Hi Reuben,

Testing the bilge for the presence of salt using a salinity meter sounded great until I thought about it a bit more.

If salt water had ever been in the bilge, there would be salt left after evaporation of the water. When a new source of water filled the bilge, the dried salt would contaminate the water, making it appear to have come from a leak below the waterline. This could explain why the salinity was greater than that of the body of water within which the boat floats. The salinity test may not have ruled out rain water intrusion.

Mike
s/v Wind Lass ('91)
Nissequogue River, NY

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> On Behalf Of Reuben Mezrich
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2023 11:48 AM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Water in the Cabin

Ric
I’m liking your sabotage theory more and more (I did win some races last week). I measured the salinity and its seawater and besides we had torrential rain this weekend and no additional water came in. 
It’s time to remove that step and look at the center board trunk more carefully Reuben Mezrich
Cell:410-499-8922
Pelican Cove in Sarasota and Back Bay in Boston 

> On Dec 20, 2023, at 11:29 AM, Ric Stott <ric at stottarchitecture.com> wrote:
> 
> FRUSTRATING, RIGHT?
> I’m thinking rain water or sabotage.
> I’m having trouble with the idea that the  cap could leak that much - and then not leak at all.
> Attached are photos of what happens when too much pressure is put on the centerboard cap.
> When i inherited my ’84 rhodes, it had  a crack in the cap right above the pivot pin.
> Obviously from the CB hitting the cap from the underside.  
> It leaked a little - about a quart or two per day.
> I simply fiberglassed the crack and the leak stopped In the fall of 
> 2019, I retrieved the boat onto the trailer and it was initially too far back so I relaunched to move it forward.
> I did not realize that a helper had released the CB pendant line so it was free to drop as the boat came off the trailer.
> Always check to be sure you CB  is locked in the up position before launch -especially with the old style blade CB like mine.  
> As the boat slid into into the water, I heard an odd crunching sound as the boat first lifted then dropped again.
> I did get the boat forward on the trailer and pulled it out before I realized what happened.
> Once on the pavement, I noticed a huge amount of water drain from the CB - scratching my head, I looked inside and nearly had a heart attack.
> 
> The photos explains what happed.
> It took me all winter to fix it.
> The CB and rudder are the two most vulnerable parts on a Rhodes 22.
> Understand and Respect the way they work and always be careful when launching and when backing up in shallow water.
> 
> 
>   
> 
> Richard F. Stott, AIA, LEED AP
> ric at stottarchitecture.com
> O -631-283-1777
> C- 516-965-3164
> 
> 
> 
>> On Dec 20, 2023, at 10:37 AM, Peter Nyberg <peter at sunnybeeches.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Reuben,
>> 
>> That doesn't sound like a crazy idea to me...
>> 
>> Peter Nyberg
>> Coventry, CT
>> s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)
>> 
>>>> On 2023-12-20, at 08:56:56 EST, Reuben Mezrich wrote:
>>> 
>>> In casting about for possible causes of the rather large (~2ft, to 
>>> the top of the settee) flood into my boat I started wondering about 
>>> the swing keel...in particular, what happens when the boat lies on 
>>> the ground? The day of my flood had a particularly low tide, in part 
>>> because of winds pushing water out of the bay. I suspect my boat 
>>> spent some time lying on the mud at the bottom of my slip and I'm 
>>> wondering if that might have pushed the swing keel up into the top 
>>> of the centerboard trunk, possibly flexing it and causing a leak. 
>>> Given the 50 or so screws that hold the top down that is unlikely 
>>> but..... The boat is floating now and I can't find a leak (thru 
>>> hulls are OK and I don't see water on top of the centerboard trunk). ...so I"m grasping at straws.
>>> --Reuben
>>> Reuben Mezrich
>>> cell: 410-499-8922
>>> Pelican Cove in Sarasota and Back Bay, Boston
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
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