Plug from v berth to cabin--

P

PeteSharp

New member
Hi fellow C Dory lovers,, I tried searching the forums for answer but couldn't find the right one. If you know of a post that answers my questions please give me a link.
Otherwise...We just bought a 1987 22' cruiser and are still getting familiar with it. When it rains (only when it rains), quite a bit of water collects in the cabin (3-4 gallons this morning after a few days of rain!) and the main culprit seems to be from near the square plug from the v berth to the cabin--I noticed after drying up the cabin floor that water very slowly leaks from that general vicinity into the cabin. I know I need to reseal it. But where does the water come from that collects behind the plug and how much water could be dammed up? Is it, in theory, just the water from the anchor well as long as deck fitting are tight? There are certainly some deck fitting I need to reseal for sure and that's contributing to the leak but it seems like too much from some drips here and there. Can I safely remove that plug? Any thoughts why there is a square, difficulty to remove plug (plus the one from the cabin to the cockpit) rather than a T plug? Thank you, Pete
I recently built a wooden anchor rode box and secured it topside so no water is getting in via anchor rode.
 
According to the PO, my 07 CD22 used to get a lot of water in the cabin from the cockpit when it rained. The water came under the aft cabin bulkhead. After he "sealed the s**t out if it with 5200" the water ingress to the cabin stopped.

Based on what I have seen of other places where vertical surfaces meet the floor, I'm not surprised that there could've been leakage under the aft cabin bulkhead.

Might want to check your boat.

One thing to try is food coloring. When it is dry. put a few drops where you think the water is coming from. If water comes from that direction, the water will pick up whatever color you put down. You can put one color in the anchor well and a different color in the cockpit. Whatever color the water in the cabin is will tell you where it came from.
 
I believe that the "plug" you refer too is on the bottom of the floor, platform for the porti-potty. That "plug" is usually put in after flotationfoam has been injected.

I agree with ssobol the more likely point of entry--especially if you are sleeping in the V berth is from the cockpit. Even from an open anchor locker--3 to 4 gallons is almost impossible.

I disagree on how to fix the issue--especially in a 1987 boat. The 2007/8 boat is likely to have a sealed level floor. The 1987 boat will have the inner layers of the hull laminate as the floor in the cockpit. I suspect that the "tabbing"--ie: glass which bonds the aft bulkhead to the cockpit floor--as come loose in some places and water is seating in under the aft bulkhead.

To repair this, I would put water in the cockpit to see if it runs into the cabin. If so, then pull as much of the glass strips which attach the aft bulkhead to the floor, as possible--grind off any further, with #36 grit--and then clean up with 80 grit in a 4"-5" grinder 2" on the floor and 2" on the bulkhead. Use epoxy for repair: Lay a fillet at the junction and on up the sides with thickened epoxy, As that has gelled, or the next AM after washing drying (to get rid of amine blush) lay biaxial glass tape. set in epoxy. You can buy enough 4" to do the whole project with 3 layers--start with the 4", (2" on the bottom and 2" on the bulkhead), then cut 1" off the tape and lay the 3" layers, finish with the 2". For cosmetics you can grind down any edges which are proud and then smooth using epoxy, cabosil and medium density filler. Finally paint the repair and cockpit floor with a grey bilge or quality marine paint (such as Brightside).
 
Thanks for the insight guys. There certainly may be water coming in from the cockpit too but water is visibly leaking in the vicinity of this plug from under the v berth. I can't seem to figure out how to attach a photo (does C Brats not play well with Apple products?). But right at the threshold of the cabin and v berth, an inch or so up the small threshold, is a small bronze or brass square plug about 1/2" in diameter than threads in horizontally. I need to remove the port-a-potty base to see if there is a inspection port before I go about unscrewing the plug. But one way or the other I need to get in there. My boat is a 1987 model so there's bound to be some funky stuff compared to more updated versions.
 
Unless the '87 is somehow different than the '93 I owned, the only way for water to get under the V Bert platform is: from the brass strip (that would not be dependent on rain, but be present all of the time), or from the anchor locker--you say that is completely sealed off---and the deck pipe is only a few sq inches--so would not allow 3 to 4 gallons to accumulate. Any water coming from leaks from the bow railing bases, or the hatch would come on top of the platform--and your bedding would be wet--again not gallons of water--just drips.

Any chance that water has accumulated there over time, and the foam is saturated with water? That has happened a number of times--that you are sleeping in the V berth, brings weight forward, allowing the water to drain from the back forward??

It sounds as if a brass plug (such as a Garboard plug) was put there to drain out water--it is not normally something found in this location and could have been added by another owner. Most likely there will be foam for "floatation" under the platform. (many boats there was also foam under the platform for the porti-potty)
 
thataway":2cdib1gp said:
( Some deleted).

It sounds as if a brass plug (such as a Garboard plug) was put there to drain out water--it is not normally something found in this location and could have been added by another owner. Most likely there will be foam for "floatation" under the platform. (many boats there was also foam under the platform for the porti-potty)
Click to expand...

For clarification:

My 1987 Cruiser had two Garboard plugs, one at the bottom center of the v-berth compartment where the Porta-Potti sets, and another at the bottom center of the cabin bulkhead, both to drain the compartment forward of each respective plug. They were brass and easily removable with a crescent wrench.

41GKl4CCLxL.jpg

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Back
Top