Fourfours

Thanks for your pennies! There is a window above. Do you mean to take the panels off to see if that has been leaking?

I guess I meant ‘thought’ because of noticing the seeping water after drying out. The calorifier was definitely leaking and I think was the cause of much of the water but after all the other areas were dry this bit remained damp at which point the very slow seeping was observed.

Yeah my engine bay often needs emptying too and as you say the pump doesn’t get rid of all the water. I was quite worried about that too so good to know it’s normal

Nope just been dampened for Terran application Fertan!

I also have a cruiser stern but isn’t the bilge supposed to be dry as much as possible? On another note this is the state of the baseplate post grinding. How bad does this look to you guys? thanks

I think this is what the seller is suggesting has happened

Thanks again, that’s helpful advice... Milliput it is then!

The only leak I have been able to identify is from the metal piping leading to the immersion tank. I think this was the source of most of the puddles at the stern but I also think the dampness spread through the polystyrene so more areas were damp without there being water. It’s been drying out for a while and all the other areas are dry but this spot, which is on the opposite side to the immersion tank. I do think that my windows could be leaking though. The water does appear as if it’s coming up from the baseplate but again it’s sort of hard to tell because it so slow. Thanks for all your responses! I guess it’s hard to diagnose a problem from poor descriptions and blurry photos.

I can’t see a hole but it is quite rusty. The photo is where the baseplate meets the cabin side. It’s sort of oozing water. There’s a nappy there currently to soak it up. I’m not sure what a scupper is, excuse my ignorance. There was some old ballast that was polystyrene with poured concrete on top. That’s been removed but the water seems to be coming from the seam.

If you sponge it then remove the sponge water very slowly reappears. Everything has been scraped away from the hull so you just get damp metal

Thanks good advice

So if it get’s better then the water must have come from the inside? otherwise would the advice be to get the boat out the water to check the over-plating? The boat is old (1980) and has been extensively over-plated. I understand that it’s not a good idea but the work was completed before I bought it. If I could go back in time I would be more thoughtful about whether to purchase an extensively over plated boat but hindsight is... well hindsight! My understanding is that it spent many years on dry standing so if there was water in the hull could it not have corroded during this time?

Thanks for your replies. I’m interested in what the chance is that it could be canal water? The survey was ok and done last year. There were no parts tested below 4mm but I understand that they don’t test the entire hull. The internal rust is not terrible. I’d say a mm in most places and a 2-3 mm in a few spots. The water is coming in really slowly, as in over night it will dampen the surrounding area but there won’t be a puddle. Are there any other possible explanations? Thanks again

Hello I would appreciate some advice. I had water in my narrowboat cabin bilge that was sitting there for a number of months. I thought I found the source of the leak (calorifier). There was significant rust and am in the process of drying, grinding and fertaning. One area along the cabin sides would not dry and on closer inspection there seems to be water seeping in very slowly though a tiny hole. I called the person who sold me the boat who reckons that it’s water that got trapped between the plates (it’s been over plated). Does this sound like a reasonable explanation? If there was water coming in through the outer plate would it be coming in really fast due to the pressure? Also so what’s the best solution. Do I just need to wait till it stops seeping and hope that it’s dry enough? any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated