Newbie and a water leak

[flo]

Hi all

I've been lurking here for quite a while now and hopefully taking things onboard but as ive acquired a 30ft springer to refurbish i will be asking lots of questions. All I know of it is it was overplated in 2000, has either a SR2 or ST2 Lister engine, gas cooker been taken out, needs inside and out looking at and has water under the floorboards, which is my main concern. But where to start?

Can a hull rust from the inside out too?

Also is there a way of finding out how old it is just from the Index number?

The first thing I have done is order a hand-bilge pump to try and find out where the water is actually coming from, leaking watertank maybe?

Its on hardstanding where its been for the last year and started first time (but that was with easystart which ive later read never to do)

I am quite a novice on all maintenance issues even though i did once liveaboard with an ex-boyfriend. So all advice greatly appreciated and if anyone near to or passing Golden Nook farm, Hargrave, near Chester please pop in and say hello

Phew what a long post i'm not usually so serious , honest

Thanks in advance

[alan_fincher]

Hi Flo

 

has either a SR2 or ST2 Lister engine,

Post some pictures, or (better still) try and find an engine serial number. Someone will be able to tell you what you have.

 

Also is there a way of finding out how old it is just from the Index number?

A BW Index Number can tell you the year that a boat is no newer than, but it can be older than the date of issue of the Index number, particularly if it has been on non BW waters for some of it's life, or re-licensed for any other reason.

 

.....and started first time (but that was with easystart which ive later read never to do)

The occasional sensible use of EasyStart will not do much harm, but don't make a habit of it if you can get it started without.

[Guest User]

Hi ... the boat's still on the hardstanding ? ... If so, I'd suggest the main causes of the water inside are likely to be the water tank, plumbing and pumps, the sink and shower/bath drain pipes, condensation, and rain coming in through window seals, vents etc. Check for obvious things too, like a chimney without a "hat".

 

Try and be systematic and work though the boat bit by bit .... water coming from above should leave a tell-tale sign inside somewhere ... such as run stains down the walls or damp patches on the flooring but tracing it back to the point of origin maybe a little trickier.

 

Internal water leaks (plumbing) maybe harder to find but to start with, try and follow your pipes through the boat looking for signs of weeping or a bloom of corrosion especially at joints.

 

Yes it could be the water tank ... is it full ? does it stay full once topped up ? And yes, hulls can rust from the inside, but what you see inside in terms of rust could well be misleading, especially if the hull's been overplated from the outside ... has it been surveyed ?

 

If you really suspect the hull and want to put your mind at rest, try and get someone else who's got a bit of experience to give it a look over, and maybe get a surveyor on the case ...... Everything is fixable

[David Schweizer]

One of the favorite culprits is the domestic water pump. If you have the popular Shurflo, they have a tendancy to start leaking after about five or six years service, but because the leak is often on the inflow side of the diaphragm there is no tell tale frequent on/off beat with all the taps closed. You may not see the leak from above so run your finger underneath it, if there is any water that could be the culprit.

 

Mine started to leak un-noticed earlier this year, and over a few months managed to deposit more than five gallons of water into my bilges. And yes, boats can, and often do, rust from the inside, so it needs to be sorted out before any damage is done.

Edited October 6, 2009 by David Schweizer

[NBMike]

Hi ... the boat's still on the hardstanding ? ... If so, I'd suggest the main causes of the water inside are likely to be the water tank, plumbing and pumps, the sink and shower/bath drain pipes, condensation, and rain coming in through window seals, vents etc. Check for obvious things too, like a chimney without a "hat".

 

Try and be systematic and work though the boat bit by bit .... water coming from above should leave a tell-tale sign inside somewhere ... such as run stains down the walls or damp patches on the flooring but tracing it back to the point of origin maybe a little trickier.

 

Internal water leaks (plumbing) maybe harder to find but to start with, try and follow your pipes through the boat looking for signs of weeping or a bloom of corrosion especially at joints.

 

Yes it could be the water tank ... is it full ? does it stay full once topped up ? And yes, hulls can rust from the inside, but what you see inside in terms of rust could well be misleading, especially if the hull's been overplated from the outside ... has it been surveyed ?

 

If you really suspect the hull and want to put your mind at rest, try and get someone else who's got a bit of experience to give it a look over, and maybe get a surveyor on the case ...... Everything is fixable

Graham, you should post a warning that your avatar may induce fits!!!

[Jamboat]

Graham, you should post a warning that your avatar may induce fits!!!

 

& migraines !!

[ITAfloat]

... find out where the water is actually coming from, leaking watertank maybe?

Its on hardstanding ...

 

Hi Flo. I've got to make a new bow floor for a 30ft springer I went to look at a few weeks ago.

On their one, there is no bulk head at the front. As it rains water runs under the floor (it has no water run-off to outside) to a bulk head midships,

where a bilge pump is supposed to remove it. Possibly yours has a floor similar if the deck is wooden?

 

ITA

[flo]

Hi

Thanks for all replies, as I am off to a pre-booked jolly to Spain this weekend I will take photo's next week and hopefully have been able to source water leak and be ready with questions for next step, yes its still on hardstanding and i will look if there are 2 bilges.

Ola for now

[flo]

Hi all

I have got the chance of electric to the boat this weekend so am thinking of taking an angle grinder with wire brush and taking off the rust on the over-plating so am wondering what primer to use please, I have read on previous threads International Primocon is the one to use but in the meanwhile will any metal primer do? Also has anyone got any recommendations of a hull surveryor near Chester please?

Thanks

[denboy]

personally would not bother with primer just slap lots of blacking on

[Morphyous]

Is your water tank under the bow? Check around it and see if there is wet rust around it, if not

try and work your way back through the boat until you see wetness, this may mean lifting boards or

cutting a few inspection holes.

My boat had a leaking glassfibre water tank, i bought glass fibre matting and resin

and recovered it, this stopped the problem. Getting the tank out is a bit of a swine.

Yes a boat can rust from the inside out and faster because it has access to more oxygen.

[flo]

hi Morphyous

Yes it is leaking from the fibreglass watertank, now have to move the fire, built in seating area and front wall to get under the bow to get to it, at least now I know where I have to start. Ive lifted the floorboards and everything else looks ok so thanks I will get some glass fibre matting/resin, would that be from a car type shop?

Thanks

[sueb]

hi Morphyous

Yes it is leaking from the fibreglass watertank, now have to move the fire, built in seating area and front wall to get under the bow to get to it, at least now I know where I have to start. Ive lifted the floorboards and everything else looks ok so thanks I will get some glass fibre matting/resin, would that be from a car type shop?

Thanks

Our water tank, which leaked from the top, was mended with gaffer tape. It ended up as a permanent repair.

Sue

[paulcatchpole]

... I will get some glass fibre matting/resin, would that be from a car type shop?

 

If it's anything more than a tiny repair, then buy online from a supplier of such materials - it'll be cheaper and the product better and hence easier to use.

 

We ordered from CFS (google them...) recently, and have just completed re-glassing more-or-less the entire top of the cabin on the project boat.

 

The DIY kits from car shops are okay, but contain a small quantity of everything, for a large price, whilst also being frustrating to use!

 

Is the tank really GRP and not part of the hull - I admit I'm not familiar with the design of these boats... ?

 

PC