Can backplates from bow rail cause moisture?

Happy you've found water with your first two exploratory wells , I have som wet foam areas so am following your post. One idea I had first was too dangerous involving flammable solvents so I'm still working the problem out mentally and hoping for a minimally invasive procedure that could help others. I am thinking of making a wire wisk along the lines of a plumber's snake that can be spun in the cavity through a relatively small hole or series of holes in the affected areas to shred the foam to small enough pieces that would allow for either vacuume extraction or pressure exerted from a small hole higher up in the cavity wall.
Another idea is an attachment to a pressure washing hose with multiple jets that could be inserted through a small hole and shred the foam for extraction. I will of course share results if and when I come up with a method that works and is safe. Meanwhile if you try any of these methods and come with solutions or problems in the process please share
According to the wet foam, I just looked again in the hole and saw some water. Probably water what is inside the foam sinks down (gravity logic). I also put the vacuumcleaner on the foam and it sucked all water out, maybe to speed the process up tomorrow I leave the vacuumcleaner a long time sucking on the foam.
I am affraid that, with your problem, new water comes in let your foam stay wet or is it getting dryer?

Humidity level in masterbedroom stays low and no condensation at the portlights. We were all day away till 21:00, in the morning we turned the heater off and humidifier was in guestroom with doors closed.
Went out this morning with 58% / 18*C , came back 61% /9,5*C

looking good
 
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Air movement over the wet areas will help TREMENDOUSLY to dry it out. Over time, it will dry out by itself. But if you plug a blower (Shop Vac on "blow", for example) into one hole, and have the other hole for an "exit", that would dry it out faster. The second hole allows for more air movement over the wet area.
 
Well guys we are a couple weeks further and finally I think I solved the leak/condensation problem. it was a long journey and discovered a lot so maybe it’s worthy to write this.

We bought our 500da in Italy and transported the ship in august 2019 to the Netherlands. Since then we had a lot of rain and faced a lot of problems with leaks all over the ship. From leaks in navigationlights, worn canvas from the boat cover to leaks in watertank. We also run in different weather seasons that causes a lot of condensation.

I learned that when you have problems with condensation first thing you have to do is that you make sure no water comes in your boat from leaks and that you make your boat completely dry to see how much condensation you produce by living on your boat. Then you can solve that by dehumidifiers and ventilations.

Our main cause was the leak from the navigationlight on port side. On looking on the trace and the rot of wood i think this navigation light leaked for a very long period by the previous owner. Another big cause was the leak in the watertank (written in another thread).

After fixing this 2 problems we run in different weather season and faced a lot of condensation. Portlights were very wet with drops of water as wel as other places. I thought that there were more leaks on the deck so I rebedded almost everything on the deck but still wet portlights etc. It drove me crazy at some points.

Also in the compartments in front and back of the watertank there was still coming water true rotten cracks in the bulkheads that makes me think that there was another leak in the watertank which I can’t locate because unable to reach. Around the watertank the space was full with foam and the location of the watertank is under the floor from the salon and guestroom.

Many thanks to all the advise I get from you guys made me think and think. I placed a heavy dehumidifier and from that moment we had dry portlights etc. We were so happy at that moment but still couldn’t believe that we produce so much condensation by living on the boat.

My suspicion pointed that there was maybe some water in some compartments that I couldn’t reach. I asked Searay some construction drawings and found out that there were a lot of hidden compartments created by stringers and bulkheads. I drilled a hole in one of those compartments and discovered a lot of water and soaked foam. I borrowed a vacuumcleaner from the boatshop in our harbor und sucked most out. The water in the soaked foam has to lower and dry. Everyday I used the vacuumcleaner and drilled another hole and put a air blower on that hole to give a good airmovement in that compartment to dry everything. From the moment of the the first water collected by the vacuumcleaner (around 40liters!!!) we noticed so less condensation and felt that the boat is getting dry.

Sometimed the boatshop owner needs the vacuumcleaner for some other jobs after he finish I picked it up again. Then the owner cleaned the vacuumcleaner after he did a dirty job and I picked it up again and after I turned it one I heard some strange noise and the powerbreaker went off. The owner cleaned to much and probably with that cleaning job water came by the electric motor. Grrrr no vacuumcleaner at that moment. Luckily the soaked foam was getting really dry but I wanted it completely dry. I remembered I had a hand vacuum oil extracter from my previous boat that had a long hose that you put in the dipstick tube to get all oil out of your engine. since there was less water to collect this device was maybe a good alternative and it did.

Meanwhile there was still coming water out of the bulkheads in front and back of the watertank that worries me a lot. Since we are still living on the boat my girlfriend didn’t like the idea of putting some coloured stuff in the watertank to find out if that water coming true the bulkheads were from another leak in the watertank. Or is it still ‘old’ water from the period of my huge discovered and solved leak on top of the watertank.

But now I have that handvacuumpump with small hose. Maybe there is a small space in the foam that is around the watertank. Sometimes you must have some little luck and I did. Exactly in the middle just behind the bulkhead between watertank/showersump there was a space and I placed the tube right till the bottom and collected 8 liters water!!!!!
The next day another 2, the day after some under 2 and then every day less. But where did this water comes from? I really don’t know but i hoped not from the watertank.

last week we went home for 2 days and empty the watertank completely. When we returned on the ship I put the tube in and started pumping: no water, then leak in watertank, pumping water: old water .
Luckily I pumped another 2 liters of water. The water is also very light brown that indicated it’s coming from somewhere and had stayed there for a while. From then I pumped everyday the water out and it’s getting less everyday. I really have no clue where it comes from but I think from hidden compartments and soaked foam that let the water by gravity goes to the lowest point exactly to the point where I put my vacuumtube in.
Yesterday I filled the watertank again and this morning i pumped only a glas of water out. I am so happy that there are no more leaks in the watertank whohoho.

Since the moment I pumped the water out under the watertank the compartment in front of the watertank is dry. We feel the air all around the boat is dry. The dehumidifier has 6 levels and since couple days we put at lvl 1 and most times of the day the dehumidifier doesn’t run at all!!! and more important no condensation where ever i look!!!

I want to thank everyone for his thoughts, advises and effort reading my long stories.

For those who having problems with lots of condensation: fix all leaks, dry your boat and pay attention to hidden compartments that maybe filled completely with water!!!
 
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Well guys we are a couple weeks further and finally I think I solved the leak/condensation problem. it was a long journey and discovered a lot so maybe it’s worthy to write this.

We bought our 500da in Italy and transported the ship in august 2019 to the Netherlands. Since then we had a lot of rain and faced a lot of problems with leaks all over the ship. From leaks in navigationlights, worn canvas from the boat cover to leaks in watertank. We also run in different weather seasons that causes a lot of condensation.

I learned that when you have problems with condensation first thing you have to do is that you make sure no water comes in your boat from leaks and that you make your boat completely dry to see how much condensation you produce by living on your boat. Then you can solve that by dehumidifiers and ventilations.

Our main cause was the leak from the navigationlight on port side. On looking on the trace and the rot of wood i think this navigation light leaked for a very long period by the previous owner. Another big cause was the leak in the watertank (written in another thread).

After fixing this 2 problems we run in different weather season and faced a lot of condensation. Portlights were very wet with drops of water as wel as other places. I thought that there were more leaks on the deck so I rebedded almost everything on the deck but still wet portlights etc. It drove me crazy at some points.

Also in the compartments in front and back of the watertank there was still coming water true rotten cracks in the bulkheads that makes me think that there was another leak in the watertank which I can’t locate because unable to reach. Around the watertank the space was full with foam and the location of the watertank is under the floor from the salon and guestroom.

Many thanks to all the advise I get from you guys made me think and think. I placed a heavy dehumidifier and from that moment we had dry portlights etc. We were so happy at that moment but still couldn’t believe that we produce so much condensation by living on the boat.

My suspicion pointed that there was maybe some water in some compartments that I couldn’t reach. I asked Searay some construction drawings and found out that there were a lot of hidden compartments created by stringers and bulkheads. I drilled a hole in one of those compartments and discovered a lot of water and soaked foam. I borrowed a vacuumcleaner from the boatshop in our harbor und sucked most out. The water in the soaked foam has to lower and dry. Everyday I used the vacuumcleaner and drilled another hole and put a air blower on that hole to give a good airmovement in that compartment to dry everything. From the moment of the the first water collected by the vacuumcleaner (around 40liters!!!) we noticed so less condensation and felt that the boat is getting dry.

Sometimed the boatshop owner needs the vacuumcleaner for some other jobs after he finish I picked it up again. Then the owner cleaned the vacuumcleaner after he did a dirty job and I picked it up again and after I turned it one I heard some strange noise and the powerbreaker went off. The owner cleaned to much and probably with that cleaning job water came by the electric motor. Grrrr no vacuumcleaner at that moment. Luckily the soaked foam was getting really dry but I wanted it completely dry. I remembered I had a hand vacuum oil extracter from my previous boat that had a long hose that you put in the dipstick tube to get all oil out of your engine. since there was less water to collect this device was maybe a good alternative and it did.

Meanwhile there was still coming water out of the bulkheads in front and back of the watertank that worries me a lot. Since we are still living on the boat my girlfriend didn’t like the idea of putting some coloured stuff in the watertank to find out if that water coming true the bulkheads were from another leak in the watertank. Or is it still ‘old’ water from the period of my huge discovered and solved leak on top of the watertank.

But now I have that handvacuumpump with small hose. Maybe there is a small space in the foam that is around the watertank. Sometimes you must have some little luck and I did. Exactly in the middle just behind the bulkhead between watertank/showersump there was a space and I placed the tube right till the bottom and collected 8 liters water!!!!!
The next day another 2, the day after some under 2 and then every day less. But where did this water comes from? I really don’t know but i hoped not from the watertank.

last week we went home for 2 days and empty the watertank completely. When we returned on the ship I put the tube in and started pumping: no water then leak in watertank, pumping water: old water .
Luckily I pumped another 2 liters of water. The water is also very light brown that indicated it’s coming from somewhere and had stayed there for a while. From then I pumped everyday the water out and it’s getting less everyday. I really have no clue where it comes from but I think from hidden compartments and soaked foam that let the water by gravity goes to the lowest point exactly to the point where I put my vacuumtube in.

Since the moment I pumped the water out under the watertank the compartment in front of the watertank is dry. We feel the air all around the boat is dry. The dehumidifier has 6 levels and since couple days we put at lvl 1 and most times of the day the dehumidifier doesn’t run at all!!! and more important no condensation where ever i look!!!

I want to thank everyone for his thoughts, advises and effort reading my long stories.

For those who having problems with lots of condensation: fix all leaks, dry your boat and pay attention to hidden compartments that maybe filled completely with water!!!

thank you for this detailed update, I am so happy you are making progress!
 
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Thanks Chris, we are so happy that humidity is in control and that the watertank is good. Almost unbelievable after 3 months continues search/stress/effort/frustration/hope :)
 
Thanks Chris, we are so happy that humidity is in control and that the watertank is good. Almost unbelievable after 3 months continues search/stress/effort/frustration/hope :)

I, along with a bunch of people here in the United States have been following and hoping would get better! I am sure everyone is happy. And to get that extra water weight out will be nice
 

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