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.
