Bottom Coat and Leaks

[corkscrew]

I wrote prior about trying to figure out my paint. I did contact the previous owner and he said he thinks it was barrier coat, not anti-fowling. The paint seems pretty hard and in most places I rub with my hand, nothing comes off, though in a couple spots, i do get a hint of black on my fingers...could be just grime though. I washed the bottom coat with boat wash and while wet, used a sanding pad to help clean it. The areas I washed and scrubbed, after it dried I rubbed my hand on it again and no color came off. Do anti fowling or ablative feel not as hard...or spongy? Can you scratch off antifowling with a fingernail or something? Does it feel different then barrier coat? I feel somewhat confident that it's barrier, but not 100%

Next, Leaks......I had a bunch of water coming in the bilge (after rain and snow)...resealed a lot of seams and rub rails with silicone...and almost all gone with one exception. In the rear birth, center, there is a rounded hang down, it kind of mimmicks the transom drain....but is not the actual drain....it's more forward and a few inches lower. Water seems to be collecting in this....(i have a small crack in it and it leaks)...has anyone seen this before? I've tried looking at most of the possible locations rain water could be trickling into it and resealed them, but this getting some leaks into it...not sure where it's comeing from......my console area seems most likely, but its covered and everything sealed......frusterating.

[40Toes]

In the rear birth, center, there is a rounded hang down, it kind of mimmicks the transom drain....but is not the actual drain....it's more forward and a few inches lower. Water seems to be collecting in this....(i have a small crack in it and it leaks)...has anyone seen this before?

Yep. Drove me nuts, sealed everything I could find still had a little. Medications now control my frustration.

[corkscrew]

I've been actually considering drilling a hole in it, siliconing it with a 1/4 pvc tube and adding a rear drain. Does anyone have any idea why this "hang down" is even there....it's between the cockpit and the transom drain...I can't see a use of why its there....????

[Night Sailor]

A picture would help to establish if its' factory made or something added on. My '98 X should be similar but I don't recall anything like that.

[The Mutt]

In the rear birth, center, there is a rounded hang down, it kind of mimmicks the transom drain....but is not the actual drain....it's more forward and a few inches lower. Water seems to be collecting in this....(i have a small crack in it and it leaks)...has anyone seen this before?

Are you talking about the inner liner for the engine well, could you post a pic, we have three small cracks in the inner engine well and a larger one in the external engine well itself, looks like something hard was in the engine well when the engine was lifted (Any idea what happened Scott), I'm grinding off some of the gelcoat this weekend, fibreglassing and reapplying brushable gelcoat ... hope that gets rid of the problem leaks.

I have been chasing leaks for a few weeks now, in a heavy downpour we were getting about half a bucket of water into the boat, it's now down to a couple of egg cups worth of water.

Glenn

[corkscrew]

http://www.macgregor26.com/index/rear_b ... _large.jpg

Ok, if you look at this pic of the rear birth. In center behind the ladder you see the cockpit floor...towards the end you see a small area that hangs a little lower and out to the sides. Thats the spot. It backs up right against the transom drain well, but is not really connected to it. Basically sits right under the captains seat.

[opie]

I am happy (or sad) to say I had the same problem. Drip-drip-drip from that hang-down-thing you describe (keep your mind pure...). I finally found that the captain's seat hinges needed re-seating and the hole plug in the stern-wall that gives access to the seat hinge bolts needed sealing as well. This solved my drip-drip problem 100% but the admiral still says it is too small down there to satisfy her. (Come on, she meant sleeping down there, using the aft portion to lay in....., it was the 12 inches vertical clearance that bothered her, with the cushions under her back and all.) (Jeepers, what were you thinking I was talking about...?)

[The Mutt]

I found that a large amount of water getting in at the rear most lump under the engine well on our it was getting in due a missing boot over the steering.

I did have a leak dripping down from the join below the companion way, that was caused by one of the instruments on the Port side in the cockpit, I removed the guage, cleaned and re-sealed that stopped that leak.



There is more about leaks on this thread http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 59#p150954

Be patient, have the deckhand use a hose or get in the boat while it's raining heavy, water travels so think about where upstream could be, the bow chainplate leak came out on the Port side in multiple spots as far back as the rear berth, our boat site on it's trailer healing a few degrees to Port stern down.

Glenn

[DaveB]

I bet you slept on the Port side where there was plenty of headroom! My girlfriend will not sleep on my 6 inch air mattress with blown pillow built in. It's a Army designed air mattress and I sleep great on it but I sleep on the Port side.
She wants the original cusions back in and that I will do when I replace the foam with a firm filler. 4 inches is max. I can fill the original and will try the firm. I could do closed cell foam but think it will be to hard. (I know 1-1/2 inch closed cell is not needed for cockpit cusions and better off with 1inch or 1-1/4).
The head room under the cockpit is the problem and the lower the foam the better for all.
Dave

I am happy (or sad) to say I had the same problem. Drip-drip-drip from that hang-down-thing you describe (keep your mind pure...). I finally found that the captain's seat hinges needed re-seating and the hole plug in the stern-wall that gives access to the seat hinge bolts needed sealing as well. This solved my drip-drip problem 100% but the admiral still says it is too small down there to satisfy her. (Come on, she meant sleeping down there, using the aft portion to lay in....., it was the 12 inches vertical clearance that bothered her, with the cushions under her back and all.) (Jeepers, what were you thinking I was talking about...?)

[The Mutt]

Haven't slept aboard yet, I like the idea of extending the V berth, a bit more room vertically available there

I'm looking at adding a removable rack to secure a couple of mountain bikes to the Port side in the rear berth with some crab traps and two folding kayaks, etc.

Glenn