Water ingress in aft cabin

[Fenders]

Went down to the boat today to check on some things. I noticed that the mattress in the aft cabin was wet at the far left corner. No signs of water staining and all the cupboards are dry inside and underneath. The only thought I had was that rain water was coming in from the underside of the aft port winch. If it is the winch is it easy to remove and reseal?
Never had this problem before, but then we have had some horrendous weather this week.

Any thoughts on likely causes?

Fenders

[Yngmar]

Which model would that be?

[Fenders]

Sorry. Forgot to mention.

Bavaria 32 2004

[Atlantica]

Hi,
Check the hawsehole fittings. I had similar problem in my 38C from 2003. Needs to be dismounted, sealed with marine caulking and screwed back. I replaced the screws with bolts, nuts and large washers at same time.

[Fenders]

Thanks Atlantica
i will give that a go.

[Moodymike]

Have you checked the removeable cover under the binnacle ?   All sorts of possibilities for leaks from above.

[MIA]

I had water coming in the aft cabin and traced to the binnacle

Stevie

[Fenders]

Thanks for your replies.
I will check the ceiling panel underneath the cockpit/binnacle.

Fenders

[tckearney]

Hi just found water in my aft cabin (B42).  Could not understand it to start with, as cushion for seat was wet at top but no drips from deckhead.  About a gallon of water had accumulated in the locker under the seat.  Closets were dry.  When I took the small panels out from top of the closet found evidence of fresh water above the closet tops.  Water leak traced to the stanchion bases for the hand rail entrance stanchions.  Removed the stainless top plate squeezed a bit of sikaflex in and replaced the plates.  Now perfectly dry.   I did think I had a deck leak problem but thankfully not.

[Fenders]

I may have found the problem after a lot of investigation removing panels and crawling about in the steering gear area.
In the cockpit by the port side aft winch there is a hi fi speaker fitted. I removed the grill cover of the speaker and noticed that the very thin gasket wasn't sealed and that the top screws holding the speaker body in place were loose.
I removed the speaker and I could see inside the cavity and the underide of the winch. I was glad to see that the winch bolts were totally clean and no sign of any corrosion or water penetration.
So I have deduced that the water ingress into the aft cabin is from this speaker and the water is tracking down and finding its way through a joint between the internal grp and the wooden rear wall that separates the cabin from the steering gear compartment.

I have now made a new gasket and used silicone to the speaker flanges and screw holes.
Hopefully this will work. Just have to wait for some rain.

Hope this helps others

Fenders

[Imagine]

I had this problem for years and have at last solved it.it was coming in at the engine control panel

[Craig]

I'm not sure of your model Bavaria, but have you checked the cockpit shower. A leak there may drip water into the aft cabin,

Craig
"Shirley Valentine"
Gold Coast
Australia

[Salty]

On my B36(2002) there is a plastic panel with a covered hole in the middle through which one can connect the emergency steering tiller. Years ago the panel was held in place by four self tapping screws where under previous ownership the screw holes had become enlarged to the point where you could stand back ten paces and throw the screws in. Water leaked through one of them, then dripped onto a nearby cable inside the steering compartment. From there it ran forward into the area under the steering binnacle where it then dripped off again at the low point in the cable and into the boxed in area under the compass binnacle. Then it leaked its way past the join between the plywood cabin divider (two aft cabins) and the boxed in area and ran down the bulkhead to the inboard aft corner of the mattress which it then soaked. By chance one day I spotted a drop of water on the cable referred to earlier, and what was happening then became clear.
The sloppy screw holes were filled and the plastic panel was bolted down, but to ensure water tightness I used a small rubber grommet around each bolt where they passed between the plastic panel and the boats hull. Result was no more water ingress, well not from there anyway, and a dry mattress 

[Spirit of Mary]

Exactly the same as Salty happened on my BAV 38 2003. Worthwhile to check for this.

[Fenders]

Thanks for everybody's comments.

Regarding the cockpit shower, this is on the starboard side of the transom and my aft cabin is port side.

Interesting thought about the emergency tiller setup. I am not sure if water from that area would reach the affected part of my aft cabin, but I will have a look through the inspection hatch from the cabin into the inside of the transom area.

So far I may have cured the leak with me re sealing the speakers in the cockpit. The fixings were quite loose and the gasket was thinner than tissue paper. We had some bad storms a week ago with very heavy downpours and so far not a trace of water to be seen.

Thanks again for your thoughts

Fenders

[Salty]

Interesting thought about the emergency tiller setup. I am not sure if water from that area would reach the affected part of my aft cabin, but I will have a look through the inspection hatch from the cabin into the inside of the transom area.

Fenders

Yes, I'd dismissed it initially as being too far away, and thinking only vertically at the time. It was that minuscule drop of water hanging off a cable that passed over the wet area that set me thinking about where it might have picked up the drop of water. The cable also passed directly under one of the throw in screws referred to in my previous posting, but which at that time I'd not discovered how loosely they fitted.

As with most things on the boat, you start one job and half a dozen others turn up uninvited 

[Copprhead]

I've had this problem when the boat came from the factory because of an unsealed screw in the cockpit table ice box. During a heavy rain water entered into the ice box and made its way down to the mattress. Some Sika and a cap over it solved the problem.