3000 express water in cabin

[Pursuit07]

Hello all, new member but have been following for a few years. Have found previous posts on this matter but still am looking. I have a 2000, 30’ express. Have been dealing with water in cabin after it rains. Water in a few spots actually. Under the v berth in the storage compartment, starboard side along the hull side, notice water seeping down. Slow seep. Water runs thru the compartment and finds it’s way into the closet and eventually the teak floor. Another area is under the dinette. Carpet becomes saturated, teak floor never wet although.
Last year I removed the hull vents, epoxied and reinstalled. Have recaulked the rub rail both top and bottom.

Have come across addressing the windows and screws which I plan to do before boat goes into storage. Am thinking this is what’s leading to carpet wet under dinette. There is zero sign of any water on cabin ceiling or walls. The ac drain hose does not seem to be the issue, have never had water in that compartment and have checked all hoses/connections. Anchor locker seems fine. Thoughts on bow rail stanchions? Cleats?

Shower sump area under steps I removed all water. Here in Michigan has been raining the last few days and there’s about an inch of water in there now. No plug between shower sump and switches.


Looking for any suggestions and pointers. It’s been a nightmare and headache.

Regards!

[Dan1]

You are most likely dealing with a combination of leaks, water in aft steering compartment can end up in the cabin….

Try these simple observations before anything.

Port side
On the Port side your leak is most likely from the windscreen or the engine room.

Look below the wiper motor on the windscreen,there is a rubber insert that runs down the screen. Gently peal that back and you will see the wires for the wiper motor, there is a hole drilled thru the aluminum C channel and fiberglass.

Water collects in the C channel runs down thru the hole across the cabin ceiling and runs down behind the sink,into the cupboard and ends up in the storage compartment under the bed,and on to the teak floor. Pursuit did not seal this hole on three boats that I have seen.

Have a look at the corner where the roof liner meets the bathroom/galley wall directly above the microwave, gently poke the roof liner in that corner, is it spongy/wet?

Water from the engine room ends up in the bottom of the cabinet as well,in the bathroom there is a 4’ hole under the sump box for the galley/bathroom sink. If its full of water it's coming from the engine room. If the toilet is leaking water will also end up in there as well and follow the same path as all of the above above.

Starboard side

Check the wiring for the Starboard wiper motor (same as the Port)

Confirm the drain line from the AC isn't blocked,the AC pan is angled bow down,the boat sits bow down at rest and the drain fitting for the AC is at the back of the pan half way up the pan. Put the garden hose in the pan and slowly fill it up and observe.

Water can also transfer from the engine room to that area from the AC feed hose hole on the bulkhead, look behind the seat over the AC,follow the feed hose and you will see in going thru the bulkhead at floor level be careful poking around in there if you are connected to shore power (live exposed 120 volt terminals)

Water can also transfer between the engine room/cabin thru the drain hole located in the bilge on the bulkhead. Open the stair steps, look down behind the shower sump box.

Your windscreen screws may also be leaking…..

There’s more but start with those

[Woodworker2001]

In my case the carpet and other leaks seemed to be mostly from the windshield. I replaced the black rubber screw cover all around. Rebedded all the screws holding it down. Including the holes for the whipper motor and then put a good bead of caulk around the base of the window on the outside. I also caulked the ends of that black screw cover with some black life seal. Have not had any wet carpet since. It was getting wet all the way into the base of my hanging locker. But have not seen the water since

[Pursuit07]

Have looked everything over. I’m going to take care of the seals around windscreen. Seems like an obvious spot leading me to believe the wet carpet under the dinette. Everything else mentioned above seems ok.

I trailered boat home last week. Drained remaining water out of forward/aft/shower bilge. Everything was dry until 2 days of rain. Forward bilge has very little water in in. Under cabin steps has the most, maybe 1-2”. Boat does angle towards bow when on trailer and where I have it parked in yard. Everything seems to be from starboard side. (Carpet wet and slow seeping leak under the v-berth.

Just baffled on the seeping of water under the vberth. I started noticing problem late this year. Water would come in, run under vberth in the storage area to the hanging closet-cabin floor.

Any thoughts if water could come in windscreen area and run all the way up to bow area where the seeping occurs under vberth?

I attached picture under vberth. The white tape I put on when searching for the leak. Coming from under tape.

[Dan1]

Just to clarify,

Are you saying water is leaking out from the fiberglass under the tape in the picture and running down into the bottom of the v birth? Is that a water stain under the tape? Water is coming through the fiberglass where it layered and there is a visible edge?

[Pursuit07]

Yes that is correct. Starts seeping in from that exact area after it rains steadily.

[Dan1]

It's an area where the balsa core starts/finishes and there could be a cavity inside for water to travel through. The hand layered glass in that area may not have been finished properly and be porous. I had exactly the same issue very close to where yours is.

Is your anchor locker drain blocked?

Attached is a pic of what Pursuit used for the drain,they just pushed it in with no sealant and the inside leaks into the inner core, I replaced mine with a 1’ stainless thru hull years ago.

Below the drain there is an aluminum fitting the anchor line secures to------its below the drain and subsequently permanently under water, the sealant on that may have failed and it will leak into the inner core as well.

Block the anchor locker drain with a cork and fill the anchor locker with about 12 inches of dyed water (use a dark water based food color) and see what happens.

Your next problem is going to be getting the water out of the inner core.

Pic 1 Is the same area on my boat (blue tape marks where your leak is)

Pic 1.JPG

Pic 2 Is your boat, if you follow the chine/red line to where I have marked (X) is the area mine leaked, its at exactly the same ht as yours on the chine but in the anchor locker. Follow red line/chine.

Pic 2.png

Pic 3 Is my boat,follow chine/red line to (x) my glass was porous there (hidden by chain)

Pic 3.png

Pic 4 Is my anchor locker drain —1’ through hull with a nut on the inside —cant leak into the inner core and is much larger opening than original.

Pic 4.png

Pic 5 Is what pursuit used for the drain without sealant, (its a push in fitting - no nut on inside) this is the actual fitting I removed alongside a thru hull the same as I replaced it with.

Pic 5.png

[Pursuit07]

Great information, thank you! I’ll flood the anchor locker and see what happens.

What was your solution/fix to pourous spot in you anchor locker?

[Pursuit07]

What sealant did you use for the aluminum fitting the anchor line secures to? Drain was not plugged

[Pursuit07]

removed what appeared to be 4200 on topside of aluminum fitting anchor line secures to. Under aluminum fitting was a black sealant. Easily was able to remove it with my fingers. Was going to remove aluminum fitting but didn’t go any further with it. Is this fitting easily able to remove, reseal and fasten back in place?