During the season I always get a build-up of water in the bilge of my 1999 260 Sundancer. The boat has been out the water for the past 5 months and the water still accumulates, thus confirming that it's rain water. Yesterday I climbed into the bilge and discovered that there is a small channel running along the sides and across the stern where the hull and superstructre are bonded together. I ran my fingers across the joint (channel) on the stern and discovered that it is full of water. With suffucient rain the channel fills and then overflows into the bilge. Does anyone have any ideas as to where the water may be coming from (it could be coming from higher up the channel and flowing down to the stern) and also suggestions as to how I could stop the ingress of water. I am tempted to silicon seal the channel but that doesn't stop the leak at source, and could force it out somewhere else. Could it be that is this a common problem or design fault with a 1999 260 Sundancer. Any suggestions or details of similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Mark.
Rain leaking into the bilge from the stern..
- Thread starter mrgrumpy
- Start date
330DA
Active Member
- Oct 12, 2006
- 500
- Boat Info
- 2000 310 Sundancer, Brig 330 RIB
- Engines
- 350 Horizons, V-Drives
I might not be reading your description correctly. Is the "channel" you described where the rub rail is screwed on at the hull/deck joint? If so, you probably have water leaking in there. You'll have to remove the screws and metal band on the rub rail. Squeeze some caulk into the the screw holes and re-fasten the rubrail. A bead of caulk at the of top the rub rail won't hurt, too.
I had to re-caulk the vents last year as water was coming in from there.
I had to re-caulk the vents last year as water was coming in from there.
Last edited:
tobnpr
New Member
Some pics would really be helpful here. Hard to visualize what you're referring to...
Last fall I gutted the cockpit of my boat for a refit, which included stripping the carpet liner from inside the hull (no inner liner) that also covered the hull/deck joint. I was shocked to find a big 'ol gap between the deck and the hullsides that had been letting water into the bilge. I had service records from the prior owner indicating that the fuel tanks had been replaced a few years earlier; a big job that required pulling the entire deck off the boat as well as the engines. When the deck was replaced, it was only half-ass caulked and large gaps remained. From what I could tell it looked like it had been bonded at the factory with fiberglass putty; I glassed it all back together and solved the problem.
Like the poster above said, the hull/deck joint is at the rubrail, but since that is a "shoebox" type joint, where the cap fits over top of the hull, it's impossible for it to leak there save a few drops that might get in through a screw hole. Can you describe a little better or post some pics?
Last fall I gutted the cockpit of my boat for a refit, which included stripping the carpet liner from inside the hull (no inner liner) that also covered the hull/deck joint. I was shocked to find a big 'ol gap between the deck and the hullsides that had been letting water into the bilge. I had service records from the prior owner indicating that the fuel tanks had been replaced a few years earlier; a big job that required pulling the entire deck off the boat as well as the engines. When the deck was replaced, it was only half-ass caulked and large gaps remained. From what I could tell it looked like it had been bonded at the factory with fiberglass putty; I glassed it all back together and solved the problem.
Like the poster above said, the hull/deck joint is at the rubrail, but since that is a "shoebox" type joint, where the cap fits over top of the hull, it's impossible for it to leak there save a few drops that might get in through a screw hole. Can you describe a little better or post some pics?
