Water under forward berth

[Ram]

Has anyone else had water collect in the footwell beneath the V-berth (R25)? The past month I've been finding small accumulations of water - not enough to constitue a "leak", but more than you would expect from condensation. In fact, this is the 3rd winter I've kept the boat here in Vancouver, and although I've had some leaks in other places (basically, around here anything that can leak will), but never in this area. I've searched all around the perimeter of the well and I can't see any sign of where the water is coming from. I cleaned it up a few weeks ago but it is back. It accumulates around the edges of the wood sole, barely enough to flow over the surface of the wood. Any ideas?

 

[Bruce Moore]

Just a wild possibility. We had a clogged drain in the anchor locker. Water seeped up over the edges of the locker shell and down the inside of the hull. In our case the water soaked the lining around the V-berth. But, you never know where water might go.

Cheers,

Bruce

 

[Spirit of Gratitude]

Have you determined if it is salt water or fresh water yet? It sounds crazy but a taste test my be in order.

 

[doke01]

Pull the cushions up and see if there are any signs of water under them. We had a small leak on the starboard cleat that would allow a little water to leak into the starboard v-berth storage area. It wouldn't take much to make the water take a slightly different direction. You could actually see the residue from the path the water took to get there. It was quite intricate.

 

[Ram]

At least part of the mystery is solved. After eliminating many other possible sources of the water, I finally removed the cabin heater and looked into the well beneath the galley counter. I bailed almost a full bucket of what appeared to be fairly clear,fresh water from there. Now I just have to figure out how it's getting into there. A leaky deck fitting is a possibility, but I'm more inclined to suspect a leak in the water supply somewhere under the sink. Unfortunately, that means I may have to remove the back of the cabinet inside - somehow. If I do you can bet I'll leave a way to service that area in the future.

 

[sportner]

Check with Andrew but I think you may have access if you remove your Refrigerator. Its pretty easy to do.

 

[Ram]

As far as I can tell from trying to access it from both sides and the bottom, the refrigerator is completely encased in a "shell" that is attached to the front of the galley counter (it may actually be part of the mold for the front). I expect there are openings at the back somewhere, perhaps it is entirely open. If the latter, it might be worth the trouble of removing the fridge to get access. Andrew? This is hull #11, a 2007 R-25.

The other option is that beneath the sink and stove there is a large piece of Starboard at the back that is loosely attached at the top with straps to the hull (as far as I can tell by reaching over it). It has always seemed daunting to try to remove this, but in the worst case I might just cut it down the middle and take it out piece by piece.

 

[Andrew Custis]

What kind of refrigerator do you have in your boat? If its a Nova Kool, your in good shape. If its a norcold, thats a different story. The good thing is all of the fresh water fittings are pretty easy to access. Here is what I would do to test for a leak.

1. Fill the fresh water tank.

2. Turn the fresh water pump on.

3. See how often the fresh water pump cycles.

4. Inspect for leaks in the following.

a. Head cabinet access. Look by the shower sump box at the tee fittings.

b. Pull the cabin heater and inspect the fresh water pump and fittings while the pump is on.

c. Inspect the front of the water heater fittings.

Always welcome to call me if you need help. 253-839-5213. Thank you!

 

[Ainokea]

I had a similar issue on my 25 before. After a panick call to Andrew who returned my call in minutes we traced it to one of the couplings on the fresh water pump mounted underneath the helm step. These are a snap coupling and they were not completely locked in place. When the house water pump was activated it would leak and finally puddle on the floor in the v berth area. To access this, remove the heater from the step face .( 4 screws and gently work the vent face plate out. There is enough hose for the hole unit to come out) The pump is mounted on the helm step floor so the best way is to lay on your back with a flash light and mirror and find the couplings on the hose fittings of the pump. The couplings should be all the way down. Pressurize the house water pump and check for leaks. Hopefully this helps and is the fix. A lot easier than trying to track down external leaks 🙂 !

P.S. Thanks Andrew!

Frank

 

[Toms]

Hello, whomever: I am currently looking for a leak under the forward bunk in my 2009 Ranger Tug 25 which I think is coming from rain water. I pumped about 25 gallons out this afternoon after a downpour. With the help of my mechanic, we did the same two days ago after a rain. He thinks the source is not from the water supply but where in the world could so much water come from in a one hour rain? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Tom Broome tbroome77@gmail.com

 

[walldog]

Hello, whomever: I am currently looking for a leak under the forward bunk in my 2009 Ranger Tug 25 which I think is coming from rain water. I pumped about 25 gallons out this afternoon after a downpour. With the help of my mechanic, we did the same two days ago after a rain. He thinks the source is not from the water supply but where in the world could so much water come from in a one hour rain? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Tom Broome tbroome77@gmail.com

Maybe a silly question, but is the boat on your trailer? If so is the bow slightly lowered, so that the cockpit does not drain out the scuppers?

 

[Andrew Custis]

I would also check the chain locker drain hose. I have seen these get plugged over time and overflow into the berth. You can check that hose by removing the triangle piece just above the front of the bed.

 

[ngleadow]

Hi Ram;
We had a similar problem on the starboard side of the v-berth close to the bulkhead below the instrument access. We think that it was coming from the external power attachment on the outside of the hull. I now make sure that the cover to this is firmly attached. Since I have done that, I haven't had anymore water.

Cheers

Norm on Blue Socks

 

[baz]

Hi Ram;
We had a similar problem on the starboard side of the v-berth close to the bulkhead below the instrument access. We think that it was coming from the external power attachment on the outside of the hull. I now make sure that the cover to this is firmly attached. Since I have done that, I haven't had anymore water.

Cheers

Norm on Blue Socks

Are you referring to the chromed screw down lid or the 4 external bolts that secure the shore power assembly to the cabin wall. There's a rubber gasket between the cabin wall and the shore power assembly and this must be positioned correctly or water will find its way into the cabin.

 

[Toms]

Hello, whomever:
I have determined that I have two leaks: The main one is a freshwater pipe somewhere, not the shower, not under the galley sink, not behind the heater but maybe going into the water tank or behind the refrigerator? If I hook to shore water I get about 16 gals. during the night. Not sure how to get a view of the tank intake?
The second leak is the chain locker, drain stopped up and over flows into the forward bunk, I think. It is stopped up, kinked, I think and I will check the triangle piece as Andrew suggests. Tom

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

When you clean out the chain locker drain I've had good luck using a piece of wire long enough to make it from the entrance to the discharge hole, a cloths hanger undone works good as well. By inserting the wire it helps dislodge stuff and then flush the drain out with fresh water. Unfortunately this is can be a regular maintenance item, depending how much you anchor and in what conditions.

Good luck with the water leak,

Jim

 

[mspaugy]

Just curious, are all teh water systems tested for tightness prior to leaving the factory?