Bavaria 37 (2006), leak into forward cabin via navlight cable in pushpit

[umu]

Hi,

on our recently purchased Bavaria 37 I noticed a leak into the area under the forward bunks.
After dismantling the panels on the anchor locker bulkhead it became obvious that it leaks via the navlight cable  (which is led thru the port side of the pulpit and then into the boat).
I had read a while ago about this problem which seemed to be on various models but could not locate any recommendations how to best fix it.
Any advice ?

[IslandAlchemy]

Make sure that the cable has a low point before it enters the pullpit, and gob the hole up with silicone.

[umu]

The navigation light cable in the and its inlet into the deck is not visible or accessible from the outside.

The cable enters the pulpit right next to the navigation light, is led thru the pulpit pipes into the "foot" that holds the pulpit where it goes thru the deck).
Forming a loop to have the majority drip off is thus not an option.
Also sealing the entry point with caulking is not straightforward as the entry point is not accessible (it is inside/underneath the "foot").

Nobody else had this problem ?? This way to route the cable was standard on all the Bavarias from in between 2005 and 2010 that we looked at.

[umu]

P.S.:
The water that leaks into the boat is not coming via the navlight cable entrance into the pulpit. This entrance hole was my first guess, but it has both a drip off loop and is (now) sealed with caulking.

So I believe the problem area is around the foot where water from the deck/toerail somehow gets to the cable and then thru the deck.

[Salty]

P.S.:
The water that leaks into the boat is not coming via the navlight cable entrance into the pulpit. This entrance hole was my first guess, but it has both a drip off loop and is (now) sealed with caulking.

So I believe the problem area is around the foot where water from the deck/toerail somehow gets to the cable and then thru the deck.

Definitely the most likely scenario.

Inside your forward cabin and against what appears to be the forward bulkhead, are there some panels secured in place with screws fitted with plastic covers over the heads of the screws? If your answer is yes, then it is most likely that those panels can be removed fairly easily. This is the situation on my B36 (2002), but once those panels were removed a fairly large area of otherwise void space became accessible. This enabled access to wiring which had previously been inaccessible, and which allowed being able to place a blob of silicone sealant around the wires where they penetrated through the chain locker bulkheads. However if you have leaking deck stanchion fittings or leaking toe rails, then those have to be dealt with as a separate issue, and where your boat construction attributes may make access to those features something where unkind words are muttered, and not always under ones breath !!

[dawntreader]

These photos are from my B37 2006 which I took when replacing the bow nav lights wiring cable (which had water ingress). I would expect your build to be similar 

[umu]

Thanks for the input.

I had already removed the mentioned panel, that's why I am sure it is coming via the cable as I can literally see it coming in there. See also attached picture.

The bolts holding this pulpit base are bone dry, nothing coming in there. Same for the tank filler hose, tankvent hose and windlass cable pass-thru.

Anyone remembering if/how the sealing of the cable pass into the deck in the pulpit base is done on his boat ?

[dawntreader]

The cable is fed from the navigation light and through an access hole in the bow push pit steel work. It then goes down a leg (see attached photo). If yours looks the same as that then I suggest the water will be coming in from elsewhere, but showing on the cable - e. g. through either one of the legs or a deck joint - the hole for the cable in the steel work is too small for that to bring water that far.

[umu]

After some further investigation - watering with a hose - I could confirm the water entering from around the port side base of the pulpit, not further forward.
Inspecting the base further I found to my amazement that the navigation light cable which is led thru it into the deck had no sealant whatsoever around it in the area where entering the deck (what I first thought to be sealant was just dirt/dust collected there).
There was just the hole in the deck, the cable passed thru and the base bolted on (however these screws where sealed and watertight).
It can be vaguely seen on the attached picture.

However my hope that a decent blob of sealant cures the problem was not fulfilled. Still leaking a bit. The surrounding of the cable is not completely reachable from the outside (too tight), so I could just squeeze the sealant in and hope for the best - which did not entirely work out.

Maybe there is a better technique ? Somebody had this problem and fixed it or can see how it's done on his boat ??

[dawntreader]

I have the same set-up as you. My cable also goes through the deck, the access hole being under the leg of the steelwork. However, whereas yours is 'open' and you can see the cable, my cable has been seated in a rubber grommet, filling the space under the leg and making the hole watertight. I suggest you may want to consider doing something similar, remove the leg and seal around the cable. If you do go down this route you may also want to consider replacing the nav light cable with tinned conductors as part of the overall job.

[umu]

Ok, problem fixed.
Here's the process -  for those who might encounter the same issue:
- You absolutely need to remove the port side of the pulpit from its base. No chance to seal the cable entry into the deck from the outside (you will see why once you removed it). No need to remove the pulpit entirely, it flexes enough to be lifted from the base. Apply WD40 or Teflon spray as it sticks within the base.
- Give the cable to the navlight some play. Then fix it on the inside near the hull deck joint with a cable tie and clip. This prevents it from potentially exerting pressure on the seal when remounting the pulpit and damaging the seal.
- Apply sealant from above thru the center of the base around the cable (Polymer/Polyurethane, no Silicon). Avoid too much sealant as this might protrude too far into the base to be able to remount the pulpit pipe.
- Remount after curing.

[VitaminSea]

Thank you for the clear description and pictures!