Finding leaks . . .

[nhschneider]

We've covered over 20,000 miles in the last 3 years and Rutea has always stayed dry inside - until we stayed the 'summer' in Whangarei, New Zealand. A few leaks developed just where you would expect them: Over bunks and books.

Probably everyone already knows this trick but I searched on CF and couldn't find any post that describes it.

First, we taped off all the vents on the boat and dogged all hatches tight. Then we rented a blower that's used to dry carpets and we made a duct out of plastic that went from it into our companionway. Depending on the size of your boat, you could use a big shop-vac and just direct the outlet into the boat.

With the blower turned on, the cabin is pressurized. We then soap the boat up heavily and look for bubbles. Sure enough, we found several spots where the boat was blowing bubbles and in places we hadn't suspected.

Hopes this helps everyone stay dry.

Fair winds and calm seas.

[skipmac]

Thanks for the hint. Have seen similar suggestions in the past but it has been a while and the technique had dropped out of my memory bank (a situation that seems to occur more and more frequently).

It is sometimes amazing where the leaks originate on the outside, often a long way from where they appear inside the boat.