Ericson 32-3 Leak Management

[Kenneth K]

It's rained over 5" in the last 5 days in Tacoma, WA. When I checked on the boat yesterday I was greeted by 1/2" of standing water on the cabin sole in front of the stove and galley sink. I had time for a little more investigating today:

It first appeared that water was coming from under the teak cabinet front-wall below the stove. I was going to remove the stove today, but I first removed the tilt-out cabinet drawer forward of the stove. Under this cabinet is a flat gelcoat surface with a slightly recessed "pan" maybe 1/2" deep. The pan was full of water and the excess was flowing aft, under the stove. So, I kept working forward towards the bow. The next section is the under-settee storage locker. Again, a flat gelcoat surface with a slightly recessed "pan" about 1/2" deep. And yes, this pan was full of water, too. Moving forward still, the next section is the starboard water-tank compartment. I didn't get this far today without my drill-driver to remove the 16-or-so screws holding the cover plate above the water tank.

Don't know what I'll find tomorrow, and I realize I still may be several feet away from the source of the leak (maybe a stanchion base or genoa car track up on deck????), but my question is this:

Can I drill small (say 1/4 - 5/16") drain holes into the "pans" below the setee storage locker and the tilt-out cabinet. Drain holes would (I'm assuming) allow the water to find it's way to the bilge rather than onto the wooden sole. I can hear from tapping with my knuckle that it is hollow below most of the pan areas. I drilled a smaller pilot hole (3/32") in one of the pan areas and found at least 1 1/2" (the length of the bit) of dead space below the thin fiberglass surface of the pan.

All of this makes me think I'm okay to drill drain holes in these areas. Has anyone else tried this???????

Thanks,

Ken

 

[Christian Williams]

The pans are where the TAFG is tabbed to the hull. The surface of the pan is the hull. The pans sure do collect water, which tends to stay there until you heel over and then they run...somewhere.

Regarding drilling holes in the TAGF, you can do it without structural harm, but it presents another problem.

The bilges are molded into the TAGF so as to retain bilge water, reveal the keel bolts, and make a neat appearance. They are roughly connected by limber holes, which may or may not be "limber tubes." The molded bilges are also penetrated by conduits, violating their integrity (sounds awful!).

Anyhow, the problem is that when water gets under the TAGF it is trapped there and can't enter the molded bilges where the pumps are.

So: if you make holes in the TAGF, water entering there does not make it into the bilges.

Such water can be removed with a hand pump and a tube snaked through some low point. Some boats have ports--small screw caps--low in the wall of the TAGF bilges designed ( I think ) for that purpose.

Water under the TAFG is is something to live with. It is one more reason why removable floorboards are useful.

Regarding the leaks: on my 32-3, rainwater came down through the mast--lots of it. There is probably a water exit hole at the step, possibly very small, probably on the aft side. If clogged, it can allow a column of water to build up inside the mast and dribble out slowly, or in a rush if you clean the hole with a wire.

On this 32-3 a previous owner drilled two small holes so mast water would pass into the TAGF, rather than pool on the sole.

Didn't really work. Others have installed a tube to route mast water directly to the bilge.

 

[Kenneth K]

Christian,

Can you clarify your second sentence.... I think you mean the surface of the pan is the TAFG?

So, like most fixes, drilling into the pans is a +/- solution. Water under the TAFG sounds like a BAD idea for anyone who stores a boat on land in freezing conditions. Mine will be in the Puget Sound year round, so I don't have to worry about freezing below the water line. I think my plan then is to drill the drain holes (to try to save the wood sole) and deal with sub-TAFG water later. Yes, a removable sole and added inspection ports sound optimal.

I do also have the problem of water draining from the small slot in the aft mast face. I handled that by running a thick bead of caulk all around the black mast-step plate. The only place I didn't caulk was a small section in front of the first bilge. I get about 1/2 of water in this bilge from mast drainage after a good rain. I also found that water was flowing from inside the mast, onto my VHF coax cable and bypassing my caulk contraption. This water wound up on the port-side teak cabinetry below the settee (just as you show in your picture). A simple upward bend in the coax before it travels down to the settee stopped the water trail.

It was just about the time I was patting myself on the back for this little solution that I found the much larger problem of the water-filled starboard-side floor pans........

Ken

 

[Christian Williams]

Since not all boats have the TAGF, here's how it is connected to the hull:

 

[Kenneth K]

Great picture! Thanks.

So..... be careful where you drill......

 

[Kenneth K]

Been poking a little deeper into my cabin leak situation. I traced the path of the leak as far forward as the forward "pan" under the starboard water tank (where the blow dryer is in the photo). Water seems to be running down down the hull/sidewall just aft of the bulkhead wall (that divides the forward cabin from the starboard settee). If I catch it soon enough, I sponge it up before it fills the 3 "pans" under the water tank area. If I don't catch it in time, it continues flowing into the next compartment (picture #2 - below the aft half of the starboard settee) where it drains into "who knows where" via the drain hole I drilled.

At least I am now able to stop water from collecting on the wood sole.

As to where the water goes after it drains down the drain hole......? The large limber holes in the fore and aft of each bilge compartment appear to open each bilge compartment to whatever lies below the TAFG. I haven't confirmed it yet, but it seems likely that water from the drains holes I drilled is making it into the bilge.

 

[ref_123]

On our 32-3, dorade box was leaking - probably due to clogged drains. Solved by removing the cowl and placing a solar vent in that hole. Also, plugged the dorade box drains. Never leaked since.

Regards,
Stan

 

[Kenneth K]

Never thought of the dorade box. Maybe I'll try cleaning out the dorade drains with q-tips/pipe cleaners.

I did stop the leak under the starboard water tank area. To troubleshoot the source, I taped over the forward starboard water-fill port; with no results. When I taped over the aft starboard water-fill port, after a few days of draining, the leak stopped. A month later and it's been bone dry. I found I could cover the fill-ports with blue painters tape--the tape actually adheres to the non-skid deck if you work it down into the textured grooves. After completely covering the ports with tape, I covered the whole area with a good caulk, right up to the edges of the tape. The caulk keeps the tape dry and stops the edges from peeling, but it never comes in contact with the deck surface. I'm hoping the patch will last through the winter till I can re-bed the port this spring when it's dry.

This boat is equipped with three potable water tanks, for a total of something like 55 gal--more than I'll need most of the time. I've kind of liked having the starboard tank removed. It makes a nice and easily accessible area for extra storage.

 

[Christian Williams]

Good to find the answer, and it will help others.

Water from the drain holes you made goes into the space between the TAFG and the hull, but unfortunately not into the molded bilges where the bilges pumps are.

We have to periodically get it out by finding some entry through the TAGF and using a hand pump, maybe an oil pump probably with a small diameter tube.

I use a shop vac with a hose-end cut on the bias, which I can press against limber hole and which sorta sucks the whole sub-TAGF dry in that area.

 

[Kenneth K]

Thanks Christian. I'm still struggling with the idea of where the water goes once it gets below the TAFG. Maybe I'll hit you up with a PM about it rather than posting a long, laborious message about it here....

Ken