[C320-list] Water in Bilge and Keel Bolts

[cyrace at comcast.net]

Jeff, help me out.  What are stringers?  I believe you're in Waukegan harbor, right?  We're neighbors, I'm in North Point.

Cy
Hull #948

--
Cy Race 
cyrace at comcast.net 
847/731-1172

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Jeff Church" <jjemail at comcast.net> 

> After chasing all the usual sources ('fringe drain, water tanks, air 
> conditioner, various water heater sources, area under the galley drawers, 
> packing gland, stern shower hose, emergency tiller access) I discovered that 
> the stringers are hollow (sometimes they are filled with foam) and can hold 
> a fair amount of water. Water that has accumulated in the bilge enters or 
> leaves the ends of the stringers as the boat heels under sail. Water can 
> also weep into or out of the stringers in the bilge area through small 
> pin-holes where the stringer is tabbed to the hull. The solution was to 
> drill a 1/4" hole through the top of the stringers and down through the 
> foam, and manage to avoid drilling through the hull. Do this to the 2 
> stringers on either side of the sump that contains the float switch. Then 
> use an OilBoy pump to remove the water. Now I pump them out every spring 
> after I finish commissioning the boat and the bilge stays bone dry. 
> 
> JeffC 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: 
> To: "C320-List" 
> Sent: Friday, June 02, 2006 8:10 AM 
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Water in Bilge and Keel Bolts 
> 
> 
> I have another theory on this. I always had standing water in the three 
> lowermost sections of the bilge (where the keel bolts are) which I 
> attributed to the old style packing glad that I know was dripping a little 
> fast but I didn't want to mess with the corroded nuts. Last week I put in a 
> PYI dripless seal which stopped all water coming in thru at the prop shaft, 
> then I pumped and dried out all three sections and they stayed that way for 
> several days. After I came back from a rather exhilarating sail last weekend 
> (went thru some high heeling angles) I noticed a little water in the first 
> 2 foremost bilge sections. I thought "crap" but afterward I realized that 
> maybe this was some standing water in the bilge line that goes all the way 
> to the back of the boat and (I assume) must be still filled with water and 
> maybe the boat movement and heeling caused it dump back into the bilge. I 
> will test this theory at some point by emptying the bilge line. 
> 
> CRA 
> Rosebud #882 
> 
>