Cruiser 37 water ingress...

[tiger79]

My 2014 Cruiser 37 occasionally gets water appearing in the sump under the engine - not much, maybe a cupful.  It seems to be coming from under the aft water tank.  Because it's occasional, I don't think it's a leak as such, but maybe condensation?  Anyway, the problem is that it accumulates around the steel clamping ring which holds the saildrive diaphragm on.  I've just had the diaphragm replaced, and the Volvo guys fitted a new clamping ring as the original one was badly rusted.  So that's a £300+ extra cost.  Any experiences of this?  Any thoughts?

[sy_Anniina]

I would suggest checking calorifier relief valve. Once the calorifier heats up, water expands and has to escape somewhere

Do you know if the water is fresh- or seawater

BR,

Tommi
s/y Anniina

[tiger79]

It isn't the calorifier.

[aquapore]

I have just replaced my same as the old one was rusted through.

I had this problem for years which eluded my rigorous investigation until disaster.

What I found was as follows:

There are  3 long self tappers that secure the cover over the emergency tiller. It is useless to seal the heads of these screws.

They pass though the cover and embed into the transom part of the hull and in doing so allow water to pass in the space under the cover and through the spiral of the self tapper. and enter the hull during rain.

My solution initially was to remove that cover (and the 3 screws) and seal the holes with  butyl rubber.

That solved the problem,

I am now working on the permanent fix  by using blind nut sets embedded with epoxy and secure the cover with m6 machine screws.

Since then I have had no water ingress.

I think that these troublesome screws is a bad design fault by Bavaria.

Also I the replacement sump I got from the local Perkins dealer for $100 (AUS) instead of $720 asked by the local Volvo Penta agent!.

Hope this helps.

[tiger79]

There are  3 long self tappers that secure the cover over the emergency tiller. It is useless to seal the heads of these screws.

They pass though the cover and embed into the transom part of the hull and in doing so allow water to pass in the space under the cover and through the spiral of the self tapper. and enter the hull during rain.

The Cruiser 37 has a different system - a circular plate which screws in to the top of the upper rudder bearing, using a winch handle to screw it.  No chance of water getting in.

[Impavidus]

tiger79. The aft water tank is on the port side under the lazarette? Turn the water pump on and run the deck shower on the starboard quarter with the hose out for a few minutes. Then shut it off at the at the shower head not at the valve/tap. (So the hose stays pressurized).  See if with the pump on,water still leaks from the shower head, the head button or the fibre washer where the hose meets the shower head. If not undo the 4 screws and remove the shower head door and frame. Check around the back of the valve/tap where the hoses (3 of them) join the valve/tap. Check the couplings around the screw on threads of the hoses.
We had the same problem. It appears that the original seals to these fittings are some kind of brittle plastic gack! We fitted quality nitrate seals to all the joints and its not been a problem since. WE also had to replace the original Shower head with the button as this just kept leaking on and off. Hope this helps Ant.

[sunshine]

If the previous ring was badly rusted, I would suspect salt water. When did you last do the raw water pump seals? The sump under the engine does not fill from water coming from further aft - that drains through channels that divert either side of the engine and run into the main bilge in the saloon, at least it does on my 30.

[newtom]

The water in the sump under my engine, Bav 34-2001, comes from the raw water pump too.
Check the sealing on the impeller side.
Regards Tom

[symphony2]

The bilges on the Farr boats like tiger79's 37 and my 33 are different. The under engine drains from under the aft cabin and the trough under the cockpit. I found this out when the muffler which is in that area leaked and the water (salt) drained into the sump under the engine.

So the freshwater leak could come from the deck pump shower pump.

[tiger79]

As symphony has pointed out, the bilge arrangement is different on my boat.  Any leak from the raw water pump would go straight in to the bilge under the engine, and wouldn't get anywhere near the saildrive clamping ring. The suggestion by Impavidus would be good if the leak happened consistently, but it doesn't - it's only now and then, which is why I suspected condensation.

I've now made some modifications so that any water emerging from under the aft water tank is collected in a rubber tube which directs it straight in to the bilge under the engine, bypassing the area of the saildrive clamping ring.  I've also left the water tank empty this winter, to see whether that affects the amount of condensation (assuming it is condensation!).