Just back from our first long cruise (3 weeks) since we bought "Que Chévere" last October, just in time to cope with Irene (alas, too late to get hauled out, but we came out unscathed after tying up with 25 heavy lines in every which way at our slip, plus setting the anchor). Anyway, during our trip, we twice had occasion to discover that -- after a long day of hard sailing upwind on the port tack -- there was a significant accumulation in the battery area under the after starboard seat. No evidence of leaks from the hull above, so my suspicion is that there must be some kind of passage between the bilge and the battery area (but then, why didn't it drain back quickly?). We sponged all the water out each time (it wasn't from the batteries, since I checked all the cells and there was no losses of electrolyte). Since the floor of the battery area is buried under a rubber mat and our batteries, its not immediately apparent where this passage would be, if it exists, so I probably won't get around to investigating it until the end of the season (approaching, alas, too soon!). Anyone have any experience with this?
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
[QUOTE=Chachere;9882]I probably won't get around to investigating it until the end of the season[/QUOTE]
The end of the season has come and gone, so I finally got around to lifting all the batteries out. So, voila! - there is a small hole drilled into the floor of the batter compartment, which I assume was to allow drainage into the bilge, but seems to work more in the other direction.
Anyone else have this? Any reason not to just seal it up?
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
Why not just put a stopper in the hole so you can use it as a drain if needed?
Mike
Deja Vu
1991 MK I # 1106
Marina del Rey, CA
[QUOTE=dejavu;11149]Why not just put a stopper in the hole so you can use it as a drain if needed?[/QUOTE]
Inaccessible location -- under a 6V golf cart battery I have wedged in there.
In any event, it looks as if a PO marked and drilled the drainage hole, and no one else seems to indicate that they have this on their C36. I can't imagine that there is normally any reason why the battery component should have water gathered there (other than a spill while topping off the batteries), so doesn't seem to be a compelling reason to have a drain into the bilge.....
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
Matthew,
I would sometimes have water in the battery compartment after heeling over on a port tack. On Julandra the water would go up along the hull under the drawers (under the nav station), and make its way into the battery compartment where the battery cables enter and exit. I'm guessing that your PO drilled a hole in the bottom of the battery compartment to let water drain out. Not too effective.
Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT
[QUOTE=TomSoko;11161]Matthew,
I would sometimes have water in the battery compartment after heeling over on a port tack. On Julandra the water would go up along the hull under the drawers (under the nav station), and make its way into the battery compartment where the battery cables enter and exit. I'm guessing that your PO drilled a hole in the bottom of the battery compartment to let water drain out. Not too effective.[/QUOTE]
Ah, that would explain it! The hole in the floor actually might have been effective except that I have a rubber mat under the battery that plugged it up. So, now I think that the hole in the floor probably wasn't the source at all, but rather the water came in the way you theorize from your experiences with Julandra. And yes, it only happens when we're hard sailing on the port tack.
I just sponge it out when it happens ; what did you do?
I suppose I could try sealing up the cable entrances better (and or install a drain with a check valve on it in the floor of the battery compartment, which would probably be a PITA).
Anyway, appreciate your counsel as always -- the source of the water was of concern.
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
Matthew, whatever did you do about this problem? We have it too: tons of bilge water rushing into the battery compartment by way of the two "tunnels" fore and aft when we're on a hard port tack. The fore tunnel connects the forward and aft card table seat compartmentds. The aft tunnel has most of our cables running through it and connects the battery compartment to the space behind the drawers of the nav station. Our first order of business is ensuring our newly installed electrical components in the batter compartment don't get wet. Later we will move batteries to a new location (where the current nav station chair is located). Eventually we need to figure out where all this bilge water is coming from.
Tom Soko's response back a decade ago nailed it: When on a strong port tack, some bilge water would flow up into the area under the nav table drawers and then enter the battery area via the hole that the cables come through. Some caulking around the penetrations seemed to do the trick. One of the few times I've found silicone caulk to be the right stuff for the boat, just sorta squirted it in and gooped around the penetration.
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY