RickyD
Guru
- Joined
- May 4, 2018
- Messages
- 793
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Aquarius
- Vessel Make
- Californian 55 CPMY
Well my water intrusion mystery is finally solved in case anyone is interested.
I knew I had a little seepage from my starboard side rudder shaft, but you could see it enter a limber hole in the stringer in the aft of the boat and there was a straight shot through to the aft sump. There is a sump pump in the aft but hardly no water ever accumulates there so I thought, the rudder wasn't leaking much.
As it turns out, the stringer is hollow. The water from the rudder shaft, entered the limber hole and was running forward in the hollow stringer evidently to another limber hole midship accumulating under the mid cabin where the centerline fuel tank is in a sealed tub area. I guess to capture the fuel in case of a tank rupture. To find the leak, I poured colored water where the rudder shaft was seeping and it showed up under my mid-cabin. Tightened the rudder shaft, problem solved. Thanks everyone for your input. I hope this may help someone else. I did not know the stringer was hollow and I had no idea it could travel forward like it did. Thanks, Charlie
I assumed that the water that accumulated in bilge that contains the centerline fuel tank came from leaky fresh water tanks which are above it under the aft bed. Aquarius is a bit bow heavy so you can't see the water by looking in the access port under the bed. My mid fuel tank rotted out from sitting in water. We only found the water/fuel there when we had the boat out on the hard. Maybe it was from a rudder post leak instead of the water tank. I'll need to check that out to be sure more water is not accumulating.