Seawater ingress is happening only at planning speeds and it is coming in on starboard side cabin V birth just around the window frame area , not the gasket ( from liner internal space above and below window frame). This is absolutely not from saltwater spray or waves coming up onto that part of the deck. The window gasket is also not the issue since no splash happens there. Outside on deck its bone dry outside that window! Water comes in at about the amounts and speed of a garden hose turned on med/low.
The seas have been flat calm and no ocean water comes up any higher on the hull than as normal at cruise speeds in flat calm conditions - so no bow wave/water reaches anywhere close to even the rub rail height. Maybe half way up onto the bow/hull area. When I do sharp turns both to port and starboard the water continues to shoot into the cabin from the same spot so no change.
The ocean water stops coming into the starboard cabin when speed is dropped back enough to drop off plane and bow is higher ( and bow wave would be further toward midship). No water comes in at all speeds below planning speed.
A marine hull/fiberglass specialist did a sea trial with me today and they are just as stumped as I am but understand the anatomy of the boat better than I. We will do a lift tommoreow to inspect the outer hull.
Here are the things we have already either eliminated or are known items:
- no sea water reaches rub rail or window height and outer deck bone dry. Fresh water hose forced in that area also proves no leak there
- forward bilge hose all fine in cabin floor and its path exits under helm. All checked ok , no leaks there or at the thru hull attachment for the bilge exit.
- no other seawater hoses anywhere near the area so likely not a hose leak
- anchor locker and behind bow eye all dry
- no dampness behind rub rail. Not a deck to hull sael issue as no dampness along that seal and the seas never reached that high regardless.
- forward bilge normal, no pooling water - same as it usually
- Aft bilge at little bit of water but normal and not above float switch
- storage locker on starboard side of V birth, dry. Hull floor of the locker , dry.
- wall carpet up above V birth on starboard side around leaking area all wet with saltwater
- Leak must be coming in from somewhere above the waterline as no water comes in at moorage or slow speeds
- Bilge water looks exactly the same when I check it 24 hrs later (The seafarer has fwd and aft bilge but they do connect when the bow is raised slightly and that water runs aft through a tube connecting the two)
This leak has suddenly appeared as soon as I picked up the boat after a very steep ramp trailer pull and new F250 put on the pod and the boat returned to the water several days later. When they pulled the boat up the very steep ramp I heard a couple of loud slipping/banging sounds. I though the bow eye may have had the bolts loosened or broken a sealant there but as mentioned no sign of damage or water in that area. Also that area drains into the bilge and is not an area that has liner covering the inner hull ( that would hold or channel water flow).
My only other thought is that the old trailer used for haul out had some bolt exposed that punctured the hull above waterline and water is getting into the liner via a crack and travelling up to the starboard cabin window area and shooting out the only area it can exit?
The marine professionals were blown away today. Never seen anything like it before.
Any ideas from Grady owners ....especially knowing this is a Grady Seafarer 228G ? Can it only be me that this has ever happened to? lol
Thanks for any ideas you can think of ..... lots been eliminated already.
The seas have been flat calm and no ocean water comes up any higher on the hull than as normal at cruise speeds in flat calm conditions - so no bow wave/water reaches anywhere close to even the rub rail height. Maybe half way up onto the bow/hull area. When I do sharp turns both to port and starboard the water continues to shoot into the cabin from the same spot so no change.
The ocean water stops coming into the starboard cabin when speed is dropped back enough to drop off plane and bow is higher ( and bow wave would be further toward midship). No water comes in at all speeds below planning speed.
A marine hull/fiberglass specialist did a sea trial with me today and they are just as stumped as I am but understand the anatomy of the boat better than I. We will do a lift tommoreow to inspect the outer hull.
Here are the things we have already either eliminated or are known items:
- no sea water reaches rub rail or window height and outer deck bone dry. Fresh water hose forced in that area also proves no leak there
- forward bilge hose all fine in cabin floor and its path exits under helm. All checked ok , no leaks there or at the thru hull attachment for the bilge exit.
- no other seawater hoses anywhere near the area so likely not a hose leak
- anchor locker and behind bow eye all dry
- no dampness behind rub rail. Not a deck to hull sael issue as no dampness along that seal and the seas never reached that high regardless.
- forward bilge normal, no pooling water - same as it usually
- Aft bilge at little bit of water but normal and not above float switch
- storage locker on starboard side of V birth, dry. Hull floor of the locker , dry.
- wall carpet up above V birth on starboard side around leaking area all wet with saltwater
- Leak must be coming in from somewhere above the waterline as no water comes in at moorage or slow speeds
- Bilge water looks exactly the same when I check it 24 hrs later (The seafarer has fwd and aft bilge but they do connect when the bow is raised slightly and that water runs aft through a tube connecting the two)
This leak has suddenly appeared as soon as I picked up the boat after a very steep ramp trailer pull and new F250 put on the pod and the boat returned to the water several days later. When they pulled the boat up the very steep ramp I heard a couple of loud slipping/banging sounds. I though the bow eye may have had the bolts loosened or broken a sealant there but as mentioned no sign of damage or water in that area. Also that area drains into the bilge and is not an area that has liner covering the inner hull ( that would hold or channel water flow).
My only other thought is that the old trailer used for haul out had some bolt exposed that punctured the hull above waterline and water is getting into the liner via a crack and travelling up to the starboard cabin window area and shooting out the only area it can exit?
The marine professionals were blown away today. Never seen anything like it before.
Any ideas from Grady owners ....especially knowing this is a Grady Seafarer 228G ? Can it only be me that this has ever happened to? lol
Thanks for any ideas you can think of ..... lots been eliminated already.
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