Bavaria 0cean 38 leaks

[Jam]

Hi
Having rebedded/ checked all stanchions have cured most leaks.  However in aft berth portside locker have a persistent leak.  It seems to be dripping from a screw used to secure the deck to the hull as there is to way to assess the screw from the cap rail.  The plugs/ screw positions used to secure the cap rail don't correspond to this leaking screw position.  Has anyone a remedy or had a similar problem on the ocean? I am reluctant to remove the complete cap rail at this time for one leak...the  Scottish weather isn't great for this type of work at the best of times.
Thanks
John

[Salty]

Hi Jam,
You don't say what year your Bav was built so the design and interior fittings, cupboards etc., may have changed. On a number of older designs, the areas above and behind the cupboards were very difficult to get behind, but on my 36, and some of the 37s and 38s it was possible to remove a small horizontal panel in the tops of the cupboards located under the side decks by undoing a couple of screws. This would release a small thin piece of plywood which gave very limited access to the bolts or screws used to secure the rail stanchion bases and the otherwise void spaces beyond those cupboards. It would also allow you to hold a small camera up inside where using the camera you could then photograph the interior of those spaces which would otherwise be impossible to view and will help in determining where the water is leaking in and to where it tends to run. I've attached a photo or two showing the interior of one of those spaces and from which you can see the trail that a water leak had left. Good hunting, but then the problem becomes one of how do you fix it. In my experience "Captain Tolleys Creeping Crack Cure" works quite well once you have found the leak.

[Jam]

Thanks, have removed panels and can see the screw but unable to remove and reseal it as cap rail sits on top, would mean removing a large section of cap rail.  The boat was a 2000 version and has good access pretty by removing the 2 panels inside the top of cupboards.  I ve applied some life caulk along the seam between the cap rail, inboard side hoping this would help and over the screw that is poking out down below.  My try captain trolleys as well........anyone had similar probs with the ocean cap rail?
John

[geoff]

I had the same leak on my ocean 40 . I traced it to the hull /deck join forward of the leak. The wooden cap rail  is in two bits a top plate and an outer rail . the outer rail comes off in 2mtr sections after removing the metal rubbing strip. with the outer rail off rake out the filler mastic [badly applied in my case] and replace with p/u filler /adhesive. Sounds a big job but is not. Geoff

[Yngmar]

I'm just doing this on my 40 Ocean (2001). What happens is that the teak toerail wears away over the years and gets thinner, so all the fittings that are bolted through it start leaking. That's not just the stanchions, I'm having to rebed the mooring cleats as well.

When you do rebed the stanchions, it is not enough to just pull the stanchion and blob some sealant between it and the stud, you have to get the stud out and rebed that to do the job properly. The water does wick along the deck/hull joint between the teak and the deck flange it sits on, so rebedding all the through-bolted things may stop your non-through screw from leaking.

The caulking between the toe rail sections is also withered and water can get in there as well. Have a good look at that and redo if need be.

[Jam]

Thanks, looks like I may be busy this autumn once boat is out.  Had good success with stanchions on removing stub and resealing with  polysulphide sealant and filling gap with silicone between cap rail and stanchion....was a perfect hollow for water to sit in, don't know if Bav Ocean 40 is the same?  Was removing the cap rail difficult/time consuming.  Otherwise a great boat the Bav 38 ocean, having owned a Westerly Fulmar....wife especially enjoying the home comforts!!!
Thanks
John