Found the Leak

Ok, so I replaced the keel in October, and for a month or so the bilge was dry. Then in December it started collecting water... never more than 5 gal/wk. 5 gal seems like a lot, or sounds like a lot, but it still never reaches the floor boards. Anyway, over the past month or so, it seems to be taking on a lot more water. Probably because we are sailing it more. I am pretty convinced that the leak is around the keel bolts, as leaks usually are, but they all look tight and well coated with 5200.

Now the leak is getting worse. I am almost pumping 5 gal/day. So I posted a note on craigslist looking for someone with a 22' to 25' sailboat trailer so I can pull her out and fix the keel bolts. Someone actually replied, and would help, in exchange for helping with pulling his boat out, as he was moving. But first, I thought I would take one more look at the keel bolts and bilge. So I brought the wet/dry vac over to the boat, and sucked all the water out that I could (the bilge pump doesnt sit at the very lowest point so it doesnt get all the water out). Once I sucked all the water out, I could see a tiny stream of water coming from one of the bolts. I poked and wiggled, and sure enough this is where the leak is coming from. During the wiggling, the 5200 came loose, and just spun around like a washer between the nut and the hull. I carved out the 5200 and then noticed a different problem. The nut wasnt tightened down all the way. It was about 1/4" or more from being tightened all the way. Ok delema here... How do I tighten a bolt where the head is under the boat, in the water, and the nut is inside the bilge access that is only about 3" wide x 10" long?

So I went out to Home Depot and bought a needle nose vise grip pliers, and cresent wrench with a head on one end that bends (kind of like its on a hinge - no pic), and ratchets. Bending the wrench at 90 degrees to fit into the 3" wide opening, and then grasping the top of the bolt with the vise grip, I was able to tighten the nut down the rest of the way. I figured that I would check the other 3 bolts too - all good. I sucked the water out of the bilge, then tried to dry it out with paper towels, and went home.

I check out my job the next day on my way home from work... all dry... and starting to look even drier...

Even after sailing a couple times on it now, only a little water, which I cant tell if its from rain, or when I hose the boat down, or still leaking. But a little leak is better than a big leak.

If I get brave enough this summer, I might pull the nut off and slide a compression (cone) washer under it, and tighten it down again, and see if that helps.

I have been in GA for two weeks now, and I know that its been raining at home, so we will see what we get when we get back next week.

Father's Day Weekend

Couldnt really get out on Father's Day, as we had other commitments, plus we are going to Georgia on Monday, so we went out on Saturday. I got to sail for about an hour and a half by myself, then picked up Brooke and Flannery on Dunedin Causeway (it was easier and quicker than going back to the marina.

Here is where we went.


View 6/18/2011 in a larger map

Beautiful day. Smooth seas, 10 knot winds.

Transom Question

From a posting on SBO.

I have a 1983 Hunter 22. The previous owner drill a hole through the transom for his gas line to his outboard engine and did not seal the edges. I drill some holes at the bottom of the transom to check from moisture, I didn't find any. I didn't see any wood ether. Is this ok or does it just have wood where the engine mount is.

Cover for the fuel line.

SS backing plates for the motor mount.

Bulkhead Pictures for Jim

I got an email this morning from Jim, requesting pictures of my bulkhead:

"hi,i am in the middle of rebuilding my hunter 22 bulkheads and i saw you have one. can i ask you a question about your boat? I am finding that the bulkeads after i reinstalled them are not sitting quite as flush against the flanges of the cabin interior as I recall. can i send you a couple of pictures of my bulkheads and you can send photos of yours. i am trying to see if my boat has distorted or something. Thanks
Jim"

So Jim here you go.

Aft side of port bulkhead

Aft side of starboard bulkhead

Forward side of port bulkhead

Forward side of starboard bulkhead

Forward side of starboard bulkhead larger

All by myself

I went out Sunday. You know its amazing how stupid some boaters can be. Why is it that I can be motoring out the channel from the marina, have 3 30'+ motor boats pass me, and have no issues, yet one yahoo, passes so close, that his wake, damn nearly throws me off the boat, and causes the boat behind me to take evasive action. All so he can get to a spot 1/4 mile away, and start tubing. Some times I am glad I dont carry a gun.

After that, I had a good time.


View 6/5/2011 in a larger map

First Night out

On May 27th we spent the first night out on Inara. We sailed out to the north end of Three Rooker Bar, and anchored there. We had dinner - KFC - and then just sat around and talked. We put Flannery to bed first, then Brooke and I talked more, and enjoyed the light breeze and sounds. It was really cool. I think we could hear dolphins "talking" to each other. Brooke and I could hear a definite "clicking" sound that was coming from multiple sources all around us. Some nearer (louder) some fainter (further) some many clicks (longer) some shorter.

We got up several times during the night, making sure that the anchor wasnt dragging. Brooke woke up at 0530 in a panic that we had moved. All that had happened was we had swung around on the anchor.

She eventually went back to sleep, and we slept till about 0730. We had bagels and cream cheese for bkfst, and then pulled up anchor about 0900, and motored to a different beachy part of the island. We walked up and down the beach, examining my sea shell collection.

We left the island about 1045, as more and more stink pots where showing up, and the island was no longer quite and calm.