Over the summer, one of the improvements to Owl Moon was installation of a counter for the bilge pump. It had been staying at zero, but now the bilge pump is running several times a day. I spent some time trying to identify the source of the problem and found that the fresh water pump had a slow leak on the intake side. Okay, that is a relatively easy fix. I replaced the pump, but I still couldn't keep the bilge dry. Checking further, I realized water was coming forward into the bilge from the back of the boat. I found there was a small trickle of water coming out from under the engine.
 |
| Video showing leak |
All was dry aft of the sail drive. After more checking on the sides of the engine and throughout the aft section of the boat, it seemed the most likely source of the leak is somehow associated with the sail drive. It is impossible to actually see where the water is coming in because the engine is mounted on a pan that is installed onto the hull along with the mounting "donut" for the sail drive. I am not able to see the front part of the sail drive and its mounting structure, only the sides and aft.
After consulting with several people, it seems that the action we need to take is to pull the sail drive and investigate further. We had planned on keeping Owl Moon in the water over the winter, but now it looks like we will be having her hauled.
No comments:
Post a Comment