Water in forward and stern buoyancy tanks

[PaulK]

Hello everyone. This is my first post here, as I’m in the process of hopefully purchasing a 2013 BRe from the SY brokerage site.

I’d very much appreciate some advice from owners on an issue that the surveyor has found. When he opened the stern buoyancy tanks in the cockpit benches, there was 2-3 inches of water in both.  He also noted condensation on the underside of the forward tank lids (he couldn’t open them by hand, so it isn’t clear whether there is free surface water in the tanks). He recommended drying the tanks, fitting new seals followed by a hose test.

I understand from Matt at SY that the cockpit lids “always leak a tiny bit”. So not to worry. I can understand the leaky lids, as the design probably precludes complete watertight ness, but my non-boaty wife asked me, quite reasonably, whether water in buoyancy tanks is “a good sign in a boat”! In particular, water in the forward tanks seems slightly unnerving as they don’t get rained on.

Can I please ask whether you have similar amounts of water present? If you do, any advice on how you manage it?

With many thanks in advance.

Paul Knight

[Jonathan Stuart]

My BRe always had some water in the aft buoyancy chambers but never more than an inch or two in the bottom, so this sounds normal. Having discovered this, I sponged out the water, put silicone grease on the o-rings and they then remained dry. Notwithstanding the arguments against storing stuff in buoyancy chambers, they were then dry enough to store our seleeping bags, water and spare fuel when camping on the boat.

The forward chamber was always bone dry. But, from memory, the only see-through lid on mine was in the cabin on the ballast tank. The buoyancy chambers had white plastic lids. I assume they are see-though on this boat and the surveyor wasn't looking at the ballast tank - surely not, but might be worth checking. The buoyancy lids should be removable but the cabin ballast lid can be done up very tightly to avoid leaks - and we siliconed ours in place because it did leak but then of course couldn't be opened, which was fine - so that also made me wonder which lid he was looking at.

[Sea Simon]

Simply put, i agree with all that JS has already posted.

I use my aft buoyancy tanks to store excess fenders and similar, and a long length of hose that could be fitted to my extra-large, secondary bilge pump, and used to pump out my cabin...yet to be used in anger... thankfully!

Due to the shape of these tanks, I would suggest that "an inch or two of water" perhaps sounds worse than it actually is?

[R and J]

Yes, I agree that a grease compatible with the O ring seal is a good way forward.

Imperfect seals don’t remove the possibility of water entering for other reasons but on our BRe we do see small amounts of water in the buoyancy tanks which we sponge out from time to time. Perhaps this is down to condensation as explained next.

Over last winter, with a brand new boat never having been used and likely checked for leaks by Swallow Yachts, and with the boat raised at the bow we had about 1 to 2 inches of water at the rear of the tank on one side and much much less on the other. Where the water was most was exposed to wind and sunshine, the other by a wall was more protected from temperature changes. I suspect sun was warming the air in the tank and then later was cooled by wind drawing moist air past the seal to then condense into liquid which we find. This process repeats and can build to a significant amount. In our case the exposed side produced more moisture than the protected side.
That’s my theory anyway.
No rain water was able to get on the deck or inside the cockpit, meaning water entering for any other reason is unlikely. If any had it would likely drain away as the bow was raised.

I haven’t done a swamp test as we did every year on our dinghies years ago. That test would perhaps help knowing for sure about the integrity of the buoyancy tanks. We were allowed a pint or two (litre) per small tank after 40 mins of swamping.

I don’t expect their to be anything wrong with our boat. I will however follow the suggestion to apply some compatible grease to the seal

BRe 089 ‘Sparkle’

[PaulK]

Thank you all for the super speedy and reassuring replies!

[Graham W]

I’ve found that paradoxically on an uncovered BR20, water is more likely to get past my aft buoyancy tank inspection hatches when the boat is slightly tilted aft, as it is on the trailer.  It seems that such a tilt stops any water on the aft part of the benches from running off forward.  So it just pools in the area of the inspection hatches and leaks through them one way or another, probably underneath the bases rather than through the hatch lids.  Not a big problem.

[PaulK]

Thank you too Graham W for your post which I hadn’t clocked - further reassurance. I’m grateful.

[Graham W]

Reviving an old topic. 

As I was putting my BR20 to bed for the winter, I thought that it would be a good idea to inspect all the buoyancy tanks for water ingress. 

There were a few litres in the two stern tanks (leaky inspection hatches) and a small amount on both sides of the topmost tanks that run under the gunwales (possibly condensation).  The lockers were both bone dry, despite heavy power washing - the locker lid corner cut-outs are a real boon. 

The tank in the bow and the port forward tank (with access in the forward wall of the port locker) were both dry as well.  However, the starboard forward tank had a couple of litres of water in it.  The question is, where could it have come from?  Any ideas?  It was fresh water rather than salty.

[Graham W]

Bump.

Am I right in thinking that the BR20 foredeck is a separate piece of GRP and during assembly is bonded/epoxied to the hull?  If there was any gap between the two, that might explain where the water in the starboard forward buoyancy tank was getting in.

The black caulking (Sikkaflex or similar?) between the foredeck and wooden gunwale strip is beginning to degrade and probably needs replacing.  I’m thinking that if that was sorted out, it would stop the leak.

The water in the buoyancy tank was fresh rather than salty, suggesting that as I mostly sail on the sea, it’s rainwater or the result of pressure washing the boat.

[garethrow]

Not sure Graham. I do know that the GRP hulls arrive from Poland with the decks already on if that helps at all? I haven't really looked that hard under the foredeck to study configuration of floor and tanks, but your post prompts me to check the front buoyancy tanks in due course.

Regards

Gareth Rowlands
GRP BR20 Halen Y Mor

[Graham W]

The leak into my starboard forward buoyancy tank has been traced to the large mooring cleat on the starboard side of the foredeck - it was coming through where the base was secured to the deck. 

There were also small leaks coming through where the chainplates are fixed to the hull.  However, this was impossible to get to from the inside.  This has been remedied by cutting new inspection hatches so that the inboard side of the chainplates can be properly inspected in future.  Always a good idea from a safety point of view.