Transom Leak in F21

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chadrider
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:36 pm

Transom Leak in F21

Post by chadrider »

My bilge has been full the last three times I have gone sailing. First I suspected rain, but yesterday it was full again and the water is salty. I have NO through hulls so, cross that off. I watched for a while and it is coming from the back of the boat. So, I opened up the starboard locker and felt around by the stern. Starboard side, dry. Port side wet. Hmmmmmm. I have two suspects:
  • Bottom rudder gudgeon bolts. (I did hook my mooring a few weeks ago
  • The port cockpit scupper which looks like it has a crack. Prime Suspect
Does anyone have any other suspects?
Tomorrow I am going to take everything out of the locker, stand on my head, and see what I can see.
So, if that scupper is leaking (maybe even caused by deflection of the transom while hooking the mooring!) the core of the transom (balsa? ply?) is probably saturated. The big question, is the balsa core of the hull in danger too? I would think there is no core at the edge of the hull and that it is solid glass where it turns to the transom. But I may be wrong!
My inclination is to delay if it is just the transom and fix it when I pull the boat (save $$ and time). Maybe I'll just plug up that scupper. If the hull is involved, I don't want to wait.

Opinions?
Chad Rider
Rumford, RI
02916

Freedom 21 "Frisson"
1984, Deep Keel, Gunmount.

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newt2u
Posts: 236
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2019 11:24 am
Location: UK

Re: Transom Leak in F21

Post by newt2u »

I think you are correct, the prime suspect is likely the scupper.

Even if there is balsa in the hull, which I doubt, there will not be any in the area of the scupper moulding, the radius is too tight. What you have are two short pipes in cockpit and transom that fit together to make the scupper. Its quite possible you broke the seal between them when you caught your rudder. I’d use a rubber bung and forget about it till you pull the boat, you will want to dry it to fix it anyway. I have two bungs linked with ss screw eyes and cord and put them in when sailing, as the cockpit can take on water with the whole family aft. I normally only open one at my berth As the boat lists to one side due to the spinnaker pole.
Rockin - F21 twin drop keels - located Whitehaven, Cumbria, UK

chadrider
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:36 pm

Re: Transom Leak in F21

Post by chadrider »

Thanks
I'll hunt up one of those plugs (I've got a bunch of them I just need to find them!) and put it in from the outside to cover the crack. We'll see if that fixes things!

BTW. The hull is definitely balsa cored at least the ones made here in RI were. I've seen one cut in half. Lots of balsa.
Chad Rider
Rumford, RI
02916

Freedom 21 "Frisson"
1984, Deep Keel, Gunmount.

User avatar
newt2u
Posts: 236
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2019 11:24 am
Location: UK

Re: Transom Leak in F21

Post by newt2u »

BTW. The hull is definitely balsa cored at least the ones made here in RI were. I've seen one cut in half. Lots of balsa.
Interesting, I have not cut through the hull yet, although someone did as Rockin has a log. I do know the cockpit shell is not cored as I fitted a bilge pump that exits into the cockpit. BTW why would anyone want to cut an F21 in half?
Rockin - F21 twin drop keels - located Whitehaven, Cumbria, UK

chadrider
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:36 pm

Re: Transom Leak in F21

Post by chadrider »

Paul Dennis of Warren River Boatworks acquired an F21 with a wildly delaminated doghouse and a keel problem. It was far beyond saving. He cut the bow off it to extract the tabernacle mast. I went there to look at it because that very boat used to be mine! I got it for free several years before but that was too much work and the yard fees were eating me up.
Still kinda sad.
Chad Rider
Rumford, RI
02916

Freedom 21 "Frisson"
1984, Deep Keel, Gunmount.

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