Boat leaking

Hey guys,
I have been noticing for quite a while now that my boat is taking on a lot of water everytime I go sailing. I tried a bubble test today: I tested all the fittings and screws as well as my gunwales. Nothing worked, I still don't know where it is leaking from. Any suggestions?
thanks in advance
 
Did you notice any bubbles from the bottom of the mast step?
Because that is the main cause of leaks.
Otherwise I'm not sure what it could be.
 
If you have an autobailer, make sure you bubble tested that area - especially if it hasn't been removed in a few years, the screw hole can let in a lot of water. If you are getting water over the deck, check mast step as advised above and inspection ports. You don't mention what year the boat is, but lastly make sure you test the drain plug in the transom - the North American boats with the screw in plugs have a rubber o-ring, when it's missing the plug leaks even when screwed in tight.
 
i find that my boat usually leaks from cracks or dents or high wear places, not usually fittings if they are put in with the proper sealant, spray water every single places the hull touches something except for air. centerboard trunk mast step, etc there is where you will usually find the problem, 1992 laser, and still water tight
 
I checked the bottom of the mast step, the autobailer as well as everywhere on the hull. so very confused. 49208, i'm not sure what you are referring to when you say the drain plug in the transom: do you mean the one inside the cockpit or the one that drains the hull? btw my boat is a 2005
thanks
 
The plug in the back of the boat, i had to replace mine about a month ago, i go to back out the screw and the screw head popped off of the screw shaft, really crappy quality. That may be a source of your leak, back out the screws, reseal with marine sealant ( i use 5200 but be very careful as it gets over everything, i suggest you mask the area.) and really get a good coating on the screws and the fitting when you put it back in. that may be the source of your leak.
 
The plug in the back of the boat, i had to replace mine about a month ago, i go to back out the screw and the screw head popped off of the screw shaft, really crappy quality. That may be a source of your leak, back out the screws, reseal with marine sealant ( i use 5200 but be very careful as it gets over everything, i suggest you mask the area.) and really get a good coating on the screws and the fitting when you put it back in. that may be the source of your leak.
It is alleready sealed pretty well.
is it possible that the drain in the cockpit is somehow leaking into the hull?
 
yes, take the auto baler out and check the seal inside the cock pit and the auto baler screw in the hull, then refit the auto baler with new sealant and see if that fixes it
 
yes, take the auto baler out and check the seal inside the cock pit and the auto baler screw in the hull, then refit the auto baler with new sealant and see if that fixes it
I just did that last week it didn't make a difference. what i was wondering was does the fitting in the back of the cockpit where the rubber plug goes in go thru the hull and if it is a common place for a boat to leak from.
thanks
 
It can leak on the cockpit drain, but you'll see that with the soapy water test. With the boat upside down, look for any telltale cracks in the bog (filler) between the hull and deck at the rails. Soap those areas again as well as let the soap solution drip down the daggerboard trunk, the joint there is just below the deck
 
and you have a O ring seal on your drain plug? oh and no gel coat cracks any where on the deck?
Not sure what a O ring seal on the drain plug is. And there is no cracks on the deck. There are some minor spider cracks on the hull around the daggerboard trunk but when I bubble tested them there was no bubbles.
 
Today I went down to the yacht club to see if I had the rubber seal and I dont so I took out the brass fitting so that I could silicone it back on. Well, it turns out that there is no way that can leack into the hull because there is no entrance into the hull from there. I also filled up my mast step with water to do that test and there is no water leaking from there. I guess I will test the daggerboard trunk again because it seems like that is the only possible place it could leak from. ( the gunnwales are sealed and I re-sealed all the fittings.)
 
Today I went down to the yacht club to see if I had the rubber seal and I dont so I took out the brass fitting so that I could silicone it back on.

Huh ? The rubber o-ring we are talking about is on the transom drain plug, not the cockpit drain fitting
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And you can get a leak into the hull at the cockpit drain if the adhesive stuff that holds the cockpit to the hull (inside the hull) comes loose. The hull then can move relative to the cockpit, making any sealant placed there ineffective. If you have taken the brass fitting apart you should be able to check for leaks in that area. There are threads devoted to how to fix this. You generally need to install access ports in the back of the cockpit. I'd hope for a leak that's easier to repair, like the missing 0-ring shown above!
 
And you can get a leak into the hull at the cockpit drain if the adhesive stuff that holds the cockpit to the hull (inside the hull) comes loose. The hull then can move relative to the cockpit, making any sealant placed there ineffective. If you have taken the brass fitting apart you should be able to check for leaks in that area. There are threads devoted to how to fix this. You generally need to install access ports in the back of the cockpit. I'd hope for a leak that's easier to repair, like the missing 0-ring shown above!
Would any leaks there be visible or would it be something a bit harder to see. I did take a good look around and i didn't notice anything but i could have missed it.
 
I would expect that your bubble test would indicate a leak if there was one. Also, if you gently push on the hull or cockpit you can tell if the bond between them is still intact.
 
Hey guys,
I have been noticing for quite a while now that my boat is taking on a lot of water everytime I go sailing. I tried a bubble test today: I tested all the fittings and screws as well as my gunwales. Nothing worked, I still don't know where it is leaking from. Any suggestions?
thanks in advance

Keep note of the conditions, does it leak only when waves come over the bow or in light air with no waves ect?

If its not the fittings or gunwales,

its likely to be hiding inside the autobailer, or if you don't have an autobailer it can also be the through deck fitting, check the centerboard trunk and the mainblock/daggerboard brake, double check the hull drain plug fitting, also if you have an inspection port (even a brand new one) that is a place to check, you could check the mast step as well since it could be more than 1 leak
 
I was blowing into the hull and my coach was watching to see if it was bubbling

Blowing by mouth? I don't think you could create enough pressure to see bubbles

you should try low pressure pump,

I use a compressor on low pressure setting with car wash soap, you can find leaks very quickly this way
 
Blowing by mouth? I don't think you could create enough pressure to see bubbles

you should try low pressure pump,

I use a compressor on low pressure setting with car wash soap, you can find leaks very quickly this way
We tested it first on the breathing hole and it bubbled. I have heard horror stories about boats blowing apart when you use a compressor.
 
A real easy test to find a leak in the bailer area or the centerboard is to cover over the bailer and cb slot (bottom side) with good duct tape and splash the boat for a while. If there isn't any water in the hull then take off one or the other and if it leaks then, then you will know which one it is.

I have a really old boat and it needs to have the bailer/cockpit joint fixed. I sail with duct tape over the bailer all the time and it holds really well.

When I say *splash* I mean to float it or sail it with tape over the bailer.
 
Is it possible that the leak is coming from the spider cracks on my hull around the daggerboard trunk? It didn't bubble when I tested it but maybe because they are long and thin it wouldn't show up in a bubble test.
 
I have the very same problem with a 12 year old laser. I have new auto bailer and done the soap bubble test and no cracks but after about 3 hours of sailing in 7knts of wind I can have up to 1 , 1 1/2 gallons of water in the hull and idea
 
Did you put enough soap in the water and get enough pressure from the pump?

When I tried it the first time, i didn't use enough water... I found that a thinner mix applied very liberally bubbled up easier. I also noticed that when I pulled the bike pump (nozzle wrapped in electric tape to form a better seal) from the cockpit drain plug opening, I could hear the air escaping.

Ive seen bubbling up around a grab rail and base of a ratchet block / hiking strap anchor. Nothing major but perhaps enough to draw water in from the breather hole during a capsize.
 

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