Last summer, I bought a 1965 hull and had a great time sailing it. It's been drying out all winter, and I'm starting to spend some time preparing to do some maintenance this spring and getting back on the water. There are some cosmetic things, but my primary goal is keeping the boat dry this time around.
The boat stays bone dry during a day of sailing, which is great. The bottom is in great shape for its age, and the daggerboard trunk is fine as well. The issue I run into is during storage. For a while, I was keeping the boat in the garage when not in use (a few hundred feet uphill of the water), which kept it dry but was a pain. So I decided to try to leave it outside on a dolly. I have a cover that goes over everything wonderfully, and ties pretty tightly around the mast. The boat was full of water when I bought it, and this was how the previous owners stored it, but I want to see if it would be an issue for short term.
Well, a few weeks passed before I was able to sail again, and the boat was completely full of water. I haven't had the chance to do a full diagnosis (going to be one of the first things I do this spring), but my suspicion is that water is running down the mast and leaking in through the mast tube. Everywhere else is well-protected by the cover.
I'm trying to get an idea of what I'm in for in trying to stop this leak. Guessing I'll have to add another inspection port, which I'm not thrilled about but will do what I have to do. I've read through a few threads from people that have done this, was wondering if there was any other recommended reading or guides on how to handle this. Any advice is appreciated!
The boat stays bone dry during a day of sailing, which is great. The bottom is in great shape for its age, and the daggerboard trunk is fine as well. The issue I run into is during storage. For a while, I was keeping the boat in the garage when not in use (a few hundred feet uphill of the water), which kept it dry but was a pain. So I decided to try to leave it outside on a dolly. I have a cover that goes over everything wonderfully, and ties pretty tightly around the mast. The boat was full of water when I bought it, and this was how the previous owners stored it, but I want to see if it would be an issue for short term.
Well, a few weeks passed before I was able to sail again, and the boat was completely full of water. I haven't had the chance to do a full diagnosis (going to be one of the first things I do this spring), but my suspicion is that water is running down the mast and leaking in through the mast tube. Everywhere else is well-protected by the cover.
I'm trying to get an idea of what I'm in for in trying to stop this leak. Guessing I'll have to add another inspection port, which I'm not thrilled about but will do what I have to do. I've read through a few threads from people that have done this, was wondering if there was any other recommended reading or guides on how to handle this. Any advice is appreciated!