water in tanks

jrod

New Member
Hey guys, I have been sailing for a while now and one question has always been on my mind. How does water get into the tanks on any racing dinghy? Whether it be a 420, Fj, or laser. If any one has an answer I would love to know. thanks
 
no there are no leaks. even new boats have to be drained

It doesn't get into the hull via osmosis.

New boat or not, it has a leak somewhere Fittings, gunwales, etc.

If there's water in the boat, how are you going to come here and keep saying there's no leak?
 
Water is getting in somewhere. It the boat has screw-in inspection ports, that would be a prime suspect. They are notorious for leaking.

To find a smaller leak, a good trick is to use a vacuum cleaner that can be reversed. Set it to blow air into the leaky tank. Soak a sponge is soapy water, then use it to wet any crack or seams. You'll see soapy air bubbles where there are leaks.
 
This was covered years and years ago. Water gets inside Lasers through the water entry path.
The water entry path opens when it senses weakness in the Laser owner's resolve to keep the path closed.
The key is letting the Laser know, "I'm gonna lift your bow after we get off the water and if you let a drop of water come out of that drain plug and I will smash you to bits and take you to the dump."

This owner found water in his Laser and it is paying the price.

busted_boat.jpg
 
Sometimes you open a hatch or bung and you hear an inrush of air [does not apply to Laser cos it has a pressure equalisation hole]. The sailor thinks 'Ah its air-tight therefore its water-tight'. This is not necessarily the case, as us long toothed windsurfers know. There was a period of hollow boards in the 80s. We had to integrate a tube in the small bow hatch [curled over several times on inside and out]. On a warm day you shut the hatch and go on the cold water, the air inside contracts. Water will now be SUCKED in any tiny hole unless you have pressure equalisation. I do wonder if the Laser hole is big enough at times. When you come ashore and open a hatch there may still be a pressure difference and air inrush but also water in tank!
Now why did Rodney Pattisson have bike tyre valves on his FD hatches.... well thats another story.
 
Almost all the new boats I've owned have been completely dry. Occassionally a new boat will have a leak and the leak will usually be adjacent to the brass fitting that joins the deck and hull in the vicinity of the venturi. In Australia, most boat dealers will sort out any new boat that is found to be leaking.

If a boat suddenly gets a leak, it's worth a few areas, the gunnells, fitting, in particular the screw for the holding in the venturi and the brass fitting mentioned above. Soapy water sponged onto a pressurised hull will usually find any leaks quickly.
 

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