Leak in Cave

[LADYBUG TOO]

We have water damage to the teak in the cave deck. We have sprayed the windows, top rail fittings and attachments and they are not the source. Water is collecting along the aft edge of the teak decking. We think it is coming from the port side lazerette (sp?) from the vent slot. After the hose test we found water along the aft, port side corner and on the plywood deck in the lazerette and along the power distribution bulkhead. Would drilling some small relief holes at the aft edge of the teak decking and in the plywood near the power bulkhead direct the water into the bilge.

Pat and Carolyn, Ladybug, Too

 

[Andrew Custis]

I would really suggest checking the small LED walkway light on the port aft corner of the house. The chrome cover prongs need to be sealed.

 

[Brian B]

I have also been trying to resolve this same problem in my R25SC over the past 2 weeks.
I laid a bead of silicone along the base of the battery switch panel in the generator lazarette.. Water does collect there and I think the carpet on the opposite side acts like a wick. I also removed the cup holder above the lazarette next to the cabin and resealed it with silicone and made sure the drain tube goes into the cockpit. Not sure exactly where it was draining before I removed it.
I looked at all the walkway lights during a steady rain that was wind driven onto the port side 2days ago. Laying on your back, looking up you can see them. I did not see any water or feel any dampness in the carpeting going up the side.
The water intrusion did not get any worse during the rain so one of my two fixes may have solved the problem.
I was also thinking about drilling a hole at the base of the electrical panel board, hesitant to do so not knowing what is under it.

 

[LADYBUG TOO]

Thanks Andrew,

I never gave the LED a thought.

Pat and Carolyn, Ladybug, Too

 

[knotflying]

Pat and Carolyn, Ladybug, TooLADYBUG TOO

Did you ever figure out where your leak was coming from. My wife was taking out a bottle of wine that we had in the area in the cave between where the folding seat used to be and going aft about 6 inches and the bottle and immediate area was wet. It was evident that the water was coming from above between the hull and the deck. I am thinking it may be coming in through the LED light along the outside walking deck. I can't see where else it may be coming from. Anyone else have experience with this?

 

[HRowland]

Hi Mike,

I had the same problem when our boat was new. Pop the bezels off of the walkway lights, put sealant in the holes, and put the bezels back in. I also had a leak under the dinette. I sealed all walkway lights on both sides of the boat.

Howard

 

[knotflying]

Thanks, I was hoping it was that simple!

 

[Boatdreamer]

We had the same issue on Gratitude with water in the cave and under the settee. We tried sealing the side lights, but no joy. It turned out to be the portside rub rail. Our dealer had it removed and resealed. They did a great job and the leaks stopped. Go for the lights first, that seems to solve the problem on most boats. Good luck.

Tim
Gratitude

 

[knotflying]

Thanks Tim,
I hope the side light is the issue, but I also suspect the rub rail. Hopefully it is the light. Odd that this would occur after the third season.

 

[10PoundHammer]

We eventually (after some unnecessary work removing and re caulking the rub rail) traced our leak to a small gap - about half an inch - in the rubber window seal where the sliding window meets the fixed window. It was not installed properly or maybe somehow it shifted or shrank. Anyway big enough for water to sneak in behind the slider and down the inside of the hull. A bit of caulking in that space solved the problem. Worth a look if you haven't found the problem yet.

 

[LADYBUG TOO]

For us it was the LED on both sides. A little caulk solved the problem.

Pat & Carolyn, Ladybug, Too

 

[knotflying]

DUH!!! I figured out my leak! I had a gallon jug of water with a small pinhole. That was an easy fix. I also caulked my sidelight. My first inkling that it wasn't the sidelight after I caulked it was that the rain had stopped, the sun was out and I was still getting water in the cave. My second career will be a detective! :lol:

 

[walldog]

DUH!!! I figured out my leak! I had a gallon jug of water with a small pinhole. That was an easy fix. I also caulked my sidelight. My first inkling that it wasn't the sidelight after I caulked it was that the rain had stopped, the sun was out and I was still getting water in the cave. My second career will be a detective! :lol:

Well you have given me my best laugh of the day.....thanks :lol:

 

[knotflying]

DUH!!! I figured out my leak! I had a gallon jug of water with a small pinhole. That was an easy fix. I also caulked my sidelight. My first inkling that it wasn't the sidelight after I caulked it was that the rain had stopped, the sun was out and I was still getting water in the cave. My second career will be a detective! :lol:

Well you have given me my best laugh of the day.....thanks :lol:

Always happy to oblige! I gave myself a good laugh as well! :lol: Maybe we should start a thread called "Things I did on my Ranger Tug that will make you laugh"

 

[Dale777]

DUH!!! I figured out my leak! I had a gallon jug of water with a small pinhole. That was an easy fix. I also caulked my sidelight. My first inkling that it wasn't the sidelight after I caulked it was that the rain had stopped, the sun was out and I was still getting water in the cave. My second career will be a detective! :lol:

Well you have given me my best laugh of the day.....thanks :lol:

Always happy to oblige! I gave myself a good laugh as well! :lol: Maybe we should start a thread called "Things I did on my Ranger Tug that will make you laugh"

Mike,

I think you should start the thread called, "Things I did on my Ranger Tug that will make you laugh". We will all contribute. I did exactly that on the Alpine Coach forum. I owned 2 different Alpine Coaches over a period of 11 years, which is plenty of time to make a lot of mistakes. See this link for ideas and lots of laughs in that area:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f104/er-uh-t ... 58643.html

 

[knotflying]

Some Funny stuff there Dale!

 

[RandyCindy]

We had a leak in our 2010 R25SC for 3 years. Ended up finding out the cup holder below the rear port window drains onto a ledge and then back into the cave. My wife put a hose in the cup holder and when she turned it on water sprayed into the cave along the wall. I tied adding a drain hose but it's too tight, so I just sealed the drain. Now it fill sup with water, which I'm not sure what to do now. Someone is going to set there phone in it and ruin it.

 

[tlkenyon]

I wonder if there is any way to remove the cup holder so that one can get to the bottom of it and a drain hose can be installed. I have a 2015 25SC and have no idea where the cup holders drain to. I tried briefly to pry the cup holder out of the decking, to no avail. Did not want to use too much force and bust something.

 

[Brian B]

I have a 2010 25SC and discovered the same leak as Randy couple of years ago. There should be a drain hose on the bottom of the cup holder, mine was directing water the wrong way. I removed the assembly, it was siliconed in. The tube should go between the fiberglass shells of the cabin and the cockpit and drain onto the genset/lazarette cover. You may be able to feel the tube up in that space and redirect it. If not then carefully remove the assembly.

 

[tlkenyon]

I can get to the port cup holder, and there is no drain hose. The bottom of the stbd cup holder is inaccessible. I will try to remove them with a little more enthusiasm....