Leaking hatch board companionway

[iansan5653]

I came back to my boat (in downtown St Pete) after Hurricane Idalia to about 6" of fresh water in the bilge.

Number 1 problem is my bilge pump float switch failed (don't trust those cheap Maxzone pumps!!) so of course that's the first thing to fix.

However, that leaves the question of how the rain got in in the first place. Given that all my cushions were dry, I'm 99% sure it came in the companionway hatch boards.

Where the two boards meet there is a slope outwards, and they meet without gaps. So I don't think that's where it's coming from.

I'm pretty sure the water is coming in the top, where there is an uneven gap between the sliding top part and the drop-in boards. I'm thinking maybe some weatherstripping will solve the problem, but I'm interested in how other boats seal this spot. How is it done on your boat? Is it inevitable that it's going to leak a bit?

[SailingHarmonie]

This is almost never a problem at anchor, because you are bow to wind, and leaks are near zero. Of course at the dock the wind can blow (hard!) from the stern and drive water in. When we leave the boat in a place where she can't point herself into the wind, we have a canvas cover than snaps over the companionway. With the same kind of gaps you describe, we have never had a drop get in with the cover in place, even during a hurricane.

It's a simple, effective, inexpensive solution. And if you have varnished hatchboards, it keep the finshing looking nice a LOT longer!

[iansan5653]

My boat is a day sailor that sits in a marina slip all year, so unfortunately the anchoring solution isn't an option (though that does explain why many don't encounter this problem!). I would do a cover but I need the ventilation to keep the mildew down. I guess I could make a cover that I only put on for tropical storms, but that seems like a lot of work for 1-2 uses a year. Maybe the best solution is to just duct tape it when I know a storm is coming.

[Chotu]

Or masking tape to make things all that much more easy.

[nigel1]

I use a self adhesive weather seal (strip), fixed to the top of the upper hatch board.
No leaks, even with wind and rain driving in from astern.
Its a cheap and easy fix, no harm in trying.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by iansan5653

I came back to my boat (in downtown St Pete) after Hurricane Idalia to about 6" of fresh water in the bilge.

Number 1 problem is my bilge pump float switch failed (don't trust those cheap Maxzone pumps!!) so of course that's the first thing to fix.

However, that leaves the question of how the rain got in in the first place. Given that all my cushions were dry, I'm 99% sure it came in the companionway hatch boards.

Where the two boards meet there is a slope outwards, and they meet without gaps. So I don't think that's where it's coming from.

I'm pretty sure the water is coming in the top, where there is an uneven gap between the sliding top part and the drop-in boards. I'm thinking maybe some weatherstripping will solve the problem, but I'm interested in how other boats seal this spot. How is it done on your boat? Is it inevitable that it's going to leak a bit?

A hurricane is something not normal. many things could leak. A little here a little there.
My 47 foot boat was watertight checking with a hose at the dock. The very top edge of the companionway boards would leak with a horizontal shot of the hose though. A hurricane blows water horizontal at times. Normally you want the sliding hatch to cover the top board with some overlap. That wont fix the hurricane issue though, but most normal hard rainstorms.

But the reality is, when we were caught near Hatteras in a 40+ knot blow against the gulf stream, the boat was taking green water completely engulfing the boat. Water came squirting in fully dogged hatches (the 4 dog type) , portlites and other places. It would not come in those places tested with a gardent hose.

[gonesail]

in a storm you might try some duct tape across the gap where it would leak. remove tape soon after.

[Kettlewell]

Another thing to check for is water coming in through the mast. I've had boats with keel-stepped masts that looked almost like a hose was inserted down the mast during heavy rain. It came in through the top and various places where there were sheeves and such.