On our vacation 5th day on boat we are finding carpet wet found small streaming leak coming out where the rough glass meets the smooth glass at the step edge it only comes out when we are cruising and the boat is angled. now are wondering if it is migrating from rub rail somewhere down in front of bulkhead or from bow strip and coming back thru under bow?? is there space under there or is it solid , am upset to say least and worried about core problems. i have tried to look up old posts but only found a few. i guess we'll be calling dealer and jeff. any opinions welcome and are we jeopardizing more if we don't pull her out asap???? thanx cpt vic
leaking at step edge of potti area
- Thread starter cpt vic
- Start date
Stay calm.... I had a leak or two early on and once we discovered the sources, they were all fixed by the factory (or me in one case) and I haven't had a problem since. Bottom line is that until the boat is wet consistenty and operating under power and been through a heavy rainstorm or two, it's pretty damn hard to be sure there's no leaks.cpt vic":1nd0nrws said:
The rub rail area has been a problem on many boats and could be the source. This can sometimes be located by running fresh water from a hose over diffent areas of the rub rail while at the dock or on land. Where the rub rail attaches is generally all glass so core issues aren't a concern there. I'd check that first.
Second, there's an inspection plate in area where the porta potti goes. If there is a leak below the v-berth, water can come out of the inspection plate area. Loosen the inspection plate and take a look. Several years ago, some of the brass keel guards were installed with screws that are too long and leaks were created in this area. If water is found under the inspection plate, I would pull the boat and go back to the dealer. A fix for this will be more involved and will require removing foam, drying the caivity out, glassing in the holes, re-foaming etc.
I have exactly the same problem. After beig under way for a while, water seeps through a crack where the smoot floor under the Porta Potty is joined to the hull. So far I can not reproduce this by flooding the rub rail with hose water. By the way, my boat has been in salt water for five years. It does not leak at rest.
Bill Atchley
Tiburon
Bill Atchley
Tiburon
Pete in NY
New member
I also had this problem. Water pudling on the floor aft when underway. It took forever to figure out what was happening since the water only showed up at the cabin door step after migrating under the cabinetry on the port side from the bow. I thought it was a through hull or bilge pump hose at first. It was caused by leaking between the inside of the hull and the floor of the anchor locker at the anchor locker drain hole. Every time a wave immersed the drain hole while on the mooring or underway a little water came in till it filled the under berth space and leaked through the steering bulkhead on the passenger side (see photos) . It only became apparent after the bow filled with water and the overflow leaked out along the water hose hole in the bulkhead. I thought I had a water tank leak but the water coming through was salt. This has apparently been a problem on some but not all C-Dory's with an anchor locker. The old Sea Dogs site noted this as an issue a number of years ago. Sea Dog Bill had the same problem and repair pictures in his album.
I repaired my boat by over size drilling and countersinking the anchor locker drain hole and lining it with a 3/8" copper tube thru hull I made and cut the ends to match the hull side and floor of the inside locker floor. I fitted and glued the tube into the hole with 3M 5200. I have not had a problem since.
I repaired my boat by over size drilling and countersinking the anchor locker drain hole and lining it with a 3/8" copper tube thru hull I made and cut the ends to match the hull side and floor of the inside locker floor. I fitted and glued the tube into the hole with 3M 5200. I have not had a problem since.
well c-pearl is at the dealer presently and they said they found our leak to be with the anchor locker drain as well, when i had looked in there before taking her back i noticed that there was no tube just a hole drilled thru and the clam shell put on outside, i could also see what looked like a space in the hull wall where water could have gone down thru, you'd think they would have put a tube there from the start. they told us they have one there now sealed with 5200 so hopefully that will take care of it!!! thanx for all replies
I had this problem in my 2002 22' CRUISER (there are a number of past postings on this situation in C-BRATS and in the archived C-DORY OWNERS' site.
The postings from owners and factory reps suggested that the water came either from the anchor locker "vent" or from screws drilled too deep for the bow stem guard. I unscrewed and re-sealed the bow stem screws and I discovered (as others have) that the anchor locker vent is simply a hole drilled through the two fiberglas molds...so whether water is coming in from the outside or draining out from the inside, its going to run down between the molds and collect under the v-berth. From my experience, both water and air can exert a great deal of pressure on the seam where the two molds are joined (especially at the porti-potti step); underway stresses can expand cracks in structure weakened by constant moisture.
A fiberglas-er (after having submitted a proposed repair to the factory and being told to do a less extensive job) repaired the crack once. When the crack and water leakage reappeared, the repair involved a lengthy and extensive drying of the fiberglas and a heavy layering of fiberglas (which the fiberglas-er did with no additional charge).
My point is not to blame the factory on design or repair directions, but to stress that the anchor locker vent must be tubed (so water does not flow between the fiberglas molds) and that any repairs should involve adequate drying of the affected fiberglas before any patching is done.
Also, I don't know how much difference this makes...but seeing the amount of stress placed on that v-berth step joint by air and water, I do not use that access plug that is under the porti-potti area (the plastic plug is in a box somewhere....and when things "huff-and-puff" in that air space between the molds at the bow, I just get a little bit of pink styrofoam flaking in the cabin!!).
therevdr on "DRIFTWOOD DREI"
The postings from owners and factory reps suggested that the water came either from the anchor locker "vent" or from screws drilled too deep for the bow stem guard. I unscrewed and re-sealed the bow stem screws and I discovered (as others have) that the anchor locker vent is simply a hole drilled through the two fiberglas molds...so whether water is coming in from the outside or draining out from the inside, its going to run down between the molds and collect under the v-berth. From my experience, both water and air can exert a great deal of pressure on the seam where the two molds are joined (especially at the porti-potti step); underway stresses can expand cracks in structure weakened by constant moisture.
A fiberglas-er (after having submitted a proposed repair to the factory and being told to do a less extensive job) repaired the crack once. When the crack and water leakage reappeared, the repair involved a lengthy and extensive drying of the fiberglas and a heavy layering of fiberglas (which the fiberglas-er did with no additional charge).
My point is not to blame the factory on design or repair directions, but to stress that the anchor locker vent must be tubed (so water does not flow between the fiberglas molds) and that any repairs should involve adequate drying of the affected fiberglas before any patching is done.
Also, I don't know how much difference this makes...but seeing the amount of stress placed on that v-berth step joint by air and water, I do not use that access plug that is under the porti-potti area (the plastic plug is in a box somewhere....and when things "huff-and-puff" in that air space between the molds at the bow, I just get a little bit of pink styrofoam flaking in the cabin!!).
therevdr on "DRIFTWOOD DREI"
Alyssa Jean
New member
This is somewhat confusing to me in that the locker drain is drilled through the hull which is a single hand layed thickness of fiberglass. There are no "two layers" sandwiched together that I am aware of. The picture is of the construction of my 25., The other models are constructed the same way. The drain is drilled through the hull well above the balsa core on the port bow just above the waterline.
The "two layers" comes from the chain locker. Seems that there has been no standardization on exactly where that hole gets drilled... and has been known to hit the corner of the wall forming the back of the locker... resulting in water in the bow. The factory repair method is to fill with epoxy and redrill; not sure that it will cure the problem without a tube in there.
Best wishes,
Jim B.
Best wishes,
Jim B.