Ron

Marionette #12

 

A favorite subject - have you checked out http://dolphin24.org/leaks.html

 

Marionette has 'finessed' this problem for 17 years now - I have maybe 12 bolts that leak, sometimes, and half of them stain. I use the tiny rolled up pieces of towel paper method (like a small cigarette) jammed in between the bolt end and the hull to stop staining on the hull side, and in the worse cases very small pooling on the hull side/locker top. Almost all the leakers are on the aft quarters and are likely some of the bolts that fasten the genoa track on top of the toe rail - probably because the track gets 'stressed' when there is a big sheet load.

 

The towel paper is white, and usually dries out, ready for its next tour of duty. The same piece of rolled paper is usually up all season. Unless its stained, (and then I replace it)  the little paper rolls  blend in and I hardly notice them.

 

When a given bolt starts to worry me - the paper roll gets really wet, never drys, or I start seeing stain dripping from the paper on to the hull side, I change to a larger "roll". When this process starts to really worry me, in the winter layup period I drill 3-4 small holes in the deck (I have a wood deck) around the problem bolt area, angled a bit outboard so the holes form a kind of half circle around the bolt.

 

Marionette's hull/deck joint is the infamous Marscot/O'Day clamp - esentially a 2x4 laid in a fiberglass U channel, through which the toe rail and deck (and toe rail top genoa track are bolted. The working theory is that water works its way into bolt hole, eventually rusting the bolt - but maybe also starting rot in the wood surrounding it.

 

Back to the 'fix', I drip Git Rot into the holes until it leaks out the bottom (I duct tape the holes at the bottom) and keep dripping until the holes overflow. Presumably, the Git Rot has saturated the suspect area and sealed the bolt. Then I touch sand the top of the 'filled' hole and touch paint. I have done this for three problem bolts, that no longer leak, or don't leak much. 

 

My toe rails seem solid, no sign of rot anywhere. If there is rot it is in the deck around the bolt, and/or in the clamp. This is another link that bears on this subject. http://dolphin24.org/clamp_toe_rail_issues.html

 

We have a couple of case studies where the entire toe rail gets replaced - a nightmare - but I can't recall a fix just pulling out a few bolts and replacing. I'll be interested to see any replies

 

Ron

Marionette, #12