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Our Latest Adventure - What You Don't Know Can Save You!
What Broke In July
wrong and Frank explained that the problem was under the generator, meaning the line would have to be removed and snaked out, with the
replacement snaked in. Suzanne said she would try to see which line it was. Frank came around from the engine room to find her, head and
shoulders down, in the bilge, trying to see.
Suzanne crawled up off the floor and reported that it looked like one of the PVC lines, as opposed to one of the gray lines, that appeared to be
leaking. Frank looked at her questioningly, since he knew that the water system only had two gray lines total - one hot and one cold. He had
just looked at them as they appeared from under the generator. Suzanne repeated that there were two gray lines, two small PVC lines and one
large PVC, and it looked like one of the PVCs was leaking. Frank knew she had to be confused, so he craweled into the bilge - at least as far
as he could. He looked at the spot where the two lines passed through the bulkhead and into the engine room. There was no sign of leakage
there.
Frank reported this to Suzanne, but they both agreed they could still hear the water dripping. In fact, it was louder now that before and more
constant. Suzanne looked into the bilge again and reported that it was definitely dripping off one of the PVC lines. She crawled out and Frank
crawled in - no drips and no PVC. Finally, Suzanne said, it's a bundle of lines in the starboard corner. Frank said "starboard?" Suzanne
reiterated "starboard!" Frank questioned again "STARBOARD?" Suzanne, through clenched teeth, "STARBOARD!" Frank looked to starboard.
There, in the very corner of the bilge pocket, was where the vent lines from the water tanks (gray plastic), the vent lines from the fuel tanks
(black PVC-like) and the electrical conduit (Schedule 20 PVC) passed from the galley to the engine room. There, dripping merrily away, was
the drip. There, where there was no pressurized fresh water piping, was the leak. Except that it wasn't coming from any of the pipes
themselves. It was coming from the top of the cutout.
Just then, Frank noticed that the bilge plate next to him had started to drip. This made no sense (OK, by this point NOTHING made sense).
Pulling out the supplies next to him, Frank cleared the top of that bilge cover, which was wet. The only things in that area were paper goods
and the refeer compressor. The compressor wasn't leaking, but the wall behind it was! Frank jumped up and started pulling supplies out of
the cabinet above the reefer. Damp boxes and plastic bags soon littered the cabinet top.
Suzanne said, in a preternaturally calm voice, "I realize you are trying to find the leak, but do you realize you are tearing the boat apart?" Frank
spun on her, a wild look in his eyes. "I've got it," he said, laughing maniacally (there is some disagreement among the crew as to the maniacal
part). He pushed open the companionway doors and scurried up into the cockpit. Suzanne heard his voice from off on the starboard side.
"Turn off the water pump!" She hurried back to the electrical panel and complied. "It's off, "she shouted. A moment later, as she pondered
whether he had heard her, he shouted "turn it on." Puzzled, she complied, only to hear him say "Yes! Yes! That's it!"
By the time she got back to the galley, Frank was headed down the companion way steps, grinning like an idiot.
"It was the hose connection on the main deck!" A previous owner had installed a freshwater wash down station on the forward outboard edge
of the cockpit, starboard side. The washdown system consisted of a coiled hose and a pistol grip-type water valve, similar to that used for
watering lawns. Frank had used the hose for a few minutes while they had been on their cruise to clean up some mud dauber nests and
apparently, when the hose had been restowed, the pistol had been loosened just enough to leak. THe resulting leak had run down inside the
hull, along the starboard engine room bulkhead and into the bilge. It was the only place where the freshwater system was higher that the
cabinets over the freezer.
replacement snaked in. Suzanne said she would try to see which line it was. Frank came around from the engine room to find her, head and
shoulders down, in the bilge, trying to see.
Suzanne crawled up off the floor and reported that it looked like one of the PVC lines, as opposed to one of the gray lines, that appeared to be
leaking. Frank looked at her questioningly, since he knew that the water system only had two gray lines total - one hot and one cold. He had
just looked at them as they appeared from under the generator. Suzanne repeated that there were two gray lines, two small PVC lines and one
large PVC, and it looked like one of the PVCs was leaking. Frank knew she had to be confused, so he craweled into the bilge - at least as far
as he could. He looked at the spot where the two lines passed through the bulkhead and into the engine room. There was no sign of leakage
there.
Frank reported this to Suzanne, but they both agreed they could still hear the water dripping. In fact, it was louder now that before and more
constant. Suzanne looked into the bilge again and reported that it was definitely dripping off one of the PVC lines. She crawled out and Frank
crawled in - no drips and no PVC. Finally, Suzanne said, it's a bundle of lines in the starboard corner. Frank said "starboard?" Suzanne
reiterated "starboard!" Frank questioned again "STARBOARD?" Suzanne, through clenched teeth, "STARBOARD!" Frank looked to starboard.
There, in the very corner of the bilge pocket, was where the vent lines from the water tanks (gray plastic), the vent lines from the fuel tanks
(black PVC-like) and the electrical conduit (Schedule 20 PVC) passed from the galley to the engine room. There, dripping merrily away, was
the drip. There, where there was no pressurized fresh water piping, was the leak. Except that it wasn't coming from any of the pipes
themselves. It was coming from the top of the cutout.
Just then, Frank noticed that the bilge plate next to him had started to drip. This made no sense (OK, by this point NOTHING made sense).
Pulling out the supplies next to him, Frank cleared the top of that bilge cover, which was wet. The only things in that area were paper goods
and the refeer compressor. The compressor wasn't leaking, but the wall behind it was! Frank jumped up and started pulling supplies out of
the cabinet above the reefer. Damp boxes and plastic bags soon littered the cabinet top.
Suzanne said, in a preternaturally calm voice, "I realize you are trying to find the leak, but do you realize you are tearing the boat apart?" Frank
spun on her, a wild look in his eyes. "I've got it," he said, laughing maniacally (there is some disagreement among the crew as to the maniacal
part). He pushed open the companionway doors and scurried up into the cockpit. Suzanne heard his voice from off on the starboard side.
"Turn off the water pump!" She hurried back to the electrical panel and complied. "It's off, "she shouted. A moment later, as she pondered
whether he had heard her, he shouted "turn it on." Puzzled, she complied, only to hear him say "Yes! Yes! That's it!"
By the time she got back to the galley, Frank was headed down the companion way steps, grinning like an idiot.
"It was the hose connection on the main deck!" A previous owner had installed a freshwater wash down station on the forward outboard edge
of the cockpit, starboard side. The washdown system consisted of a coiled hose and a pistol grip-type water valve, similar to that used for
watering lawns. Frank had used the hose for a few minutes while they had been on their cruise to clean up some mud dauber nests and
apparently, when the hose had been restowed, the pistol had been loosened just enough to leak. THe resulting leak had run down inside the
hull, along the starboard engine room bulkhead and into the bilge. It was the only place where the freshwater system was higher that the
cabinets over the freezer.