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The morning after recent prolonged heavy rain, we noticed a damp patch on the carpet near to the steps up to the rear deck, which started to spread as we moved about.

 

Further investigation revealed several inches of water in the 'box' under the steps (where we have never looked before) which seemed to very quickly result in soaking wet carpets at the back of the boat. 

 

The bit under the steps has been emptied with a scoop and sponge into a bucket, amounting to around 100 litres.  Underneath the bed and cupboards at the stern end are still damp but gradually drying out now that the carpet has been lifted and the weather has improved. It is however starting to smell a bit musty. Although we have never lifted the steps before in the couple of years we have had the boat, we did find a torch hanging under there which suggests the previous owner used to do so. There are also dark patches on the wood at floor level that indicate previous damp but no musty smell has been detected before. Under the bed has definitely been dry until this incident.

 

We can't see any evidence of leaking pipes and the floor and under the cupboards at the bow end are dry. The water pump has a slight leak but is under the well deck and the water doesn't seem to go anywhere.

 

No evidence of leaking around the sinks / shower etc. The bilge pump in the engine bay came on several times during the rainy night but there was no excessive water down there.

 

So, lots of questions going round in my head during the sleepless nights.

 

Is it possible that amount of water could result from rain getting in somehow and / or condensation?  If so, would this sit on top of the floorboards as it appears to have been doing, particularly in the corners, or do we need to be investigating underneath the floorboards (if water would have to go there first and seep upwards)? If so, how?   On our last boat any water from the uncovered well deck (this one is covered) flowed the length of the boat and into the engine bilge where it could be emptied. There doesn't seem to be any way through from the cabin into the engine bilge on this boat.  

 

We wondered if the heavy rain was a coincidence and water could somehow have been taken in when filling up the tank as there is no overflow so when full, the water just spills over and perhaps if the inlet isn't properly sealed it gets into the cabin? 

 

It's a 2015 Liverpool boat if that helps / hinders. And the water we bailed out was quite clean, so don't think it's canal water.

 

With thunderstorms forecast for the coming week, I'm very nervous about a repeat of this and if that happens, how we will ever prevent it and keep the boat dry. We don't have access to mains power so can't use a dehumidifier / wet vac etc.

 

Any suggestions very welcome please.

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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If you have never looked under their (I look at least once a month and more often in very wet weather) the water could be building up for ages. It could be condensation in the winter or, as I suspect, leaks from the window to cabin side joints or around roof vents.

 

I don't understand abut the leaking water pump. On a boat that age I would expect the well deck itself to be high enough to drain via scuppers in the hull side level with the well deck floor. The area under the well deck typically drains into the cabin bilge and down towards the back bulkhead because the boats tend to trim stern down.  If filling with water spills over the well deck itself then it should go out via the scuppers, not drain down into the hull. However Liverpool were a volume builder so it is always possible that a weld on the well deck is porous.

 

Start checking the bilge at the back regularly. Expect it to day days, if not weeks, for all the water to drain back to the inspection hatch. Once you have as much out as is reasonable it may be easier to put some disposable nappies into the bilge to absorb the water as it works its way back. Easier than sponging. Don't leave them in place for more than a day or so otherwise they tend to split and fill the bilge with jelly.

Edited by Tony Brooks
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4 hours ago, Chris T said:

 

We can't see any evidence of leaking pipes and the floor and under the cupboards at the bow end are dry. The water pump has a slight leak but is under the well deck and the water doesn't seem to go anywhere.

 

 

Well it must be going somewhere!

 

If you've spotted a leak you better fix it or that water will accumulate.

Edited by blackrose
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12 hours ago, Chris T said:


Is it possible that amount of water could result from rain getting in somehow and / or condensation?  If so, would this sit on top of the floorboards as it appears to have been doing, particularly in the corners, or do we need to be investigating underneath the floorboards (if water would have to go there first and seep upwards)? If so, how?   

 

 

 

You need a small inspection hatch in the floor somewhere at the stern end of the cabin. If there isn't one there already you need to cut one. This would usually be immediately in front of the rear bulkhead as that's where any water under the cabin floor will drain to. Common places for this would be under the rear steps or under the bed if this is at the rear.

 

I couldn't find one on my boat so I cut one under the bed and made it just big enough to fit a bilge pump into in the event of significant water being found. Value nappies would do to soak up small amounts.

 

Each time we go to the boat I put my hand down the hole and feel about for any dampness. So far none has been found (I'm just off to touch a piece of wood now).

 

 

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52 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

 

You need a small inspection hatch in the floor somewhere at the stern end of the cabin. If there isn't one there already you need to cut one. This would usually be immediately in front of the rear bulkhead as that's where any water under the cabin floor will drain to. Common places for this would be under the rear steps or under the bed if this is at the rear.

 

I couldn't find one on my boat so I cut one under the bed and made it just big enough to fit a bilge pump into in the event of significant water being found. Value nappies would do to soak up small amounts.

 

Each time we go to the boat I put my hand down the hole and feel about for any dampness. So far none has been found (I'm just off to touch a piece of wood now).

 

 

 

Just think of the time you could save if you had a wooden boat.! ?

  • Greenie 1
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1 hour ago, cuthound said:

 

Just think of the time you could save if you had a wooden boat.! ?

Swings and roundabouts.

 

On balance I think steel might just be slightly better for allowing a good night's worry-free sleep. ?

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It's ironic that we previously had a wooden top and just accepted that things would be quite 'boaty', but now we seem to expect much less to go wrong.

 

Thanks for all the comments. Floor is now drying out thanks to the warm weather and nappies although does still smell a bit musty. The carpet dried nicely on the roof up until the point it blew off and ended up in the canal ☹️.

 

Will be cutting a hole in the floorboards under the bed when we get hold of some suitable tools and will check it regularly (currently checking around hourly..... ).

 

Fixing the small water pump leak is also on the priority list although we can't see anywhere for any leaked water to go, it just sits there being damp at present. The well deck does drain straight out but we are now being careful not to let it overflow in case there is a gap that water can get into. If not that, it must be condensation / rain into window frames / vents built up over time and no doubt added to during the recent downpours so I guess we need to keep a close eye when it next rains. Fingers crossed.....

 

Thanks again for replying.

 

 

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So, an update on our water leak  After a few days of warm weather and things left open to dry out, we had found no new water and it was drying out nicely. After an hour of rain tonight, more water appeared under the bed, along the cabin sides.  When it stopped raining, I poured some water from a watering can around the rear windows, vents and hatch and the mushroom vent.  Pretty much immediately after the last of these, water appeared inside. So mushroom vent seems to be the culprit.

 

For tonight it has a plastic bowl weighted down on top of it.  We will need to investigate further in the daytime / dry. I'm not sure how easy a temporary / permanent fix this is? Or whether we will need to get someone to look at it while we are out on our travels.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks for the update. Leaky mushrooms are usually easy to fix.

 

The mushroom is usually held on by screws into tapped holes in the roof, although occassionally nuts are used on the inside of the roof lining, which can be a problem to reach.

 

Scrape away any old sealant and reseal using Sikaflex or similar, or if you intend to remove the mushrooms often in the future, a gasket made from neoprene sheet.

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1 hour ago, cuthound said:

Thanks for the update. Leaky mushrooms are usually easy to fix.

 

The mushroom is usually held on by screws into tapped holes in the roof, although occassionally nuts are used on the inside of the roof lining, which can be a problem to reach.

 

Scrape away any old sealant and reseal using Sikaflex or similar, or if you intend to remove the mushrooms often in the future, a gasket made from neoprene sheet.

A bit of additional stuff. The screws holding the mushroom vents on are often brass and these can shear off quiet easily. Spray them with some plusgas and leave it to soak in for a good while before you try and remove them. If one, or more does shear, you may need to remove the remains of the sheared screw from the roof, or drill it out and tap the next size up, or put in a helicoil. Alternatively, drill and tap new holes 45 degrees round to the original and fill the old ones up. I'd use stainless screws and put copperslip on the threads to reduce the risk of problems for the future. I'll second @cuthound's suggestion of a neoprene sheet gasket to seal them.

Jen

  • Greenie 1
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Thanks both for the additional comments. Today's update, we bought a cordless drill and made a hole in the floorboards under the bed big enough to use a drill pump. We extracted several more buckets of water from there, which again looks clean and doesn't smell but seems an awful lot of water to result from rain / condensation. 

We've got to the point where the drill can't extract any more (realising that we will need to keep checking this as the water moves about).

Will keep the vent covered and plastic over the rear portholes for good measure and are taking her to Bollington Wharf when we get up there for them to take a look.

I'll need another holiday after all this....

 

 

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