Ken,
Who was the previous owner? This might help solve your problem.
 
Rummy
 
 
In a message dated 4/19/2012 9:26:20 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
pbryanriley at gmail.com writes:

Ken,
My experience was that removing the floor and step pieces  to gain
access to the centerboard cap was much easier than expected.   Just
removing screws and lifting them out.

I had a similar situation  to yours but never left the boat in the
water long enough to determine how  bad it would get.  I ordered and
installed a bilge pump but it has  never been needed.  I found that my
cap had a rubber gasket and all I  did was tighten the screws.  They
had apparently loosened over the  years and 1000 miles of my trailering
when I bought it.  Problem  solved.  If you had professional work done
on your centerboard cap I  would expect this to not be the case unless
they just used the step hole  you mentioned for access and repair.

of course I have also discovered  that heavy rain and melting snow can
result in water in my bilge.  The  stopper balls and the ends of my
traveler adjust lines and motor lift are  perfect plugs for the seat
drains as are many leaves.  Water then  overflows into the laz and
finds it's way slowly to the bilge.  I also  believe heavy rain or
melting snow comes in around my jib car and/or ports  and ends up in
the bilge.  Havn't had the motiviation to try to seal  those because
the volume is small.

-Patrick

On Wed, Apr  18, 2012 at 4:12 PM, John Shulick <jsbudda at verizon.net>  wrote:
>
> Ken,
>
>  Welcome to " Da List " One  way to find a leak is to dry the bilge
> completely, sprinkle some  cornstarch or baby powder around the hull and 
wait
> 20 or so minuets  and you should get an idea of where the water is coming
> from. It has  been my experience that a very small leak might not show 
when
> the boat  is empty, In the pool business it is common for a pool with 
pinhole
>  leaks to drain down to about a foot or so of water then they seem to  
stop
> leaking. There is no longer enough water pressure to force it  through the
> small hole. I have a similar leak in my 71 Rhodes I get  about a half 
gallon
> of water in my bilge. Never any more or less even  after 3 weeks of not
> sailing so I just mop it up and live with it for  now but it is on the to 
do
> list.
>
> John  S
>
> <
> Here is my issue that I bring to the list:  source of water in the 
centerline
> bilge.
>
> When the boat  is initially placed into the water with very little 
equipment
> aboard  (two batteries, single fuel tank, minimal safety equipment) it 
rides
>  high in the water and there is no water entering the centerline bilge.  
Once
> we add on gear for cooking, spare safety anchor, lines,  tools, emergent
> repairs, overnight stays, etc.; the boat definitely  sits lower in the 
water
> despite great care to evenly distribute the  carry-on items.  It is at 
this
> point that water fills centerline  bilge.
>
> Add to this some background information that the  previous owner shared
> regarding a few instances of the centerboard  became “stuck” in the 
retracted
> position.  He addressed this by  cutting a hole in the aft step and then
> further cutting another hole  in the top of the centerboard cap.  We have
> since had this  modification professionally repaired but the concern is 
that
> the  integrity of the centerboard cap has been breached.
>
> Is it  likely that the source of water entering the centerline bilge is 
due
>  to a stress crack in the cap or a weakening of the seal?  I have read  
others
> posts that discuss the centerboard pennant tube as a possible  water 
source,
> but that would explain occasional water in the  centerline bilge, not the
> constant level I saw all last summer while  docked in the South River.
>
> So we have elected to leave the  boat out of the water for the season 
until
> we can get some advice and  effect a repair that will solve this issue.  
We
> were fortunate  that we had a brand new bilge pump and float switch in the
> centerline  bilge, but as I look back, I am sure we were floating on 
borrowed
>  time.
>
> From the documents I have found in the archive, the  centerboard cap 
removal
> is a fairly demanding job.  I am not  certain what I may find once I get 
the
> boat opened up but want to get  the advice from other owners on the most
> likely source of water  intrusion before I plunge into what promises to 
be a
> task outside my  comfort zone.
>
> I appreciate any insight that the list audience  might offer….tear down of
> the interior begins in two  weeks….
>
> Ken Szczublewski
>
>
>
>  --
> View this message in context:  
http://old.nabble.com/New-to-the-List---Water-in-Centerline-Bilge-tp33672495p33711040.html
>  Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at  Nabble.com.
>
>
>  __________________________________________________
> To  subscribe/unsubscribe go to  
http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>
> For the  list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives 
go to  http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>  __________________________________________________

__________________________________________________
To  subscribe/unsubscribe go to  
http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list

For the list  Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives go 
to  http://www.rhodes22.org/list
__________________________________________________