I'm missing something obvious . . .

When I bought the Cal 39 the PO said that he always had about 2 inches of water in the bilge and it never got any deeper than that and sure enough that is what I get too. I thought I had found it when I discovered the seawater galley pump was leaking but it still comes in somewhere. I've looked at all the other thru hulls and don't see anything. Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but how can something be leaking in a boat and only get 2 inches inside? My simple mind thinks that if there is a leak in the boat it isn't going to stop until the boat is sunk. I don't have a bilge pump with a float switch that is maintaining this elevation (too obvious even for me) so help me out here. I mostly race so I keep the water tanks empty so it's not fresh. I do have a leak at a stanchion base that I am aware of but even when we've not had rain the water is there! I hate having a wet bilge and this is driving me nuts! Thanks for your help. Paul West Adventure Kwest '80 Cal 39 Mk III

where does the ice box drain. And then where is the outlet to your bilge pump. Mine will be under the water in following seas and I get water in that way. I am installing a anti siphon to get it above the water line. Randy CAL2-29 pw… [at] aol.com wrote: > > When I bought the Cal 39 the PO said that he always had about 2 inches of water in the bilge and it never got any deeper than that and sure enough that is what I get too. > > I thought I had found it when I discovered the seawater galley pump was leaking but it still comes in somewhere. I've looked at all the other thru hulls and don't see anything. > > Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but how can something be leaking in a boat and only get 2 inches inside? My simple mind thinks that if there is a leak in the boat it isn't going to stop until the boat is sunk. I don't have a bilge pump with a float switch that is maintaining this elevation (too obvious even for me) so help me out here. I mostly race so I keep the water tanks empty so it's not fresh. I do have a leak at a stanchion base that I am aware of but even when we've not had rain the water is there! I hate having a wet bilge and this is driving me nuts! > > Thanks for your help. > > Paul West > Adventure Kwest > '80 Cal 39 Mk III > > >

hard to say why it maintains a level, unless it is a condensation issue where the liquid/vapor is at an equilibrium... When I have a slow leak to find, I sprinkle baby power around different locations. Water movement makes trails appear. Once you have a trail, you can keep sprinkling to eventually find the source. In the past I have located stanchions, packing glands, bolts that retain a prop strut, propeller shaft log and a delaminated fiberglass reinforcement at a through hull. I also look hard at locations that stay wet for a "long time" when I haul the boat out of the water. You can check these areas by soaping then and using a vacuum cleaner hose taped to the spout of a clear water bottle with the bottom cut out (you may have to duct tape around the bottom of the bottle to make a soft sealing surface). Leaky locations should bubble. good luck! dEmO From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of pw… [at] aol.com Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 9:43 AM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: [Cal_Boats] I'm missing something obvious . . . When I bought the Cal 39 the PO said that he always had about 2 inches of water in the bilge and it never got any deeper than that and sure enough that is what I get too. I thought I had found it when I discovered the seawater galley pump was leaking but it still comes in somewhere. I've looked at all the other thru hulls and don't see anything. Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but how can something be leaking in a boat and only get 2 inches inside? My simple mind thinks that if there is a leak in the boat it isn't going to stop until the boat is sunk. I don't have a bilge pump with a float switch that is maintaining this elevation (too obvious even for me) so help me out here. I mostly race so I keep the water tanks empty so it's not fresh. I do have a leak at a stanchion base that I am aware of but even when we've not had rain the water is there! I hate having a wet bilge and this is driving me nuts! Thanks for your help. Paul West Adventure Kwest '80 Cal 39 Mk III

So it was that baby powder I smelled when I was on your boat, Timm. I was afraid to ask at the time. Cheers Charlie From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of ti… [at] ch2m.com Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 1:12 PM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [Cal_Boats] I'm missing something obvious . . . hard to say why it maintains a level, unless it is a condensation issue where the liquid/vapor is at an equilibrium... When I have a slow leak to find, I sprinkle baby power around different locations. Water movement makes trails appear. Once you have a trail, you can keep sprinkling to eventually find the source. In the past I have located stanchions, packing glands, bolts that retain a prop strut, propeller shaft log and a delaminated fiberglass reinforcement at a through hull. I also look hard at locations that stay wet for a "long time" when I haul the boat out of the water. You can check these areas by soaping then and using a vacuum cleaner hose taped to the spout of a clear water bottle with the bottom cut out (you may have to duct tape around the bottom of the bottle to make a soft sealing surface). Leaky locations should bubble. good luck! dEmO From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of pw… [at] aol.com Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 9:43 AM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: [Cal_Boats] I'm missing something obvious . . . When I bought the Cal 39 the PO said that he always had about 2 inches of water in the bilge and it never got any deeper than that and sure enough that is what I get too. I thought I had found it when I discovered the seawater galley pump was leaking but it still comes in somewhere. I've looked at all the other thru hulls and don't see anything. Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but how can something be leaking in a boat and only get 2 inches inside? My simple mind thinks that if there is a leak in the boat it isn't going to stop until the boat is sunk. I don't have a bilge pump with a float switch that is maintaining this elevation (too obvious even for me) so help me out here. I mostly race so I keep the water tanks empty so it's not fresh. I do have a leak at a stanchion base that I am aware of but even when we've not had rain the water is there! I hate having a wet bilge and this is driving me nuts! Thanks for your help. Paul West Adventure Kwest '80 Cal 39 Mk III

It could be the packing gland that is dripping at the same rate as evaporation. Mike Kennedy Conquest Cal 40 # 96 On Sep 11, 2009, at 9:42 AM, pw… [at] aol.com wrote: > > When I bought the Cal 39 the PO said that he always had about 2 > inches of water in the bilge and it never got any deeper than that > and sure enough that is what I get too. > > I thought I had found it when I discovered the seawater galley pump > was leaking but it still comes in somewhere. I've looked at all the > other thru hulls and don't see anything. > > Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but how can something be leaking in a > boat and only get 2 inches inside? My simple mind thinks that if > there is a leak in the boat it isn't going to stop until the boat is > sunk. I don't have a bilge pump with a float switch that is > maintaining this elevation (too obvious even for me) so help me out > here. I mostly race so I keep the water tanks empty so it's not > fresh. I do have a leak at a stanchion base that I am aware of but > even when we've not had rain the water is there! I hate having a > wet bilge and this is driving me nuts! > > Thanks for your help. > > Paul West > Adventure Kwest > '80 Cal 39 Mk III > > > >

Michael, Yes, when I bought Shpritz (Tempest) she had a reservoir of the saltiest water next to the Dead Sea or Great Salt Lake. There were salt crystals growing in the forward part of the hull from a tiny crack in the forward keel section. Patched the crack, and no more leak. And darn it... I forgot to bring my salt along for the cruise. But yeah, it leaked so slowly that the water evaporated just as fast at a certain surface area. Jerry --- On Fri, 9/11/09, Michael Kennedy <mt… [at] cox.net> wrote: From: Michael Kennedy <mt… [at] cox.net> Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] I'm missing something obvious . . . To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Date: Friday, September 11, 2009, 12:12 PM It could be the packing gland that is dripping at the same rate as evaporation. Mike Kennedy Conquest Cal 40 # 96 On Sep 11, 2009, at 9:42 AM, pw… [at] aol.com wrote: > > When I bought the Cal 39 the PO said that he always had about 2 > inches of water in the bilge and it never got any deeper than that > and sure enough that is what I get too. > > I thought I had found it when I discovered the seawater galley pump > was leaking but it still comes in somewhere. I've looked at all the > other thru hulls and don't see anything. > > Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but how can something be leaking in a > boat and only get 2 inches inside? My simple mind thinks that if > there is a leak in the boat it isn't going to stop until the boat is > sunk. I don't have a bilge pump with a float switch that is > maintaining this elevation (too obvious even for me) so help me out > here. I mostly race so I keep the water tanks empty so it's not > fresh. I do have a leak at a stanchion base that I am aware of but > even when we've not had rain the water is there! I hate having a > wet bilge and this is driving me nuts! > > Thanks for your help. > > Paul West > Adventure Kwest > '80 Cal 39 Mk III > > > > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links

Randy, Speaking of leaks, time is fast leaking away. Will there be a CCCCC in 2009, and if so, where is the coolest place to anchor in the Channel Islands, and where is the sea cave where i can hide Shpritz from the Homeland Defense Farce? I can see there being a small turnout, but chances are I'll see at least one Cal on my trip to and from the islands, that is, if I even go me self.. Jerry

Jerry, I had planned it for this weekend. But none responded positively. Everyone had other plans. I passed the torch back to you guys. We should start to experience Santa Annas .more and more in the up coming months and the islands torn deadly if you find a poor anchorage. I did get 3 CAL 34 s for the Prison Break this weekend and I will be sailing on Dave Paulsons Allegria. wish us luck. Joe and Joanns Huba Huba is also going over. They have been putting up some stiff compitition out here. catch up on Sunday. Be safe Gerald Sobel wrote: > > Randy, Speaking of leaks, time is fast leaking away. Will there be a CCCCC in 2009, and if so, where is the coolest place to anchor in the Channel Islands, and where is the sea cave where i can hide Shpritz from the Homeland Defense Farce? I can see there being a small turnout, but chances are I'll see at least one Cal on my trip to and from the islands, that is, if I even go me self.. Jerry >

Paul, Not much to be done here, Paul. Since there is no sump there is always some water in the bilge. I don't think I have 2". Probably more like an inch. it is the level the bilge pump can't get to plus what is left in the hose that drains back into the bilge. The water comes into my boat from the mast (notwithstanding its being sealed), a couple of yet-to-be-fixed leaks in toe-rail bolts, and who knows where else. I 'm certain the water in the bilge is fresh but I'm waiting to get someone aboard who is actually willing to taste it. I would bet against a leak below the waterline. It strikes me as too huge a coincidence that the leak rate and the evaporation rate would be Identical. There was a thread a few months ago about cutting a small sump into the bilge and putting a pump into it to scavenge the last bit of water out. Like the bilge water tasting, I'm still waiting for someone to actually do it. Wayne Gillikin Elusive Cal 39-III From: "pw… [at] aol.com" <pw… [at] aol.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 11:42:42 AM Subject: [Cal_Boats] I'm missing something obvious . . . When I bought the Cal 39 the PO said that he always had about 2 inches of water in the bilge and it never got any deeper than that and sure enough that is what I get too. I thought I had found it when I discovered the seawater galley pump was leaking but it still comes in somewhere. I've looked at all the other thru hulls and don't see anything. Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but how can something be leaking in a boat and only get 2 inches inside? My simple mind thinks that if there is a leak in the boat it isn't going to stop until the boat is sunk. I don't have a bilge pump with a float switch that is maintaining this elevation (too obvious even for me) so help me out here. I mostly race so I keep the water tanks empty so it's not fresh. I do have a leak at a stanchion base that I am aware of but even when we've not had rain the water is there! I hate having a wet bilge and this is driving me nuts! Thanks for your help. Paul West Adventure Kwest '80 Cal 39 Mk III

With this pump http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|299222|84462|315207&id=84716<http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|299222|84462|315207&id=84716>and a 3/4 inch garden hose and a check valve at a high spot I keep the water down to about 1/2 inch. The small hose means not much water flows back when the pump shuts off. You can't put the check valve at the pump as the backpressure of the water in the hose will keep the pump from working. I run the hose up to a high spot then put the check valve so as to have the minimum hose between the pump and the valve yet no water on the outlet side of the valve to provide pressure. I switched to plastic check valves because the expensive bronze one kept getting stuck. The plastic one doesn't. The check valve is there just to make sure the system doesn't sink my boat and to prevent a siphoning action when the pump shuts off from pulling all the water in the hose back. Hope this is helpful. Allen On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 12:19 PM, Wayne Gillikin <wa… [at] yahoo.com>wrote: > > > Paul, > > Not much to be done here, Paul. Since there is no sump there is always > some water in the bilge. I don't think I have 2". Probably more like an > inch. it is the level the bilge pump can't get to plus what is left in the > hose that drains back into the bilge. The water comes into my boat from the > mast (notwithstanding its being sealed), a couple of yet-to-be-fixed leaks > in toe-rail bolts, and who knows where else. I 'm certain the water in the > bilge is fresh but I'm waiting to get someone aboard who is actually > willing to taste it. I would bet against a leak below the waterline. It > strikes me as too huge a coincidence that the leak rate and the evaporation > rate would be Identical. > > There was a thread a few months ago about cutting a small sump into the > bilge and putting a pump into it to scavenge the last bit of water out. > Like the bilge water tasting, I'm still waiting for someone to actually do > it. > > Wayne Gillikin > Elusive > Cal 39-III > > ------------------------------ > *From:* "pw… [at] aol.com" <pw… [at] aol.com> > *To:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > *Sent:* Friday, September 11, 2009 11:42:42 AM > *Subject:* [Cal_Boats] I'm missing something obvious . . . > > > > When I bought the Cal 39 the PO said that he always had about 2 inches of > water in the bilge and it never got any deeper than that and sure enough > that is what I get too. > > I thought I had found it when I discovered the seawater galley pump was > leaking but it still comes in somewhere. I've looked at all the other thru > hulls and don't see anything. > > Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but how can something be leaking in a boat > and only get 2 inches inside? My simple mind thinks that if there is a leak > in the boat it isn't going to stop until the boat is sunk. I don't have a > bilge pump with a float switch that is maintaining this elevation (too > obvious even for me) so help me out here. I mostly race so I keep the water > tanks empty so it's not fresh. I do have a leak at a stanchion base that I > am aware of but even when we've not had rain the water is there! I hate > having a wet bilge and this is driving me nuts! > > Thanks for your help. > > Paul West > Adventure Kwest > '80 Cal 39 Mk III > > > > >

Paul, I think Allen has the answer. I periodically sponge out the last inch to keep the boat drier when I know I will not be visiting it for a while. With a renewed packing gland and no ice in the ice box, I find that the bilge will stay bone dry, except for rain, where some finds its way in (probably through the sheave box at the top of the mast). Cheers, Duane Knize Marlyn 1978 Cal 2-39 #18 From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Allen Edwards Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 6:57 PM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] I'm missing something obvious . . . With this pump http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|299222|84462|315207&id=84 716 and a 3/4 inch garden hose and a check valve at a high spot I keep the water down to about 1/2 inch. The small hose means not much water flows back when the pump shuts off. You can't put the check valve at the pump as the backpressure of the water in the hose will keep the pump from working. I run the hose up to a high spot then put the check valve so as to have the minimum hose between the pump and the valve yet no water on the outlet side of the valve to provide pressure. I switched to plastic check valves because the expensive bronze one kept getting stuck. The plastic one doesn't. The check valve is there just to make sure the system doesn't sink my boat and to prevent a siphoning action when the pump shuts off from pulling all the water in the hose back. Hope this is helpful. Allen On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 12:19 PM, Wayne Gillikin < wa… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: Paul, Not much to be done here, Paul. Since there is no sump there is always some water in the bilge. I don't think I have 2". Probably more like an inch. it is the level the bilge pump can't get to plus what is left in the hose that drains back into the bilge. The water comes into my boat from the mast (notwithstanding its being sealed), a couple of yet-to-be-fixed leaks in toe-rail bolts, and who knows where else. I 'm certain the water in the bilge is fresh but I'm waiting to get someone aboard who is actually willing to taste it. I would bet against a leak below the waterline. It strikes me as too huge a coincidence that the leak rate and the evaporation rate would be Identical. There was a thread a few months ago about cutting a small sump into the bilge and putting a pump into it to scavenge the last bit of water out. Like the bilge water tasting, I'm still waiting for someone to actually do it. Wayne Gillikin Elusive Cal 39-III From: "pw… [at] aol.com" <pw… [at] aol.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 11:42:42 AM Subject: [Cal_Boats] I'm missing something obvious . . . When I bought the Cal 39 the PO said that he always had about 2 inches of water in the bilge and it never got any deeper than that and sure enough that is what I get too. I thought I had found it when I discovered the seawater galley pump was leaking but it still comes in somewhere. I've looked at all the other thru hulls and don't see anything. Maybe I'm having a brain fart, but how can something be leaking in a boat and only get 2 inches inside? My simple mind thinks that if there is a leak in the boat it isn't going to stop until the boat is sunk. I don't have a bilge pump with a float switch that is maintaining this elevation (too obvious even for me) so help me out here. I mostly race so I keep the water tanks empty so it's not fresh. I do have a leak at a stanchion base that I am aware of but even when we've not had rain the water is there! I hate having a wet bilge and this is driving me nuts! Thanks for your help. Paul West Adventure Kwest '80 Cal 39 Mk III