Luders L-16 Leak

[mmisin2]

Hello, I have a "plastic" Luders L-16, hull #264. I recently put her in the water and she has a leak. When she was on the trailer and had water in the cockpit, it looked wet along the keel seam. Any ideas as to how I can track the leak? The boat had not been in the water for about three years prior to this launching. Any chance a loose keel bolt would product a leak of two to three inches of water a night? I can not think of another place where the water might be entering.

[marshmat]

Hi mmisin,

Slow leaks can be a royal pain to trace.
If you suspect a leak at the keel bolts, you could try giving the bilge a good cleaning while she's on the trailer. Then, from inside the hull, watch the bolts very carefully as the boat is inched down the launch ramp a bit at a time. You might see something.
Then again, you might not. Water can sometimes migrate for several metres between where it enters and where it becomes visible.
In any case, best of luck....

[PAR]

As Matt has mentioned, leaks can be a real pain to hunt down. This is primarily because there are so many places for potential leaks to occur. Through hulls, rudder ports, stuffing boxes, keel bolts, impact damage, laminate failures, the list can be daunting to address.

What I like to do is discount rain and boarding water first. I'll use a garden hose and blast obvious areas, like around ports, deck cleats or other hardware, hatches, etc. then go inside and look for fresh water trails. Work one item or area at a time so you can isolate the leak. With things like cockpit drains, winch stands and stanchion bases crossed off the list, it's time to inspect the underwater areas.

Tap around each through hull with an ear for delamination and/or wet laminate. Inspect bedding, fastener holes, etc. Check the keel bolts for tightness, bedding, obvious signs of leaking etc. Put a tool on every fastener on the hull and insure it's tight.

Often it's best to take a "blanket" approach. By this you renew all the bedding, fastener security, rudder port and stuffing box packing, etc. This can be time consuming, but you at least start with a level playing field, knowing you've stopped current leaks and staved off future leaks for some time. It's reassuring to know all the bedding, packing, etc. is new. You don't have to think back to the last time something was changed, trying to remember if it's time for renewal or not.