I noticed a small water leak at the very aft end of the centerboard (cb) trunk/keel (where it meets the hull) of my 1995 C&C 36 XL/kcb while she was hanging from the travel lift awaiting to be splashed. It is not anything like the C&C 'smile'.
My assumption is that it was bilge water seeping out and the rate was about 75 drops of water per minute. Except for the crack in the bottom paint at the leak, the entire outside of the cb/trunk /keel was otherwise totally dry. (Her bottom had just been stripped sanded down to the gelcoat, new barrier coat was applied and several coats of bottom paint were sprayed on and then burnished.) I spoke with the yard worker who worked on the boat and he said there was no leak while she was on the stands with the cb trunk/keel supported by a block. In this case, the cb trunk/keel was likely pushed up to the hull, probably preventing any leaking. Once the keel was hanging from the lift, the keel was not supported and the leak began and was visible. I did not notice any leaking during previous yearly haul-outs for bottom painting etc. (but I did not usually have her hanging in the slings long enough to notice anything.). Since my bilge has had some water in it for years (previously believed to be from rain-water down the mast), this might be the cause . I should note that the keel bolt/nuts that I can see LOOK to be in as-new condition. As to the cause, she has spent ~24 years in the water (except for yearly maintenance haul-outs). She had a single sharp encounter with an underwater cypress stump but otherwise has not hit anything hard in the NC sounds--they are mostly soft mud or sand. I do race her and use a hydraulic backstay adjuster which certainly attempts to bend the hull away from the cb/trunk/keel. After reviewing the C&C stuff on the photo album and some articles from the web, my thoughts are that: 1) this leak is likely the source of the water in my bilge and that it has likely existed for some time (years) but was never noticed on the outside to the hull. 2) and following the KISS principle, I figured my first move should be to bring the keel bolts to their torque specification--they have never been tightened. 3) and that I can do this with the boat in the water initially until my next yearly haul-out in 2019, when with the cb trunk/keel supported, I could re-tighten them. 4) and finally, if the leak remains (minor) after the bolts are properly torqued, I can opt for an expensive cb-keel/keel joint repair or live with the leak. Any hints/tips from listers on this would be welcome. Thanks, Charlie Nelson Water Phantom 1995 C&C 36 XL/kcb [email protected]
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