All too easily, apparently, because there IS no justice.
The trouble is that fiberglass hulls have holes in them. In most cases, the
number of holes is comparatively small — dozens or scores — but in others it
can be in the hundreds.
Most boats have large fittings that let fluids pass right
through the hull, in and out. The engine cooling water comes in that way, for
example, and water for flushing the head goes out that way when the Coasties
aren’t watching. The galley sink drains that way, too.
The through-hull fittings are bedded in compounds to
prevent leaks, but as boats age, the compound shifts, oozes out, or becomes
more brittle, allowing water to enter. Old seacocks often leak, too.
All boats have holes through the deck and cabintop for
various fittings, and some have hundreds of holes for screws holding down
strips of teak decking. In theory, all these holes are sealed. In practice,
many will leak when it rains or when spray hits the deck. And if you have a
cabin liner, or ceiling boards on the cabin sides, tracing the source of a leak
is notoriously difficult.
This may sound a bit whacky, but the best way to find where
the water’s coming from is to seal the boat and pump in air at low pressure.
Brush soapy water over the superstructure and watch for bubbles.
You can
use duct tape and butyl putty to seal the hatches and ventilation holes
temporarily, and the air pressure doesn’t have to be high. A few pounds per
square inch will do it.
Today’s Thought
Where least expected, water breaks forth.— Italian proverb
Tailpiece
I want
to knowHow fireflies glow.
Do they carry
Little Exides
Slung beneath
Their tiny bexides?
(Drop
by every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for a new Mainly about Boats column.)
