Cabin bilge water, when to start to worry?

[Gareth E]

Around 10 days ago I found there was water in my cabin bilge. I found a small leak on one of the windows which I've sealed up. We've had little or no rain since. I expected to have to mop up water for some time afterwards, it moving around as the boat rocks etc. 10 days on the amount of water doesn't seem to be diminishing much, if at all. I'm mopping up around a pint a day.

Any thoughts about how long I should carry on doing this before I start to consider that the water might be coming from somewhere else?

[NB Lola]

About now

[Chas78]

My boat also took on a lot of water through the leaky windows which were supposed to be sealed before i bought her my boat has no roof gutters so rain/snow drip straight down the windows a real pain yours does sound like a leak from beneath though i suggest wet vaccing every drop up and seek where the leak is coming from sorry i can be no more help but i do sympathise  

[MtB]

15 minutes ago, Gareth E said:

Around 10 days ago I found there was water in my cabin bilge. I found a small leak on one of the windows which I've sealed up. We've had little or no rain since. I expected to have to mop up water for some time afterwards, it moving around as the boat rocks etc. 10 days on the amount of water doesn't seem to be diminishing much, if at all. I'm mopping up around a pint a day.

Any thoughts about how long I should carry on doing this before I start to consider that the water might be coming from somewhere else?

 

A modern fabricated steel narrowboat presumably?

if so I’m inclined to think you have another leak somewhere. Where exactly are you mopping up this pint a day from?

[dmr]

Sad buggers posting on Christmas day!

I've got 10 mins spare whilst the Smoked Salmon breakfast gets digested, before the dog gets walked along the river.

Fairly warm weather just now, and cold water, perfect conditions for condensation.

.................Dave

[nicknorman]

What sort of water is it? You could try tasting it. If it’s fresh water from a plumbing leak it will taste fine. If it is canal water it will taste horrid and you may die of poisoning, but at least in your dying moments you’ll know you have a hull leak.

[Gareth E]

I don't have much access to the base plate. There's access at the front, where the water pump is, no leaks there. The only other access is right at the back of the cabin, I can remove a bit of flooring to expose around 10' square of the baseplate. This is a handy place really, the boat naturally slopes backwards a bit, I know this because when I had a leaky water pump the water found its way here. 

[MtB]

18 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

What sort of water is it? You could try tasting it. If it’s fresh water from a plumbing leak it will taste fine. If it is canal water it will taste horrid and you may die of poisoning, but at least in your dying moments you’ll know you have a hull leak.

 

Nick has missed off the most likely source of the leak, and I’m sure I’d far rather taste canal water! 

(Unless the OP has a cassette obviously.) 

[Naughty Cal]

9 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Nick has missed off the most likely source of the leak, and I’m sure I’d far rather taste canal water! 

(Unless the OP has a cassette obviously.) 

Not sure it's the most likely source. Having had several leaks over the last 9 years that isn't one of them!

 

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Naughty Cal said:

Not sure it's the most likely source. Having had several leaks over the last 9 years that isn't one of them!

 

 

I doubt you have a welded steel black water tank so your comment isn’t really relevant. Or perhaps you have! 

[Naughty Cal]

2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I doubt you have a welded steel black water tank so your comment isn’t really relevant. Or perhaps you have! 

Who mentioned welded steel tanks?

But no you are quite correct ours is plastic and leak free. I did just have to check the bilges before i typed that though

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Who mentioned welded steel tanks?

 

Well no-one so far as the op still hasn’t clarified what sort of boat he has. But the chances are high it’s a fabricated steel narrow boat with a welded steel black water tank. 

[Phil.]

Another culprit worth checking is your shower waste.

[alan_fincher]

Depending on how well ventilated you keep it, how you heat it, and how you cook, do washing, etc, I would have thought a pint a day could easily (as has been suggested) be condensation.

That doesn't mean all boats will produce a pint a day, but some will. Our current boat produces far more than a previous one - I would say almost certainly because it has far less open-able windows and other ventilation - I think as and when we improve that we will get less, (based on personal experience over the years).

[Naughty Cal]

2 hours ago, Phil. said:

Another culprit worth checking is your shower waste.

This is usually our first port of call followed by the raw water pump. 

[zenataomm]

 ........... when it stops being bilge water and promotes itself to being cabin water.

You're not a real boater until you have felt the need to adopt the sleeping with one hand touching the floor technique.

Lay a string wick along the bases of your windows and lead them into jam jars, you'll soon be able to eliminate windows if your bilges still fill up.

[NB Lola]

We don’t have a raw water pump or a yoghurt pot.

[Naughty Cal]

10 minutes ago, NB Lola said:

We don’t have a raw water pump or a yoghurt pot.

Some sewer tubes do have raw water pump though.

[Gareth E]

The water tank is forward of the front area where I can see the baseplate, that's dry, so I know the water tank isn't leaking. I had a shower earlier, no addition to the water in the bilge. I have considered condensation but the last 10 days have been exceptionally dry. I've not had condensation on the window frames and when I shine a torch onto the small uninsulated areas around the windows these areas are dry.

12 months or so ago my water pump leaked, it took over a week of mopping up before the amounts started diminishing. The leaking window is close to the area at the back where I can access the bilge, so I expected it to dry out more quickly, hence my concern.

Incidentally my boat is a 1998 Hallmark. I bought it 4 and a bit years ago without a survey. Took it out of the water 18 months ago for blacking. There was some pitting on the side plates but minimal really, I'd say it was in decent condition. Whether you can translate that into the base plate also likely to be in good condition? I don't know.

 

[Naughty Cal]

24 minutes ago, Gareth E said:

The water tank is forward of the front area where I can see the baseplate, that's dry, so I know the water tank isn't leaking. I had a shower earlier, no addition to the water in the bilge. I have considered condensation but the last 10 days have been exceptionally dry. I've not had condensation on the window frames and when I shine a torch onto the small uninsulated areas around the windows these areas are dry.

12 months or so ago my water pump leaked, it took over a week of mopping up before the amounts started diminishing. The leaking window is close to the area at the back where I can access the bilge, so I expected it to dry out more quickly, hence my concern.

Incidentally my boat is a 1998 Hallmark. I bought it 4 and a bit years ago without a survey. Took it out of the water 18 months ago for blacking. There was some pitting on the side plates but minimal really, I'd say it was in decent condition. Whether you can translate that into the base plate also likely to be in good condition? I don't know.

 

The water temperature is very cold at the minute, 3 degrees where we are sat now.  That coupled with the relatively warm air temperature and temperature within the boat will be enough to cause condensation on the inside of your metal hull.

[Mad Harold]

1 hour ago, Gareth E said:

The water tank is forward of the front area where I can see the baseplate, that's dry, so I know the water tank isn't leaking. I had a shower earlier, no addition to the water in the bilge. I have considered condensation but the last 10 days have been exceptionally dry. I've not had condensation on the window frames and when I shine a torch onto the small uninsulated areas around the windows these areas are dry.

12 months or so ago my water pump leaked, it took over a week of mopping up before the amounts started diminishing. The leaking window is close to the area at the back where I can access the bilge, so I expected it to dry out more quickly, hence my concern.

Incidentally my boat is a 1998 Hallmark. I bought it 4 and a bit years ago without a survey. Took it out of the water 18 months ago for blacking. There was some pitting on the side plates but minimal really, I'd say it was in decent condition. Whether you can translate that into the base plate also likely to be in good condition? I don't know.

 

Tracing a leak can be a long process.Other people here have covered most sources,water pipe junctions,waste outlets where they exit the hull,windows and air vents.After drawing a blank on these sources trying to find my leak,I discovered it by accident.

While scraping bubbling paint off the cabin sides I found that corrosion had penetrated the metal in several places.A good sanding,Kurust and filler fixed this.The original metal spec was 3mm,on the top.My boat is a 1978 Hesford.

If you can't find the source of your water ingress doing the detective work suggested on these posts,then it is possible that a corrosion pit or pits have penetrated the hull. This may not be a tragedy,because a fellow boater had just this happen.The average metal thickness on his hull was within satisfactory limits,but had some deep pitting.This was repaired by spot welding.A suitably skilled welder will be able to spot weld corrosion pitting without damaging the interior trim or insulation.

[Murflynn]

if you are not familiar with the conditions of the space under your floor it will be difficult to determine how quickly any water migrates to the inspection hatch at the back steps (assuming you have one).

my scouseboat had loads of rubbish including sawdust mixed in with the broken concrete slabs and by the time I had finished stripping the foam insulation and the general carpentry work there was a lot more..........  of course it held water which took forever to reach the stern.

[dmr]

2 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

The water temperature is very cold at the minute, 3 degrees where we are sat now.  That coupled with the relatively warm air temperature and temperature within the boat will be enough to cause condensation on the inside of your metal hull.

I get some condensation every winter, but maybe no more than 100ml each day. There is often a fair bit of condensation on the portholes each morning, and a bit to mop out of the bilge with an old towel. For the last few days I have observed only a little condensation on the port-holes but a sudden increase in the bilge water. As I and NC have said, the warmer weather and colder water are just right for condensation on any bare steel below the water line. In my case its bare steel sides below the floor level in the back cabin and some bare steel floor in the engine room that are probably to blame, really should try to do something about it.

Get up, posh breakfast, dog walk along the Weaver, Christmas dinner, prosecco, cider, canalworld forum    nice day!...............Dave

[Gareth E]

These replies make me feel a bit better! The problem I have is that I'm going abroad for 2 months in a couple of weeks, a bit worried about the water reaching the flooring while I'm away...or worse. I guess a solution for peace of mind might be to employ a temporary bilge pump with an auto switch in the cabin bilge, with a hose going to somewhere suitable, outside an open window maybe?    

[NB Lola]

I would find someone you trust to keep an eye, more about you being comfortable that you have cover than any real concern over the water.