)
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Tosca
Photos: Tosca
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 10:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

On my 2005 CD25 Cruiser, I too have a connection btwn the aft bilge (the only thing I consider a bilge) and the area in which the fuel tank lives under the cockpit floor. I drain/pump out the bilge all the time, but wetness still remains in the tank area.

I use to get water on the cabin sole. That turned out to be leaks in the caulking around the steps. Once re-caulked, water on the cabin sole disappeared.
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South of Heaven



Joined: 15 Aug 2015
Posts: 1459
City/Region: Sharon
State or Province: MA
Photos: Blue Water
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

smckean (Tosca) wrote:
On my 2005 CD25 Cruiser, I too have a connection btwn the aft bilge (the only thing I consider a bilge) and the area in which the fuel tank lives under the cockpit floor. I drain/pump out the bilge all the time, but wetness still remains in the tank area.

I use to get water on the cabin sole. That turned out to be leaks in the caulking around the steps. Once re-caulked, water on the cabin sole disappeared.


I think the OP is talking about the hatch on the steps. And if he is then your 2005 should be like my old boat. That area where the fuel supply lines are and are separate from the tank area.

I inspected both areas thoroughly because I had water in those areas under the steps.
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