There’s a constant trickle of water seeping into my bilge. It seems to start
from the aftmost
part of the boat. I don’t see anything coming in from the stuffing box. But I’ve
seen a trickle
of water coming from under the fuel tank (located beneath the cockpit). Now, I
noticed there
are some bolts from the area just aft of the fuel tank, on the hull. I’m
guessing they’re
holding the strut, or cutlass bearing onto the boat. They seem damp to the touch
while
everything else around them is bone dry. Question 1: On the Freedom 25, is the
strut, or
cutlass bearing thru-bolted onto the hull? Question 2: Has anyone else had a
problem with
this? Question 3: How should I handle it? I thought about putting some 3M 101
around the
bolts for now. I’m going to haul the boat in about three weeks. Then pull the
bolts, put new
ones in and rebed them. Any thoughts? I’d really appreciate input on this, since
it does
involve a leak.
I guess from your email your boat us a Freedom 25? Not sure how the F25
is configured but my F21 suffered a slight seepage leak from where the
cockpit drain tubes seated into the transom & the inner hull moulding.
On the F21 these cockpit drain tubes are simply tapered GRP tubes that
are held in place with beads of sealant so if the sealant fails at any
of the joints then a very slight trickle leak can develop when the
transom drain area is immersed. Maybe the F25 cockpit drain tubes are
similar?
I found that peeling away the old disbonded sealant & cleaning up the
joint areas followed by a liberal application of a good polyurethane
adhesive/sealant completely solved the slight leakage problem. But of
course your problem may well not lie in this area?
There’s a constant trickle of water seeping into my bilge. It seems to
start from the aftmost
part of the boat. I don’t see anything coming in from the stuffing
box. But I’ve seen a trickle
of water coming from under the fuel tank (located beneath the
cockpit). Now, I noticed there
are some bolts from the area just aft of the fuel tank, on the hull.
I’m guessing they’re
holding the strut, or cutlass bearing onto the boat. They seem damp to
the touch while
everything else around them is bone dry. Question 1: On the Freedom
25, is the strut, or
cutlass bearing thru-bolted onto the hull? Question 2: Has anyone else
had a problem with
this? Question 3: How should I handle it? I thought about putting some
3M 101 around the
bolts for now. I’m going to haul the boat in about three weeks. Then
pull the bolts, put new
ones in and rebed them. Any thoughts? I’d really appreciate input on
this, since it does
involve a leak.
I guess from your email your boat us a Freedom 25? Not sure how the F25
is configured but my F21 suffered a slight seepage leak from where the
cockpit drain tubes seated into the transom & the inner hull moulding.
On the F21 these cockpit drain tubes are simply tapered GRP tubes that
are held in place with beads of sealant so if the sealant fails at any
of the joints then a very slight trickle leak can develop when the
transom drain area is immersed. Maybe the F25 cockpit drain tubes are
similar?
I found that peeling away the old disbonded sealant & cleaning up the
joint areas followed by a liberal application of a good polyurethane
adhesive/sealant completely solved the slight leakage problem. But of
course your problem may well not lie in this area?
Wilf Bishop
F21 - DAYDREAM
Wilf, I’m not sure. On the F25 the cockpit drain holes are connected to the
transom
thruhull holes with short elbows of hose. These are held on with hose clamps.
There
doesn’t appear to be any leaking from them right now. Right now, I strongly
suspect there
is weeping from the bolts that hold the propeller shaft strut onto the hull.
There’s a constant trickle of water seeping into my bilge. It seems to
start from the aftmost
part of the boat. I don’t see anything coming in from the stuffing
box. But I’ve seen a trickle
of water coming from under the fuel tank (located beneath the
cockpit). Now, I noticed there
are some bolts from the area just aft of the fuel tank, on the hull.
I’m guessing they’re
holding the strut, or cutlass bearing onto the boat. They seem damp to
the touch while
everything else around them is bone dry. Question 1: On the Freedom
25, is the strut, or
cutlass bearing thru-bolted onto the hull? Question 2: Has anyone else
had a problem with
this? Question 3: How should I handle it? I thought about putting some
3M 101 around the
bolts for now. I’m going to haul the boat in about three weeks. Then
pull the bolts, put new
ones in and rebed them. Any thoughts? I’d really appreciate input on
this, since it does
involve a leak.
Posted by Jay Glen (svfantasy@…>)
Hello,If you determine the leak is an underwater fitting (leaky bolt as you described) DO NOT just patch it up with some sealant. It will not hold and will continue to leak. The proper way is to remove the fastening (at haulout) and rebed with an appropriate bedding compound.
On 9/25/07, wilfred2736 <wilf.bishop@…> wrote:
Hi,
I guess from your email your boat us a Freedom 25? Not sure how the F25
is configured but my F21 suffered a slight seepage leak from where the
cockpit drain tubes seated into the transom & the inner hull moulding.
On the F21 these cockpit drain tubes are simply tapered GRP tubes that
are held in place with beads of sealant so if the sealant fails at any
of the joints then a very slight trickle leak can develop when the
transom drain area is immersed. Maybe the F25 cockpit drain tubes are
similar?
I found that peeling away the old disbonded sealant & cleaning up the
joint areas followed by a liberal application of a good polyurethane
adhesive/sealant completely solved the slight leakage problem. But of
course your problem may well not lie in this area?
There’s a constant trickle of water seeping into my bilge. It seems to
start from the aftmost
part of the boat. I don’t see anything coming in from the stuffing
box. But I’ve seen a trickle
of water coming from under the fuel tank (located beneath the
cockpit). Now, I noticed there
are some bolts from the area just aft of the fuel tank, on the hull.
I’m guessing they’re
holding the strut, or cutlass bearing onto the boat. They seem damp to
the touch while
everything else around them is bone dry. Question 1: On the Freedom
25, is the strut, or
cutlass bearing thru-bolted onto the hull? Question 2: Has anyone else
had a problem with
this? Question 3: How should I handle it? I thought about putting some
3M 101 around the
bolts for now. I’m going to haul the boat in about three weeks. Then
pull the bolts, put new
ones in and rebed them. Any thoughts? I’d really appreciate input on
this, since it does
involve a leak.
– Jay Glen ki6jtks/v FantasyFreedom 40 Cat-KetchSan Francisco Bay Area
If you determine the leak is an underwater fitting (leaky bolt as you
described) DO NOT just patch it up with some sealant. It will not hold and
will continue to leak. The proper way is to remove the fastening (at
haulout) and rebed with an appropriate bedding compound.
Jay,
I intend to pull the bolts at haulout and replace them with proper bedding. But
haulout isn’t
for another three weeks. Do you think some goop on the bolts will hold the
seepage at bay
until then? I won’t use anything extreme like 5200. More like 101 or 4200, so I
can get the
bolts loose later.
Posted by Herman and Gail Schiller (hschiller2@…>)
One of the problems with these GRP tubes that were inserted in the
transom was that the inside surfaces were not protected with
pigmented gel coat. On my 25-footer the tubes eventually cracked and
leaked. I replaced them with conventional through-hull fittings and
complemented them with the Perko flappers to prevent wavelets from
pushing water into the cockpit. Assume that’s what will happen
eventually, and plan on repairing it. Herm
At 06:13 PM 9/25/2007, you wrote:
\
Hi,
I guess from your email your boat us a Freedom 25? Not sure how the F25
is configured but my F21 suffered a slight seepage leak from where the
cockpit drain tubes seated into the transom & the inner hull moulding.
On the F21 these cockpit drain tubes are simply tapered GRP tubes that
are held in place with beads of sealant so if the sealant fails at any
of the joints then a very slight trickle leak can develop when the
transom drain area is immersed. Maybe the F25 cockpit drain tubes are
similar?
I found that peeling away the old disbonded sealant & cleaning up the
joint areas followed by a liberal application of a good polyurethane
adhesive/sealant completely solved the slight leakage problem. But of
course your problem may well not lie in this area?
There’s a constant trickle of water seeping into my bilge. It seems to
start from the aftmost
part of the boat. I don’t see anything coming in from the stuffing
box. But I’ve seen a trickle
of water coming from under the fuel tank (located beneath the
cockpit). Now, I noticed there
are some bolts from the area just aft of the fuel tank, on the hull.
I’m guessing they’re
holding the strut, or cutlass bearing onto the boat. They seem damp to
the touch while
everything else around them is bone dry. Question 1: On the Freedom
25, is the strut, or
cutlass bearing thru-bolted onto the hull? Question 2: Has anyone else
had a problem with
this? Question 3: How should I handle it? I thought about putting some
3M 101 around the
bolts for now. I’m going to haul the boat in about three weeks. Then
pull the bolts, put new
ones in and rebed them. Any thoughts? I’d really appreciate input on
this, since it does
involve a leak.
Posted by Herman and Gail Schiller (hschiller2@…>)
Note that there is now a product that will loosen up 3M 5200, if
something needs to be seriously bonded and sealed, but fails at a
later date and must be removed. Herm
If you determine the leak is an underwater fitting (leaky bolt as you
described) DO NOT just patch it up with some sealant. It will not hold and
will continue to leak. The proper way is to remove the fastening (at
haulout) and rebed with an appropriate bedding compound.
Jay,
I intend to pull the bolts at haulout and replace them with proper
bedding. But haulout isn’t
for another three weeks. Do you think some goop on the bolts will
hold the seepage at bay
until then? I won’t use anything extreme like 5200. More like 101 or
4200, so I can get the
bolts loose later.
Posted by Jay Glen (svfantasy@…>)
How bad is it seeping? Can’t it wait three weeks? Or, is it leaking more than just a few drips?On 9/25/07, Herman and Gail Schiller <
hschiller2@…> wrote:
Note that there is now a product that will loosen up 3M 5200, if
something needs to be seriously bonded and sealed, but fails at a
later date and must be removed. Herm
If you determine the leak is an underwater fitting (leaky bolt as you
described) DO NOT just patch it up with some sealant. It will not hold and
will continue to leak. The proper way is to remove the fastening (at
haulout) and rebed with an appropriate bedding compound.
Jay,
I intend to pull the bolts at haulout and replace them with proper
bedding. But haulout isn’t
for another three weeks. Do you think some goop on the bolts will
hold the seepage at bay
until then? I won’t use anything extreme like 5200. More like 101 or
4200, so I can get the
bolts loose later.
– Jay Glen ki6jtks/v FantasyFreedom 40 Cat-KetchSan Francisco Bay Area
The bolts could be damp from condensation, if they are through the
hull into the water. They get cold by conducting the lower water
temp. If they leak, the top end of the bolt would be bonedry too and
only the base with washer and nut would be wet. Do not smear goo on
them; it will take away your view on the leak and it will not stop
the pressured water from coming in. If you would use silicon goo,
you would ruin the surface around the bolt forever, because nothing
will ever stick well on a surface that has been tainted with
silicon.
There’s a constant trickle of water seeping into my bilge. It
seems to start from the aftmost
part of the boat. I don’t see anything coming in from the stuffing
box. But I’ve seen a trickle
of water coming from under the fuel tank (located beneath the
cockpit). Now, I noticed there
are some bolts from the area just aft of the fuel tank, on the
hull. I’m guessing they’re
holding the strut, or cutlass bearing onto the boat. They seem
damp to the touch while
everything else around them is bone dry. Question 1: On the
Freedom 25, is the strut, or
cutlass bearing thru-bolted onto the hull? Question 2: Has anyone
else had a problem with
this? Question 3: How should I handle it? I thought about putting
some 3M 101 around the
bolts for now. I’m going to haul the boat in about three weeks.
Then pull the bolts, put new
ones in and rebed them. Any thoughts? I’d really appreciate input
on this, since it does
involve a leak.
One of the problems with these GRP tubes that were inserted in the
transom was that the inside surfaces were not protected with
pigmented gel coat. On my 25-footer the tubes eventually cracked and
leaked. I replaced them with conventional through-hull fittings and
complemented them with the Perko flappers to prevent wavelets from
pushing water into the cockpit. Assume that’s what will happen
eventually, and plan on repairing it. Herm
At 06:13 PM 9/25/2007, you wrote:
Herm,
It just occurred to me. The ‘hoses’ that I’m looking at may actually be the grp
tubes. Are
they, by any chance, ribbed? If not, then I have hoses instead of the tubes.
\
Hi,
I guess from your email your boat us a Freedom 25? Not sure how the F25
is configured but my F21 suffered a slight seepage leak from where the
cockpit drain tubes seated into the transom & the inner hull moulding.
On the F21 these cockpit drain tubes are simply tapered GRP tubes that
are held in place with beads of sealant so if the sealant fails at any
of the joints then a very slight trickle leak can develop when the
transom drain area is immersed. Maybe the F25 cockpit drain tubes are
similar?
I found that peeling away the old disbonded sealant & cleaning up the
joint areas followed by a liberal application of a good polyurethane
adhesive/sealant completely solved the slight leakage problem. But of
course your problem may well not lie in this area?
There’s a constant trickle of water seeping into my bilge. It seems to
start from the aftmost
part of the boat. I don’t see anything coming in from the stuffing
box. But I’ve seen a trickle
of water coming from under the fuel tank (located beneath the
cockpit). Now, I noticed there
are some bolts from the area just aft of the fuel tank, on the hull.
I’m guessing they’re
holding the strut, or cutlass bearing onto the boat. They seem damp to
the touch while
everything else around them is bone dry. Question 1: On the Freedom
25, is the strut, or
cutlass bearing thru-bolted onto the hull? Question 2: Has anyone else
had a problem with
this? Question 3: How should I handle it? I thought about putting some
3M 101 around the
bolts for now. I’m going to haul the boat in about three weeks. Then
pull the bolts, put new
ones in and rebed them. Any thoughts? I’d really appreciate input on
this, since it does
involve a leak.
Note that there is now a product that will loosen up 3M 5200, if
something needs to be seriously bonded and sealed, but fails at a
later date and must be removed. Herm
I’ve got that stuff. I used it to remove the raw water thru-hull on my Freedom
25 when I
was working on it last winter. I’ll probably go with 4200 in this case, though.
If you determine the leak is an underwater fitting (leaky bolt as you
described) DO NOT just patch it up with some sealant. It will not hold and
will continue to leak. The proper way is to remove the fastening (at
haulout) and rebed with an appropriate bedding compound.
Jay,
I intend to pull the bolts at haulout and replace them with proper
bedding. But haulout isn’t
for another three weeks. Do you think some goop on the bolts will
hold the seepage at bay
until then? I won’t use anything extreme like 5200. More like 101 or
4200, so I can get the
bolts loose later.
It would be a good idea to also check for any alignment/bent prop shaft/propeller for possible vibration/alignment problems that might have been the source of the loosening in the first place. J Island Packet 26MKII and Freedom Lover too.
----- Original Message -----
From: fgljff
To: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 7:13 AM
Subject: [freedomyachts2003] Re: Need help troubleshooting leak
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, Herman and Gail Schiller <hschiller2@…> wrote:>> Note that there is now a product that will loosen up 3M 5200, if > something needs to be seriously bonded and sealed, but fails at a > later date and must be removed. Herm> I’ve got that stuff. I used it to remove the raw water thru-hull on my Freedom 25 when I was working on it last winter. I’ll probably go with 4200 in this case, though.> At 07:33 PM 9/25/2007, you wrote:> > >— In > >mailto:freedomyachts2003%40yahoogroups.comfreedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, > >“Jay Glen” <svfantasy@> wrote:> > >> > > Hello,> > >> > > If you determine the leak is an underwater fitting (leaky bolt as you> > > described) DO NOT just patch it up with some sealant. It will not hold and> > > will continue to leak. The proper way is to remove the fastening (at> > > haulout) and rebed with an appropriate bedding compound.> > >> > >> >> >Jay,> >> >I intend to pull the bolts at haulout and replace them with proper > >bedding. But haulout isn’t> >for another three weeks. Do you think some goop on the bolts will > >hold the seepage at bay> >until then? I won’t use anything extreme like 5200. More like 101 or > >4200, so I can get the> >bolts loose later.> >> >>
My F-32 had a rudder post leak as well. There is a “stuffing box” for it, which, of course, was all out of stuffing.
I replaced it and it works perfect with no leak.
You may check.
Scott
Freedom 32 “Girlfriend”
Scott Forgey21362 Summertrace CircleBoca Raton, FL 33428(561) 445-5179skype: sforgey1"My hovercraft is full of eels."M. PythonSee what’s new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.
Not familiar with the 25 … is the rudder
inboard or outboard?
My Freedom 32 had a leak from the rudder
post stuffing box, which although required a lot of flexibility and patience,
was easily fixed while still in the water.
There’s a constant trickle of water seeping into my
bilge. It seems to start from the aftmost
part of the boat. I don’t see anything coming in from the stuffing box. But
I’ve seen a trickle
of water coming from under the fuel tank (located beneath the cockpit). Now, I
noticed there
are some bolts from the area just aft of the fuel tank, on the hull. I’m
guessing they’re
holding the strut, or cutlass bearing onto the boat. They seem damp to the
touch while
everything else around them is bone dry. Question 1: On the Freedom 25, is the
strut, or
cutlass bearing thru-bolted onto the hull? Question 2: Has anyone else had a
problem with
this? Question 3: How should I handle it? I thought about putting some 3M 101
around the
bolts for now. I’m going to haul the boat in about three weeks. Then pull the
bolts, put new
ones in and rebed them. Any thoughts? I’d really appreciate input on this,
since it does
involve a leak.
\
CONFIDENTIALITY WARNING: This email may contain confidential or proprietary business information and is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). Any unauthorized use or disclosure of this communication, including attachments, is strictly prohibited. If you believe that you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from your system.
Posted by Herman and Gail Schiller (hschiller2@…>)
The ribbed stuff is hose; the tubes are smooth. There is a short
piece of hose connecting the cockpit drain to the exit tube in the
transom. Good luck with this rather pesky, fussy repair action. Herm
One of the problems with these GRP tubes that were inserted in the
transom was that the inside surfaces were not protected with
pigmented gel coat. On my 25-footer the tubes eventually cracked and
leaked. I replaced them with conventional through-hull fittings and
complemented them with the Perko flappers to prevent wavelets from
pushing water into the cockpit. Assume that’s what will happen
eventually, and plan on repairing it. Herm
At 06:13 PM 9/25/2007, you wrote:
Herm,
It just occurred to me. The ‘hoses’ that I’m looking at may actually
be the grp tubes. Are
they, by any chance, ribbed? If not, then I have hoses instead of the tubes.
Hi,
I guess from your email your boat us a Freedom 25? Not sure how the F25
is configured but my F21 suffered a slight seepage leak from where the
cockpit drain tubes seated into the transom & the inner hull moulding.
On the F21 these cockpit drain tubes are simply tapered GRP tubes that
are held in place with beads of sealant so if the sealant fails at any
of the joints then a very slight trickle leak can develop when the
transom drain area is immersed. Maybe the F25 cockpit drain tubes are
similar?
I found that peeling away the old disbonded sealant & cleaning up the
joint areas followed by a liberal application of a good polyurethane
adhesive/sealant completely solved the slight leakage problem. But of
course your problem may well not lie in this area?
There’s a constant trickle of water seeping into my bilge. It seems to
start from the aftmost
part of the boat. I don’t see anything coming in from the stuffing
box. But I’ve seen a trickle
of water coming from under the fuel tank (located beneath the
cockpit). Now, I noticed there
are some bolts from the area just aft of the fuel tank, on the hull.
I’m guessing they’re
holding the strut, or cutlass bearing onto the boat. They seem damp to
the touch while
everything else around them is bone dry. Question 1: On the Freedom
25, is the strut, or
cutlass bearing thru-bolted onto the hull? Question 2: Has anyone else
had a problem with
this? Question 3: How should I handle it? I thought about putting some
3M 101 around the
bolts for now. I’m going to haul the boat in about three weeks. Then
pull the bolts, put new
ones in and rebed them. Any thoughts? I’d really appreciate input on
this, since it does
involve a leak.
I believe I’ve located the leak. It’s definitely the thru-bolts that hold on
the strut for the prop
shaft. Here’s how I’m going to handle it. Take a pvc pipe with a diameter larger
than the
washers on the bolts. Cut slices from the pvc tube about an inch and a half in
length. Bed
them over the bolts with 4200. Then fill with polysulfate, like 101. This will
stop the leak (I
believe) but enable me to still get the bolts out when the boat is hauled in
three weeks.
Posted by Jay Glen (svfantasy@…>)
Glad you found the leak,but once again, I have to ask how bad is it leaking that it can’t wait three weeks? If its not gushing in where the bilge pump is running too often, or, there is a definite risk of sinking, I think you are wasting a lot of time,effort and worry. Just my two cents.
On 9/27/07, fgljff <fgljff@…> wrote:
OK,
I believe I’ve located the leak. It’s definitely the thru-bolts that hold on the strut for the prop
shaft. Here’s how I’m going to handle it. Take a pvc pipe with a diameter larger than the
washers on the bolts. Cut slices from the pvc tube about an inch and a half in length. Bed
them over the bolts with 4200. Then fill with polysulfate, like 101. This will stop the leak (I
believe) but enable me to still get the bolts out when the boat is hauled in three weeks.
– Jay Glen ki6jtks/v FantasyFreedom 40 Cat-KetchSan Francisco Bay Area
Glad you found the leak,but once again, I have to ask how bad is it leaking
that it can’t wait three weeks? If its not gushing in where the bilge pump
is running too often, or, there is a definite risk of sinking, I think you
are wasting a lot of time,effort and worry. Just my two cents.
It’s not what it’s been doing. It’s what it could do, if the bolts drop out. The
boat’s on a
mooring and I’m not there every day. For a few dollars worth of pvc tubing, and
some
sealant, it’s pretty cheap peace of mind. Especially for someone as paranoid as
I am about
leaks. I’m the type who firmly believes that the boat would develop a
catastrophic leak one
day before haulout. In fact, it happened on my Nonsuch 30C. The so-called
dripless shaft
seal gave way a few days before haulout. They very quickly moved me to the head
of the
haulout line.
You could use the pvc bed the tubing to
the hull and use a long enough tube so its top is above the waterline. So if
there is a leak there’s no problem. This way you can bed it to a dry
surface and not try to bed to the bolts/nuts themselves which may be wet or
have water pressure while the compound is drying and thus the seal will be bad.
With this approach there would be a lot
less mess and its probably easier (assuming there is enough height for a long
enough section of PVC to fit in and go above the waterline. Otherwise I suppose
you could seal the top of it too.
Alan
Glad you found the leak,but once again, I have to ask how bad is it
leaking
that it can’t wait three weeks? If its not gushing in where the bilge pump
is running too often, or, there is a definite risk of sinking, I think you
are wasting a lot of time,effort and worry. Just my two cents.
It’s not what it’s been doing. It’s what it could do, if the bolts drop out.
The boat’s on a
mooring and I’m not there every day. For a few dollars worth of pvc tubing, and
some
sealant, it’s pretty cheap peace of mind. Especially for someone as paranoid as
I am about
leaks. I’m the type who firmly believes that the boat would develop a
catastrophic leak one
day before haulout. In fact, it happened on my Nonsuch 30C. The so-called
dripless shaft
seal gave way a few days before haulout. They very quickly moved me to the head
of the
haulout line.
You could use the pvc bed the tubing to the hull and use a long enough tube
so its top is above the waterline. So if there is a leak there’s no problem.
This way you can bed it to a dry surface and not try to bed to the
bolts/nuts themselves which may be wet or have water pressure while the
compound is drying and thus the seal will be bad.
With this approach there would be a lot less mess and its probably easier
(assuming there is enough height for a long enough section of PVC to fit in
and go above the waterline. Otherwise I suppose you could seal the top of it
too.
Alan
That’s not a bad idea. The bolts are directly under the aft part of the
cockpit sole. It’s
the bolts that hold the strut for the propeller shaft. That would contain the
water, without
building any pressure. I’m going to use 4200 to bed the pvc tubes because I want
to get
them out of there when I haul the boat and replace the bolts.