Possible other source of water.

Posted By: airrailartist
Date: 4/27/07 7:12p.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: Water Coming in Through Centerboard Trunk? (Steven)

Since you mentioned "In light wind that day there was no further accumulation" (ie...less heeling due to lighter winds) I suggest, if you don't find another cause, that you pull off your rub rails and check your hull/deck joint. I owned a N-16 about 1 1/2 years ago and discovered that there were several cracked areas at the hull/deck joint that allowed considerable water ingress, esp near the bow area, and right next to the cabin...I suspect that a former owner rammed a dock or something crushing the hull/deck joint. It was not obvious damage since the rub rail covered the damaged areas...I pulled my rails out of curiosity, and to clean out dirt that I noticed under them... and was VERY glad I did after I found the damage. Repairing the joint was pretty easy...After cleaning the areas of years worth of dirt that had accumulated under the rub rails, and then letting the areas dry completely, I mixed epoxy with fiberglass chop and shoved it into the joint, then went over the areas with epoxy and thickener to fair the areas, and then clamped the joint using wood splints with wax paper used as a "release" barrier between the repairs and the splints. Note that your rub rails will shrink after you pull them if you wait too long to replace them...stretch them out and clamp them to something to preserve their original lengths until you can replace them.