DS 2 Nearly Sank this weekend.

[bm1981]

So just to confirm what I have read in other threads, I can dry launch careen the boat and remove the 4 screws, 2 wedges, 1 plastic rod and the CB. This will allow me to see whats binding. Reassembly is the reverse of how it came out.

I will need to seal the screws and only the screws as they are the only trough hull, and only way for water to leak into bilge. Whats the best sealant- I think i read silicone somewhere but what type? The apply all around the threads and then after 24 hours an additional 1/4 turn?

I think before I do that I'm going to replace the shockcord and make sure the ends are tightly compressed then while the boat is in water pull the CB down and see if that fixes the issue before I start to pull anything else out.

My hope is that its just the cable binding between the CB and Locker.

[SUNBIRD]

The holes between cuddy and cockpit were factory original to allow any water that gets in the cuddy to drain out.
Possible leak points that I've found on my boat (1979)
Hull-Deck joint, I sealed any gaps (and some were wide) with a good marine sealant, this cut down on the water getting into the bilge while sailing! The original putty/filler had chipped out in places.
I had cracks in the place where the cockpit molding and inside cuddy molding meet around those cuddy drain holes.
The inspection /bailing ports in the cockpit sole, the originals on my boat were broken and hard to remove. I replaced them with new ones (Beckson 4") purchased from D&R Marine. Be sure to seal the flanges to the deck. D&R seems to fill internet orders and phone orders pretty well, if you live near Assonet. MA then your best bet is a Saturday morning visit to Rudy.
The bilge drainplug in the transom, may need to seal the flange to the hull. Oh ,and the water REALLY pours in there if you forget the plug! I did forget once........thank goodness I noticed before leaving the dock at the ramp! Eve nmore thankful that the plug was in the cockpit where I'd left it all winter (I now make REAL sure to screw it in the day that I paint the bottom!). My boat stays on a mooring for the summer and as long as we don't get any major rain during the week.... the bilge usually stay bone dry.
If centerboard is sticking, is it mostly i nthe full up position that it sticks? if so, I'd recommend grinding/sanding the upper,forward corner a bit to round the edges. the CB is squared off in hte area but the inside of the trunk is rounded. My CB kept sticking and it worked fine after rounding the top off a bit.

[bm1981]

sunbird thanks for the reply,

Quick update on "Miller Time"

I took the boat back to the marina I purchased it from, they filled the bilge and noticed that water was leaking into the bailer well...long story short one of the fine cracks in the well actually went deeper than just the gelcoat and made it's way all the way thru to the bilge. The culprit was 1/2 long crack inside the boat along the bailer well floor and the transom.

My self bailer doesn't move up or down, it seems pretty well seized in the open position so there is always 1-2 inches of water in the back of the boat. No big deal but because the crack was constantly underwater, the water was quickly and silently leaking int my bilge and caused the capsize. The reglassed the crack and replaced the plug into the bilge

Now I keep an eye on the well and pop open an inspection port about 45 minutes into each sail just to check for water.

Off season projects include re-sealing the drain ports in the cuddy, the doughnut in the CB trunk, replacing or re-selaing the inspection ports in the cockpit and filling a few gaps in the deck hull joint. I have seen all but the deck hull leak while playing with a hose to look for leaks. They are slight but still better safe than sorry.

I'd alos like to do some soda bottle floatation, I'm pulling out 5LB chunks of waterlogged foam from the bilge. I may move the old ports to the seats or bow to save a few bucks, since I believe the issue is the caulk around ring not the ports themselves. I figure I can shave more than a few pounds by removing 30 year old waterlogged foam

[SUNBIRD]

I have one of the newer plastic bailers (same as on the SUNFISH) and it originally had a plug to seal the bailer. I almost always insert that plug while aboard the boat. The DS II is said to be self-bailing.....well, she is, but also tends to be "self-filling" as well! There is a little ball inside my bailer that is supposed to stop water from flowing in while still allowing water to drain out...... water does flow out fine (when plug is removed), but the ball rarely stops the inflow. I always (well ,OK..I di forget a few times!) remove the plug from the bailer when I leave the boat moored and rain might be forcast (generally I remove plug before going ashore the last time each weekend). I still get water leaking into the bilge if we get a heavy or sustained rainstorm, but remember.... the size of the cockpit and the fact that all that water has to drain out of a 5/8" hole!

If I were to take water into the cockpit while sailing it is an easy fix to remove the plug from the bailer and the water drains as the boat moves along.

[talbot]

While we're talking about things that can leak, I noticed a small divot in the cover of one the inspection ports by the CB trunk a couple of weeks ago. When I opened the port, a section the size of a dime dropped out of the cover. I imagine the boom landed on it at some point during rigging. I have never worried much about water in the cockpit because it never seems to get into the bilge. But a dime-size hole could have caused plenty of problems. Anyway, be careful of dropping things on those ports. They are not as resilient as the fiberglass deck.

[whitejw1967]

I was taking on water in my 74 DSII every time I went out. I thought it was a crack near the CB trunk--I routed it out and put in new glass there (7 layers thick). It is stronger than the original. But I still took on water and couldn't figure out where. My solution: with the boat out of the water, I opened the inspection port, put in a hose, and filled the bilge. I quickly found the leak. I was taking on water from where the lower gudgeon was attached to the transom (which also meant a lot more work to repair). But repair it I did and now she's almost completely dry (except for the CB intrusion which is minimal).

John