[alberg30] leak


Wed Jul 12 12:08:48 PDT 2000


Sanders,

Your leak is almost certainly the water tank.  The top of the tank
was originally fastened with pop-rivets.  As the sealing goop ages
and the aluminum corrodes, these leak.  A proper fix involves
removing this top and reattaching this, or another, top.  Since
the original top was raw aluminum and corrodes, some people have
switched to other materials.  Others have painted the inside with
epoxy to prevent water contact with the aluminum.

As you've imagined, getting to the entire lid involves some
dismantling of the forepeak.  I'll leave that description to
those that have done it.  I've not tackled mine, yet.  Just don't
fill it too full.  There are a number of articles on this topic in
the maintenance manual.

I've also heard of some boats having the tanks leak at other
points, either due to cracks or voids in the fiberglass.

 - George


> sandersm at aol.com said:
> 
> The past couple of weeks, I have noticed an intermittent slow leak, 
> apparently of sweet water, aboard WILD ELF  (# 297).  It is in the forepeak, 
> where the base of the small  V-berth filler seat joins the cabin sole.  A 
> quick check of the adjacent lockers showed sweet water standing in the bottom 
> of the lower starboard locker that runs from the filler to the hanging 
> locker.  The leak appeared while I was tied up alongside a dock on the Hudson 
> River (fair weather, no rain to account for it), and disappeared when I 
> returned to my mooring in Oyster Bay.
> 
> I am assuming it is my water tank, but I am puzzled that it arose only when I 
> was tied up at a slip.  Any ideas?  If it is my tank, then how do I get 
> access to it to find and fix the leaks.  I am fearing that you are all going 
> to tell me that I must dismantle the forepeak berths to do this; if so, has 
> anyone come up with another tankage solution that avoids the need for surgery 
> and does not affect the boat's trim?  Or should I simply swear off marinas 
> and docks from now on?
> 
> All advice greatly appreciated.
> 
> Sanders McNew
> WILD ELF  (# 297)
> Oyster Bay, New York

-- 
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  George Dinwiddie                                  gdinwiddie at min.net
  The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span those hours spent in
  sailing.                         NEW URL => http://www.Alberg30.org/
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------




More information about the Public-List mailing list