[C320-list] Cabin Leak

[Geof Ward]

Last summer, I purchased Pre Vailing Wind, a 2004 Catalina 320 (#966) with
in-mast mainsail furling, and I have been frustrated by a leak in the main
cabin. The water drips from the forward light fixture on the top of the
cabin on the starboard side – just inboard of the starboard lower chain
plate. I re-bedded the chain plate, but it didn’t seem to make any
difference. Most puzzling, the water continues to drip for many, many days
after a rain, so water must be collecting somewhere and dripping out over
time. Is the in-mast furling mast a factor? Has anyone successfully dealt
with anything like this? Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Geo F Ward
Pre Vailing Wind
seaki...@gmail.com

[Brian McLamb]

I had similar leak in port light nearest nav table. After checking
everything I could think of I was able to slightly tighten the bolt nuts
from Genoa track. That really helped and I also put a skim of clear
sealant on deck screws of the mast stays. My 320 is also in mast furler and
it is not a contributing factor to the leak.
Brian McLamb
Serenity #1075

--
Brian McLamb

[Dave Hupe]

My worst "nagging" leak has been where I get drips from the low corner of the small Bowmar hatch in the head.  Brown-stained drips of water would show up on the head floor. This was strange, like your leak, where it didn't leak right away.....showed up after a rain.....and continued to seep for a long while.  I suspected and therefore pulled the traveler and rebeded it. I found wet mount holes.  So, I think water would gradually leak there and slowly work its way down through the cabin top (and the encapsulated wood....picking up the "staining") to the exit point at the hatch edge.  I still haven't had enough time to know for sure if that indeed was the problem, since we did this fix late in the season, then covered the boat.  Time will tell! 
I also suspected the center cover over the top, sliding hatch.  Mine was not caulked around the outside seam.  So, I caulked it and also pulled the mount screws and slathered caulk on them when reinserting them.  
We also had a seep on our starboard jib car track.  So, we rebeded that last year.  Is your small forward, starboard jib car track a possible leak source near your problem?  
Dave Hupe
1994 Cat 320 (hull #32)
Holland, MI

[Jeff Hare]

Ah... The ole dripping light trick.

Anyone who hasn't, should check this out. Pop off the inner white trim rings from your side opening portlights and check so see if the hatch bolts are loose. Mine were so loose they rattled and essentially the side hatches were relying on the caulking to keep them against the hull. It caused leaking in-between the hull and the liner in my case and dripped out one of the lights.

It was simple to tighten them up. Never leaked again. Your mileage may vary.

The genoa track is also a good possibility for leaks except that it's unlikely that it would drip out the forward light if that were the case. My other bet would be that your mast step bolts are leaky. Rather than rebed anything, get a bottle of "Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure", really, not kidding. It's got the consistency of alcohol but is a little like white super glue. It wicks into the smallest cracks and clogs/glues/hardens up. Apply it until it stops soaking in. Let it dry, then try again. When it accepts no more, that spot will probably not leak again.

Again, this is great for a lot of little fixes like sealing genoa track bolts, hatch screws, etc. Not as perm. as proper rebedding but it can help you know whether that's the real problem or not.

-Jeff Hare

[Millers]

Jeff,
Captain Trolley’s..... heard good things along the line of how you have used it.
Does it dry white?
How do you think it might work on a hair-line gelcoat crack (crack would be opened a bit to apply product) ?
Art
# 680

Sent from my iPhone

[Jeff Hare]

Works great for gelcoat cracks. Dries sort of translucent white but solid white like paint, but you can wipe it off the surface before it dries also so that it doesn't show outside the crack.

No need to open up the crack for it to work. It wicks into hairline cracks pretty well because it's so thin.

Seems thinner than water to me but I'm not a chem engineer so don't know if that's true!

[Dave Hupe]

Captain Trolley's.....I applied it on several spider cracks last year.  It is very liquid and dries clear (maybe slightly milky).  If it doesn't soak in you wipe off the excess with a damp rag.  The only noticeable thing was it dried very shiny compared to my adjacent gel coat.
Dave Hupe
1994 320 (hull #32)
Holland, MI

[Geof Ward]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. You've given me some new ideas,
and I'm hopeful one of the suggestions will prove fruitful. However, if
anyone out there has any other ideas, I'd be glad for them as well. Right
now, I'm like a lot of other sailors, just waiting for the weather to get
warm enough for me to start working on the boat. I'll post again when I
think I've remedied the problem for the benefit of anyone else who has a
similar leak. Again, thank you all for your help. Dave, special thanks
for your kind invitation. I'll write you a personal reply from my old
email.