Leaky Companionway Hatch.

bobholiday · Post by **bobholiday** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 6:33 pm

I've got a weird problem for you. Have had my yacht for coming up to 10 months now, and it has never leaked around the hatch at all... until now.

Nothing's changed!

It comes off the perspex sliding hatch roof and drips at the corners.

Having to use a sheet of plastic tarp to stop it when I leave the boat for a while now.

Any ideas?

I guess a picture is needed. Will take one next time I'm aboard.

DaveA · Post by **DaveA** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 12:53 am

Just a thought, but is it leaking, or is it condensation ?
Reason I suggest it is that the weather has changed lately, so the temperature outside has dropped, and may be causing the problem

cpedw · Post by **cpedw** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:16 am

Another speculation - wind direction. Most hatches are good if the wind is driving the rain from forward. But many are less satisfactory if its coming in from behind the beam.

bobholiday · Post by **bobholiday** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:33 am

Definitely not condensation hehe. It's dripping in at quite a rate on occasion.

You're maybe onto something with the wind direction thing. Guess I'll just have to cover it with a bit of tarp when I'm away. Not too big a deal really.

Cheers.

DaveA · Post by **DaveA** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:31 pm

Is it salt water or rain ?
Presume you already know about using disposable nappies to trace a leak ?
Surprising how much water those things can hold

bobholiday · Post by **bobholiday** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:56 pm

It's definitely rain. It's dripping in around the corners of the hatch when it rains, and not when it doesn't. No need to trace it. Just can't figure how the water is wrapping around the edge of the perspex sliding cover, and flowing under it then IN. Specially as it mostly doesn't do it, just sometimes.

Out of interest though, what's the technique for using disposable nappies?

DaveA · Post by **DaveA** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:36 pm

Could well be a sort of capillary action where the water just creeps till it finds a gap, then other water drops get sucked along the same route until it sort of flows.
With the disposable nappies, if you have an area where you think there's a leak, either spread talcum powder around the area to show where it's coming from (but that can be a bit messy and can clog your bilge pump) or spread disposable nappies around the area and the ones that get wet can indicate where the water is coming in. In your case you could use them to soak up any water that does get in, which saves mopping up or things getting wet that you prefer to keep dry.
Might be worth trying to add some kind of channel around the hatch to divert water flow away from where it's getting in though