Thread: False Bilge?
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Old 03-18-2015, 04:23 PM   #14
dwhatty
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City: Home Port: Buck's Harbor, Maine
Vessel Name: "Emily Anne"
Vessel Model: 2001 Island Gypsy 32 Europa (Hull #146)
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,846
Had a similar issue with our boat.

In our case, the ballast is cement. Due to whatever cause (water intrusion?), the top couple of inches of cement deteriorated, crumbled and settled and provided a space for water to sit in/on. A couple of Maine winters freezing what water was on top of and in the ballast (the boat came from Florida) and the layer of gelcoated glass and wood covering the ballast cracked open in several places, including in the forward and aft bilge sumps, which allowed more water in. Could never seem to dry out the sumps.

We opened up the cracked areas. We then drilled a hole outside at the lowest aft point of the keel into the ballast and installed a bronze garboard drain fitting. Water seeped freely from it for at least two weeks. We then dried out the top of the cement (using heat and fans) as best we could before repairing the covering.

Now when the boat is hauled each year for the season we remove the plug.

Three years down the line and hardly any water seeps from the drain (maybe a thimbleful, if that) and the repairs remain intact with no sign of upwelling water anywhere in the bilge.
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David Hawkins
Deer Isle, Maine
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