Leak or condensation?

[Fishcatcher907]

I got a question guys and gals.

On my 22 cruiser I’ve been noticing a drip in my v birth. It appears to be coming off a couple of the rivets. Is this condensation? Or do I have a bigger problem I need to address?
It’s 2 different rivets one on the right side of the entrance and one on the left.

 

[thataway]

If it is off the rivets and no other areas of condensation....you will have to address the rivet issue.

 

[T.R. Bauer]

It hasn't been raining up here for the last couple of days and if you were sleeping in the "V" over the weekend I think it is just condensation. Every piece of hardware is a cold sink and will condense more than the surrounding area in our unique climate. I was in PWS over the weekend and I'm reasonably sure the difference between outside and inside over the night was 40-50 degrees or more as it was 70 F in the cabin and the bay had lots of frozen in spots by morning. Every wall in the "V" was moist and the hardware was dripping. My sleeping bag by the wall was soaked. But I will concede, Bob has a point too as if it were raining and if everything else is dry, that's a leak for sure.

 

[tsturm]

It hasn't been raining up here for the last couple of days and if you were sleeping in the "V" over the weekend I think it is just condensation. Every piece of hardware is a cold sink and will condense more than the surrounding area in our unique climate. I was in PWS over the weekend and I'm reasonably sure the difference between outside and inside over the night was 40-50 degrees or more as it was 70 F in the cabin and the bay had lots of frozen in spots by morning. Every wall in the "V" was moist and the hardware was dripping. My sleeping bag by the wall was soaked. But I will concede, Bob has a point too as if it were raining and if everything else is dry, that's a leak for sure.

X2 :thup

 

[san juanderer]

I have owned many different brand of boats with leaky rivets, including the C-dory. Do not create a bathtub within the rubrail , by sealing the bottom edge of the rubrail. Seal the top line all the way around the hull. I even drill like 1/8th holes under the vinyl insert edge ( thru the aluminum piece ), this I have found to relieve the build up of water behind the rubrail. Has been amazing how much water flowed out of the holes, even with an un-sealed bottom rubrail edge. Creates a path of least resistance.

 

[Fishcatcher907]

The leaking rivets are directly overhead in the v. I can’t imagine where or how the water could get in to leak out the rivet. The only hole in the v is the window hatch. But that seems to be sealed well. I ran a sprinkler on the v for awhile and eventually it started to leak. On the other hand due to the cold water I also developed some condensation in the v as well. I’m a little perplexed. If it’s a leak I need to address it ASAP.

 

[Standas]

I think I would remove the rubber insert on the rail and take a look at the condition of the rivets. If you have a few leaky rivets you most likely have some that are not far behind. Insert is fairly easy to place back in. I soaked the rubber in warm water before placing it back into the aluminum. When I removed mine because of leaks so many of the rivet heads had corroded off I was amazed it stayed on the boat.

 

[Fishcatcher907]

I think I would remove the rubber insert on the rail and take a look at the condition of the rivets. If you have a few leaky rivets you most likely have some that are not far behind. Insert is fairly easy to place back in. I soaked the rubber in warm water before placing it back into the aluminum. When I removed mine because of leaks so many of the rivet heads had corroded off I was amazed it stayed on the boat.

The rivets I’m referring to are on the top of the V-birth roof. Above the rub rail and in the center of the boat. One just right of the entrance and one on left.

 

[tsturm]

I think I would remove the rubber insert on the rail and take a look at the condition of the rivets. If you have a few leaky rivets you most likely have some that are not far behind. Insert is fairly easy to place back in. I soaked the rubber in warm water before placing it back into the aluminum. When I removed mine because of leaks so many of the rivet heads had corroded off I was amazed it stayed on the boat.

The rivets I’m referring to are on the top of the V-birth roof. Above the rub rail and in the center of the boat. One just right of the entrance and one on left.

Where the helm & dash attach to the under side of the fore deck or celling of v berth has always been a condensation issue in both of my boats. YMMV :thup

 

[Fishcatcher907]

I think I would remove the rubber insert on the rail and take a look at the condition of the rivets. If you have a few leaky rivets you most likely have some that are not far behind. Insert is fairly easy to place back in. I soaked the rubber in warm water before placing it back into the aluminum. When I removed mine because of leaks so many of the rivet heads had corroded off I was amazed it stayed on the boat.

The rivets I’m referring to are on the top of the V-birth roof. Above the rub rail and in the center of the boat. One just right of the entrance and one on left.

Where the helm & dash attach to the under side of the fore deck or celling of v berth has always been a condensation issue in both of my boats. YMMV :thup

That’s the spot! Thank you sir!

 

[san juanderer]

So the leak is on the overhead portion of the cuddy roof, the only penetration is the bomar hatch. Just because it looks like it is sealed, does not reveal the truth. My hatch had sealant between the hatch flange and the cutout surface.
Sealant remained on the fiberglass surface, but nothing was adhered to the aluminum bomar hatch flange. Had been leaking for years, and the core was completely rotted out. Wet like a sponge ! I also removed every other item, cleats, antenna mounts, anchor locker pipe, bow railing. None were sealant bedded correctly, and the majority were leaking inward. Bad sealant and poor worker attention to details by the factory people. Use Boat Life Life Seal. It will stick to both surfaces!

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I may have pictures of a similar problem in my photo album under "Balsa Core Issues." What I thought was condensation on the through-deck fittings was probably a combination of condensation and balsa core moisture. I didn't have any rivets through that area. I had SS through bolts for the bow pulpit and helm panel. There were also small SS screws that held the electrical wire for the bow light. Those had slight rust discoloration around them and, since they didn't go clear through and conduct cold into the berth, were suspect. When I removed them I found that the balsa was soaked and the moisture might have been dripping in rather than condensation.

 

[Fishcatcher907]

So the leak is on the overhead portion of the cuddy roof, the only penetration is the bomar hatch. Just because it looks like it is sealed, does not reveal the truth. My hatch had sealant between the hatch flange and the cutout surface.
Sealant remained on the fiberglass surface, but nothing was adhered to the aluminum bomar hatch flange. Had been leaking for years, and the core was completely rotted out. Wet like a sponge ! I also removed every other item, cleats, antenna mounts, anchor locker pipe, bow railing. None were sealant bedded correctly, and the majority were leaking inward. Bad sealant and poor worker attention to details by the factory people. Use Boat Life Life Seal. It will stick to both surfaces!

Thanks for your response. Do you know if there a gasket for the outside of that hatch? I will remove it and reseal as soon as I have the right supplies.

 

[tsturm]

Thanks for your response. Do you know if there a gasket for the outside of that hatch? I will remove it and reseal as soon as I have the right supplies.

3M 5200 on the hatch or any thing else that needs to be watertight :thup run a hose on the hatch on a day like today & see if its dripping.

 

[thataway]

This illustrates why photos (or maybe a Zoom conference) would help to clarify the situation.

The pop rivets which hold the shelf to the deck molding do not go to the outside of the boat. Thus most likely condensation....however, it is remotely possible that some water is leaking around the forward hatch and working its way via the core to this area. My experience is that where the pop rivets are seems to be thru two rather thin areas of solid fiberglass. But since I don't currently have a 22, I may be wrong.

It is not uncommon for the forward hatch to leak and not be seen. Thus I take these hatches out when I buy a boat, and check the core--seal the core with thickened epoxy, put plugs in where the screws go, and then put the hatch. back in place with proper sealants. Some of the hatch cutouts were too large, and the ""gaps" were just filled with a Bostick sealant--this will eventually leak. In that case, you might have to add more fiberglas around the inside of the hatch. I had to do that with my Tom Cat 255 within the first week of ownership.

 

[san juanderer]

Careful with the 5200, very difficult to cut loose in the future.
Life Seal can be cut with a knife blade, but it will not pull loose between the two surfaces.It has polyurethane in it. Unlike hardware silicone.

 

[tsturm]

Careful with the 5200, very difficult to cut loose in the future.
Life Seal can be cut with a knife blade, but it will not pull loose between the two surfaces.It has polyurethane in it. Unlike hardware silicone.

A little heat gun use & 5200 peels off great!! :thup YMMV

 

[ssobol]

Thanks for your response. Do you know if there a gasket for the outside of that hatch? I will remove it and reseal as soon as I have the right supplies.

3M 5200 on the hatch or any thing else that needs to be watertight :thup run a hose on the hatch on a day like today & see if its dripping.

I had a car once that had a leak in the windshield seal once. It would leak up under the dash, run down, and get the passenger side carpeting wet if it rained, but not if you put a hose on it. The repair shop tried putting a hose on it in various ways to find the leak, but to no avail. The repair shop said that rain water and hose water behaves differently. Eventually got the thing fixed by taking it to the shop when it was raining.

Also, getting 3M 5200 off fiberglass is a PITA, but not terribly difficult. A heat gun, the proper glue remover, a plastic scraper, and a bit of elbow grease is all it takes.