Weed Hatch

[AlexK91]

My water tank is a plastic tank that sits at the front of the boat but probably a little set back as much as I can tell.. Its 3/4 on the left of the boat with the right 1/4 housing pipes and the water pump and tube to outside to fill up.

 

My stern gland greaser is working fine turns out I'm just not turning it enough someone said to me turn it leave it a few mins and turn it again which I have done since last night and has stopped all dripping there. I can see no signs of leaking from my water tank nor any water in my cabin bilge in between then engine bilge and main cabin I have two cupboards that go all the way to the bottom and a gap underneath that looks like goes between the two. Then another wall almost like another bulkhead. There was some water here which has been removed now.

We were underway as there was no leak when we set off. But then realised it was only leaking when you push the throttle a little further forwards and get more power at idle/slow speed there was no leak as soon as we spotted it we stopped and headed straight back to my mooring which was about 500m away. I had taken it out too the week prior to get diesel which is other side of marina and didn't notice anything then either.

 

I usually check my bilge every other day or so...so until then nothing was out of the ordinary but as soon as we realised what the issue was we stopped until we could work out what could be done about it.

[mross]

Thanks for updating us. If you get the chance to post some photos of the back of the boat (from outside) before and after filling your fresh water tank, that would be interesting. I'm very happy that a crisis seems to have been averted.

[AlexK91]

Sorry I was so caught up trying to sort it before dsrk I haven't done any pictures. I think pumping out waste tank will probably finish the job off and get me all level and even again.

[matty40s]

yes but that would be easy to see as most boats have easy access to the water tank and to drop a few hundred ltrs in a short time would be noticeable.

Most are NOT easy to get to or inspect, especially the front end of one,

An integral tank may be accessible from a hatch or lid, a stainless steel tank under front deck not so.

It may also be a slow weep from a loose rivet or a crack in a weld, not quick, but still leaks over a fairly quick period until the level of the fail is reached by the water in the tank.

[Northernboater]

Most are NOT easy to get to or inspect, especially the front end of one,

An integral tank may be accessible from a hatch or lid, a stainless steel tank under front deck not so.

It may also be a slow weep from a loose rivet or a crack in a weld, not quick, but still leaks over a fairly quick period until the level of the fail is reached by the water in the tank.

It all depends how the boat was designed, mine is easy to access, stainless steel under the front, open two doors instant access to tank, water pump and accumulator with storage space.

The OP's also seems simple to access as stated above, housing a plastic tank, water pump and filler.

Yes front edge a bit difficult to get to to inspect, but if I had a leak it would show. Maybe that's why most builders now use purpose built water tanks out of stainless or poly, instead of integral ones. All boats are different though.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Northernboater

[Arthur Marshall]

I think I'm right in saying that when you get under way, your back end will drop a bit (again more noticeable with a small boat) which is why the weed hatch seal is essential. It should have some screw or lever type gizmo on it to lock it down as well - mine didn't have one when I bought the boat and I just piled a couple of bricks on it, but it's now a requirement.

[AlexK91]

To those of you who haven't seen my other post.

 

I found the problem my boat had basically begun sinking.I give there is a leak from the waste water shower pump. And over the course of five weeks it has filled the cabin bilge of my boat to the brim. Which made it sit much lower. I drilled a large hole in the floor under one of the beds to be able to insert a bilge pump and now majority of the water has been pumped out the boat is sitting at correct level again.

 

Checked the weed hatch today and the water level is at is normal height again and I'm no longer listing. Thank you to you all for advice its prove invaluable and has more or less saved my boat from sinking.

 

And with help from people on my marina where I'm moored we've got it sorted.just need to locate the source of the leak now and rectify it.

[Mike Todd]

I drilled a 2 inch hole in the base of my steps and use a pela pump to remove any water.

 

There should be no need to damage any carpets etc if you do the same.

 

Steve

I did similar in a cupboard. I think the water arrived when a boatyard did some work on the water tank connections and probably let a load drop into the bilge which was not apparent at the time until the dampness - in the galley at the rear - started to make itself known. Once dried out we never had a recurrence but the access was always comforting to check especially when it was bone dry!.

Hi Guys

 

Thanks for all your help. I got back from work and boat was still afloat (I let someone in the marina know to keep an eye on it and was told of they spotted anything wrong they would have called me anyway.

 

The water in my weed hatch as seemed to go down today. I don't think the water level was as low as what I thought it was. As it looks about how it was when first got the boat. Maybe just a little bit higher. I have put a seal round the weed hatch. No more water had come in through it water only came in when in motion but as o say I've put a seal on that and water level seem to have dropped.

 

Was also talking to someone in my marina who said it looks like my fresh water tank is getting low as front looks like its high out of water and if I refill that should help with the weed hatch.

 

I don't have access to cabin bilge but the cupboards at back of boat so go what I think looks like all the way down to the bottom and there was a small amount of water in there maybe a few litres. Don't know if it was condensation but cleared that out now as well.

 

I will be getting a pump out tomorrow as well as I think that's not helping and that tank must be fuller than I thought it was. (Last used about two weeks ago)

 

I am brand new to boating (other than hodays) done research and asked around but nothing can prepare you for everything so I appreciate everyone's

 

Thanks Again

These are the times when you realise - and appreciate - what a hire operator is doing for their customers!

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

I had the weed hatch extended to raise the edges above water level by another 6 inches.

[mross]

I had the weed hatch extended to raise the edges above water level by another 6 inches.

Does that make it very hard to reach the bottom of the prop?

[WotEver]

I had a BSS which recommended that my weed hatch be raised by 1cm!

 

I decided not to bother.

[Murflynn]

where is it within the scope of BSS?

[WotEver]

where is it within the scope of BSS?

It's an advisory. Should be at least something or other. I think it's 8" or 200mm. Mine measured at 191mm.

 

Or something like that, going from memory.

[Tim Lewis]

By co-incidence there is an article about weed hatch problems in teh latest (Feb 2017) editiion of Canal Boat magazine.

 

Tim

[Murflynn]

It's an advisory. Should be at least something or other. I think it's 8" or 200mm. Mine measured at 191mm.

 

Or something like that, going from memory.

it's news to me that BSS addresses anything to do with boat stability or vulnerability to flooding.

 

RCD standards certainly do, and a rule of thumb is 8" (a complex 'downflooding' calculation is required).

[WotEver]

it's news to me that BSS addresses anything to do with boat stability or vulnerability to flooding.

 

RCD standards certainly do, and a rule of thumb is 8" (a complex 'downflooding' calculation is required).

Maybe it was just something that the examiner noted when he had his head in the 'ole. As I say, it was a long time ago.

[ditchcrawler]

By co-incidence there is an article about weed hatch problems in teh latest (Feb 2017) editiion of Canal Boat magazine.

 

Tim

I really didn't like the way they did it, I have always had the tape on the flat plate so that it seals onto the lip, having said that for the past 5 years or so I have used a rectangular sheet covering the plate completely and found sealing much more effective.

Maybe it was just something that the examiner noted when he had his head in the 'ole. As I say, it was a long time ago.

Wasn't it in the first round of BSS inspections and later dropped but may still be in the Hire Boat ones I haven't looked.

[WotEver]

Wasn't it in the first round of BSS inspections and later dropped but may still be in the Hire Boat ones I haven't looked.

Quite possibly

 

I know I wasn't bothered about less than half an inch.

[AlexK91]

Well now bots stable and floating properly again it's got the correct amount of gap between water and top of weed hatch as in what looks like8inches or so.

 

When people use excercise ,acts etc do you cut it to size of the weed hatch (not he lid that clamps down onto it) and then put the weed hatch on top and clamp it down or do you cut it to size of the actually removable weed hatch plate.

[WotEver]

Well now bots stable and floating properly again it's got the correct amount of gap between water and top of weed hatch as in what looks like8inches or so.

 

When people use excercise ,acts etc do you cut it to size of the weed hatch (not he lid that clamps down onto it) and then put the weed hatch on top and clamp it down or do you cut it to size of the actually removable weed hatch plate.

Better larger than smaller so I'd say the size of the cover.

[ditchcrawler]

I cut the sheet about half an inch bigger than the top plate, I then cut a small hole in the centre where the bar joins the top plate to the one that sits at the bottom of the hatch. I then cut two slits from that hole outwards , just big enough to stretch it over the bottom plate. I had to trim the ends accurately as there are two upstands on the weed hatch where the clamp bar that holds the lid down goes and the back edge is up against the fuel tank.

[koukouvagia]

 

 

When people use excercise ,acts etc do you cut it to size of the weed hatch (not he lid that clamps down onto it) and then put the weed hatch on top and clamp it down or do you cut it to size of the actually removable weed hatch plate.

see post #15

[ditchcrawler]

see post #15

I missed that as well, Yes that's the way to do it.