Moisture Problem In Cabin Sole- E38-200

[FrankJ]

Hi ,

I'm Having A Moisture Issue In The Forward Cabin Sole/right Side.
The Area Is At The Beginning Of The Flooring , As You Stand In The V-berth Area. My Main Issue I Can't Seem To Access Under This Area To Correct The Problem. My Boat Is A 1989 E38-200. I'd Appreciate Any Imput .

Frank

 

[treilley]

If it is like my boat, the only access underneath is by pulling up the sole. Drill out the bungs in the trim and remove, then do the same with the sole in the Vberth.

 

[u079721]

Stop the source

The source of the water giving you the problem is unlikely to be there at the floor, so I doubt getting the floor up will help you unless you stop the source.

First are the limber holes open so that water that comes in forward can get back to the bilge? With that checked, what else could be a source that far forward.

First, are the instrument through hulls leaking (usually underneath the v berth)? How about the forward stanchion bases? Water from the side deck leaking down would probably get the flooring wet as it found its way to the bilge. It's not likely to be the hull deck joint, as that is usually glass over on the inside. Another source is the anchor pan or the anchor pan drain.

There are lots of tricks to try and help find the leak, such as putting down corn starch in places where a leak would leave a trail. It can be a pain, but you have to find the leak first and fix it.

 

[Tom Metzger]

On my E-34 water could get into the grid under the sole and stay there as the limber holes were 3/4" above the hull. the water came from spills, over filling the water tanks and from cleaning the head with too much pressure from the fire hose.

My solution was to fill the grid sections up to the level of the limber holes. I glassed in 3/4" construction foam.

 

[Steve]

Good idea Tom!

Tom,

Excellent idea! I always empty ours on the seasonal first sail.

The last couple of years I have been running a dehumidifier while away for the boat, sometime as much as several weeks, draining into the shower bilge. What a difference, it's drying things I didn't know were wet!

 

[noproblemo2]

Possible leak in main water tank under vberth?

 

[gfilipi]

Hi had the similar problem on my 86 32-3. I eliminated the fresh water tanks by running them dry. It doesn't rain in the summer in Northern Cali, so it wasn't a topside leak. I didn't have any water in that bilge while the boat was in the slip. When under power or sailing it filled up quickly and was squishy around the lip of the cabin sole. If the water got high enough it leaked into the shower bilge then the main bilge. At first I was worried it was a leaky keel. Under power or sail I always had water in the area right before the vberth and had to either manullay pump it or shop vac it. In the 32-3 I there is a little acces port under the seat cushion storage area on the port side. I could barely get the shopvac hose in there. There is also a small keel bolt in that bilge area of the 32-3.

The problem ended up being the calking around the anchor locker drain tube needed rebedding. The water leaked around the drain tube, under the v-berth and to the bilge in front of the v-berth. I first tried putting some caulk around the tube without pulling the anchor locker. It slowed the water but didn't stop it. I then pulled the anchor locker and cleaned around the drain tube and rebedded the drain tube with Boat Life-calk. No leaks and dry bilge every since.

 

[FrankJ]

Hi ,

I'm Having A Moisture Issue In The Forward Cabin Sole/right Side.
The Area Is At The Beginning Of The Flooring , As You Stand In The V-berth Area. My Main Issue I Can't Seem To Access Under This Area To Correct The Problem. My Boat Is A 1989 E38-200. I'd Appreciate Any Imput .

Frank

Thank you for your responses.

 

[e38 owner]

leaks

I had the same problem. The issue being that water from forward of the mast will not always drain into the bilge but will stay under the floor near the v bunk. Sometimes I check by checking for water under the drawers in the v berth. I found the source of the leak to be the shower.