Bruce, living with the problem without knowing what it is could get you stranded at the wrong time and in the wrong place, so you should try to identify the problem. It might be a leaking hose or gasket, or an incipient water pump failure, any of which you should certainly fix.

As a lake sailor we can't advise you to taste it to see if it is fresh or salty. (That procedure might help you troubleshoot a sewage problem, so keep it in mind for later use.) But maybe, since the pressure side of the coolant system has antifreeze in it, 'someone' might taste it to see if it is sweet (antifreeze) or plain water. Would this work? Any MDs on this Forum who can advise the risks of tasting antifreeze? I think the Italians used it in their wine for many years until their market *died* off.

I'd try first to determine whether it's coming from the pressurized portion of the coolant system. If you find you need to add coolant/antifreeze that's a clue, so start looking there. The heater hoses run under the galley to the sink area in your boat, I think. Raw water suspects might be the impeller pump, hose clamps, gaskets. Hose clamps are a reasonable place to begin because every few months we all need to go through the engine area with a big screwdriver and a socket set to tighten all the hose clamps. [In fact, if I were a betting man I'd say the odds favor the hose clamp theory.] But also look at the base of your raw water pump...if it is rusty and corroded, and looks like it is leaking then it's on the way out. (There's an article I wrote in the Technical - Maintenance library that has useful photos of a bad versus a good raw water pump.)

Let us know what you find.

I am having a similar problem. The puddled water in my case is not on the galley floor, but under this floor forward of the through-haul valve that allows the sink water to drain out. I find that when I wash the boat I will get a puddle there and more around the aft triangular bilge where the aft keel bolt is and more water spills over to the next portion of the bilge. Also when it rains I have this problem. The amount varies from about 1/2 of a cup to 1/2 of a gallon. I believe the entry is from the rudder post cover. I will post a note when I solve the mystery.

[QUOTE=Slowdance;16847] If I had to bet I'd say it was around the base of the white fiberglass water tank that the exhaust runs through. I can't find a photo or diagram of the tank on the "tech notes" dvds or in my manuals which is why I was posting the query.[/QUOTE]

The white fiberglass tank is the waterlift muffler. The water that enters the cooling system via the salt water pump goes through the heat exchanger and then to the exhaust elbow just after the manifold. There are 2 large hoses attached to the waterlift muffler, one is the hose from the exhaust elbow, which carries both the exhaust and the cooling water, the other goes to the engine exhaust through hull at the stern. There should be a drain on side of the waterlift, with a sort of 'butterfly nut' on it; that can leak, along with the attachments for either of the hoses.

If you suspect the waterlift muffler as the source of your leak, I'd place a dry cotton rag around hose bases and under the drain and see if you get any water.

Bruce,
If you have determined that the aqualift muffler is leaking, it could be one of 5 places. Either of the fiberglass tubes or exhaust hoses leading into or out of the muffler might be leaking. The drain petcock could be leaking. The holes for one of the 4 mounting screws could have been drilled too far into the base of the muffler, and water is leaking out of the hole. Or....the base of the muffler has started to separate from the upper part. What I suggest you do is to take out the 4 mounting screws, get a strong flashlight, and start the engine. You should be able to tell where the water is coming from. Some owners have been sucessful in taking the muffler out of the boat and adding epoxy and/or fiberglass to the offending area. Others have determined it's just not worth the hassle and ordered a new one. Hard to tell without looking at it. They come in several configurations, so make sure you order the correct one. Also, make sure you have a blue silicone "hump" hose between the exhaust riser and the the muffer. The OEM heavy black hose is very stiff and contributes to leaks around the input tube. Hope this helps.

I had a similar problem, water on the galley floor. It was caused by a leaking vent loop located in the port locker.

We have had two two leaks, both already mentioned I believe. One was the exhaust elbow which leaked out onto to galley floor after motoring, the other was the uprise in the cockpit port locker which also leaked into the aft cabin mattress. Both were identified with the engine going. Good luck.
Lynley
Water Music
C36 mk II 2005 #2259
Waikawa, New Zealand

I had a similar leak that manifested itself in the galley area. Turned out to be the exhaust riser where the raw water coming out of the heat exchanger connects to the exhaust, just above the water lift muffler. Solution is to replace the riser. There's been some good discussion on how that's done in this forum. Removing the paneling gives really good and easy access. While you're there, replace all the hose clamps.

We do get water pooling under the galley if the aft water tanks were just filled and the boat has not been sailing on a port tack. A port tack helps drain this water into the bilge. The leak is usually from the inspection port on the top of the water tank which is prone to seep if you overfill. Try drying out any standing water in the engine compartment, then place a dry paper towel on under the shaft. Then, fill both water tanks and check the paper towel an hour later. If it is really wet, suspect the water tanks.
John Meyer
Currently in Marina Costa Baja, La Paz

John, your water leak from the inspection port may be a MkII issue. Anyway there is a fix and discussion for that somewhere on the site. Summary: By applying a thin bead of 5200 around the threads of the inspection port cap it seals it. The plastic tank doesn't adhere well to 5200 so it is easy to break the seal later if needed. Again, this is for the Mk II, as I am not sure the type of water tank the Mk I has.

Larry:
I had the inspection ports off so I could wrap a number of rounds of teflon tape to the threads and this seems to work well. The starboard tank, which was the main culprit has now stopped leaking.
Cheers
John Meyer