Mystery water in cabin

P

PaulNBriannaLynn

New member
I’m stumped. Since we’ve owned this boat, when it sits for a while and I haven’t been in it, I get inside the cabin and there’s fresh water on center of the floor. There’s also water in the cabinet with the water tank and it sits taller due to the curvature of the floor. I assumed the water tank or tubing was leaking. So I took the tank out and inspected it, and replaced all the tubing and the foot pump. Figured the problem was fixed. Well I just got in there to get the boat ready for the weekend and the water is again all over the floor. This time I hadn’t refilled the tank yet so I’ll that system was bone dry. The boat lives under a canvas full cover so it’s not getting rain water anywhere. It does have the raised cockpit floor, is it possible it’s coming from there? I’m at a loss at this point what it could be.
 
I have read about the screws in the brass keel guard causing water intrusion into the area of the berth. This is a saltwater boat, but did spend part of its life on a freshwater lake. I would have thought this water would be salty though if it’s coming from there. Any help is appreciated.
 
Do you suppose it's condensation water from the daily heat cycles?

The boat heats up during the day, exchanging some humid air with the outside, then cools off at night. The water in the air condenses on the cool walls and windows at night, then runs down to the floor. The next day the cycle repeats, but the water down on the floor stays cool and doesn't evaporate much. A few days later, you've got a pool on the floor without any explanation.

Is it humid in Georgia? :lol: :rose2

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Humid in Georgia? It’s the only place where we drive to Florida in the summer to cool off :D

That’s a pretty good theory! This time of year though it’s not humid, and hasn’t been all that warm. I just saturated two towels getting all that water up. If this was summer though you’d have me convinced
 
My boat has the raised floor. The previous owner had an issue with water intrusion to the cabin when the boat was stored. He said it came in under the aft cabin bulkhead from the cockpit. He ended up using (he said) a lot of 3M 5000 to seal the gap between the raised cockpit floor and the bulkhead (there is a gap). This solved the intrusion problem.

When I got the boat it had a cover. I don't know if the PO had the intrusion problem when he had the cover on or not.

I just know that there is no intrusion any more. In one case we experienced a summer downpour overnight. Since there was two of us in the berth, the boat was slightly bow down. Instead of the water collecting at the sump in the back of the boat, it was all at the front of the cockpit against the bulkhead. There was a couple of inches of standing water but none of it got in. Leaving the berth and standing on the swim step got the water to the sump where the bilge pump handled it.
 
i had similar issues. it seemed that i would get water under my raised cockpit floor from water from the bilge getting in through the screw holes that mounted the panels that cover the gas tanks on the 2007.

i made an inspection hole/cover in raised floor the remove and dry the water, sealed the screw holes better where the panels are mounted....fixed my problem

i have also resealed the seam where the cockpit bulkhead meets the floor, however, in my case, that wasn't the cause of my leak.
 
This has been helpful. I’m guessing the raised floor is my problem. The sealent or caulking against the cabin bulkhead is cracked and old. I’ll make an inspection port in the bilge and re caulk the cabin bulkhead joint and go from there. At this point it’s not a major inconvenience and won’t stop us from using it this weekend. It it’s on my list. Thanks guys!
 
If your raised floor is not the issue, there is one more possibility. I also had an issue with water in the center of the cabin floor. I tracked it down to the rub-rail. After hunting it down with no luck (I pursued the keel guard as mentioned earlier), I sat in the boat during a hard rain. It's amazing how much water accumulated by a small leak from a bolt that was not full sealed in the rub-rail. I had repaired our rub-rail (this is a well documented issue with the original rub-rail fasteners rusting and failing) and did not fully seal one bolt. Once I saw that was the issue, and fully sealed the one bolt, no more water in the cabin.
Best of luck.
Jack
 
Do you have the requisite Porta potty? Is it stored in the customary place between the cushions in the V berth? Is it’s fresh water tank cracked or leaking? Mine did.
 
PaulNBriannaLynn":1ya0ory6 said:
This has been helpful. I’m guessing the raised floor is my problem. The sealent or caulking against the cabin bulkhead is cracked and old. I’ll make an inspection port in the bilge and re caulk the cabin bulkhead joint and go from there. At this point it’s not a major inconvenience and won’t stop us from using it this weekend. It it’s on my list. Thanks guys!
Click to expand...

From the factory there is no sealant between the raised cockpit floor and the aft bulkhead. The molded floor has a rolled edge there. The gap I have seen is about 1/8 inch between the floor and the bulkhead. If not already done, I'd caulk the gap on the outside and also seal the inside edge.

The usual trick is to pour some water with food coloring in it into places you suspect a leak and see what happens.
 
i had similar issues. it seemed that i would get water under my raised cockpit floor from water from the bilge getting in through the screw holes that mounted the panels that cover the gas tanks on the 2007.

i made an inspection hole/cover in raised floor the remove and dry the water, sealed the screw holes better where the panels are mounted....fixed my problem
Click to expand...

Bob, I also have a 2007 with the raised floor. The past several days I've removed and replaced that back panel and fuel tanks, so that I could access the trim tab actuator wiring, as I had to replace my actuators. Before replacing the tanks and that panel, I epoxied those screw holes, and have decided not to reinstall the two panel screws in the aft end of that raised floor. I am curious how you made an inspection hole/cover and wonder if you have any pictures of the fabrication? I also have the sealant along the raised floor and aft cabin bulkhead, but it seems to be intact. Thanks. Colby
 
colbysmith,

i don't have any pictures--looked in my files....and i have sold the boat.'

I made a circular inspection port towards the rear of the boat, on the raised floor within a couple inches of the edge of floor near the gas tanks.....just off the center of the floor (was told there could be a partition/stringer done the middle...towards starboard side. I cut a small hole first to verify i had a void.....then cut the hole using the hatch/porthole cover as a template.....i epoxied the exposed floor liner after my cut.

i know someone else on this site did something similar, as i copied their inspection port idea........hope this help
 
With a 22 in the water, at rest, normal trim; the water pools just before the bulkhead between the cabin and cockpit. Many boats have a hole thru this bulkhead, and the bilge pump installed under a step in the cabin. There can be leakage thru the aft bulkhead. When the boat is underway--especially on a plane, the water goes aft to the "sump" near the transom.

The bulkhead should be fully tabbed to the hull--ideally both on aft and forward sides of the bulkhead. This should be "waterproof". I have seen boats where the tabbing has failed, or was incomplete.

Other sources can be almost anywhere there is a hull penetration--from the hull to deck joint (the pop rivets which hold the extrusion on, are the source of the leak). In the area where the water tank is, this can be the deck fill plate hole, or the screws which attatch the deck plate fill. It could be the window (should see stains on the inside of the hull--and other areas. I have had leaks from the hand rails on the top or the aft bulkhead migrate to the floor. So look everywhere. Also the full cover may have some area which leaks and we don't realize it.

Certainly the full, non removable floor is an area which is often an issue in the boats which have this. There can be significant water trapped under this floor.
 
Deja vu (in a not so good way). I used to have "mystery water" in my 25 on the salon floor (midway) and on the starboard near the window behind the Wallas.

In both instances it was fresh water and in both instances I never figured out where it came from.

In regards to the starboard window one: I would spray water from the outside ALL OVER the windows and there were no leaks!! So could rain be different?? Roof?

The salon floor was even weirder. I have no idea how fresh water could accumulate there.....

In the grand scheme of things I could care less. IF IT WAS SALT WATER THEN I WOULD"VE PERKED MY EARS UP.
 
thataway":202nxicz said:
With a 22 in the water, at rest, normal trim; the water pools just before the bulkhead between the cabin and cockpit. Many boats have a hole thru this bulkhead, and the bilge pump installed under a step in the cabin. There can be leakage thru the aft bulkhead. When the boat is underway--especially on a plane, the water goes aft to the "sump" near the transom. ...
Click to expand...

Starting in 07 or 08, the 22s don't have a step or pump inside the door to the cabin. My 08 doesn't have one. There should be no holes (intentional or otherwise) in the aft bulkhead to allow water flow if there is no sump in the cabin.
 
I believe I have the same problem. I thought my fresh water tank had a small leak. Pulled the tank, replaced the lines then staged the tank in my garage. Filled 1/2 way and left alone for a couple days- no leaks. However, fresh water seems to continue to pool in the cabin just forward of bulkhead, under the door. Knowing this water isn't coming from fresh-water tank, I drilled a series 3/16' holes (just thru the top glass only) in the floor next to bulkhead inside the water tank box area. Now there's a spring of water that I'd sure like to find out where it's coming from. Drilled another hole a couple inches forward and it's dry.
The C-Hound is on trailer at a good angle where water can drain aft.
When there's a heavy rain, water does not linger on the exterior near the bulkhead & raised floor seam but drains to sump area, as it should.

Any fixes out there??
 
ssobol":vuyj14qf said:
Starting in 07 or 08, the 22s don't have a step or pump inside the door to the cabin. My 08 doesn't have one. There should be no holes (intentional or otherwise) in the aft bulkhead to allow water flow if there is no sump in the cabin.
Click to expand...

This is the era of the built in floor--where water is supposed to drain aft, and not get into the "bilge" between the floor and the inner side of the hull. Thus no reason for water to drain forward, into its lowest point....except if water is getting under the floor. This seems to be more often than thought.

Solution--put a port into the area between the floor and hull. Just drilling holes complicates the issue--because then you expose core in the floor to water, leading to delaminatoin and rot....
 
As I posted earlier in this thread, my 08 has the factory flat floor in the cockpit. There is a gap between the forward edge of the raised floor and the aft bulkhead (they do not join). The PO of my boat also had a cabin water intrusion problem. He filled the gap between the floor panels and the aft bulkhead with 5200 sealant. No more leak problem.

I have noticed that with certain boat loading it is possible for water to pool in the cockpit at the aft bulkhead instead of the sump. I also expect that even if the boat trim does not cause pooling at the bulkhead, some water will still get in the gap anyway (e.g. rain, water running down the exterior of the aft bulkhead).

I would make up a bucket of water with some food coloring in it and pour it along the bottom edge of the exterior of the aft bulkhead and see if you find colored water in the cabin.

I would also check that the cabin door is sealing all the way around.
 
I recently had similar symptoms - water accumulating on the floor of the cabin. After a lot of searching, I found the bilge pump hose (that runs the water overboard) had a split causing water to run out under the starboard cabinet and back to the floor. It was an endless loop until I found the split. Easy-peasy and relatively cheap fix with a new hose.
 
Welcome to my world! 😉
So far my best remedy has been a thin line of 4200 at top of rubrail. Has dramatically reduced intrusion but not all. Temp fix till I can get rubrails reseated and sealed.
 
Back
Top