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I have a 23 foot Seaswirl Striper and have noticed that I am getting water down below in the cabin. The cushions are getting soaked when it rains especially. I checked the hatch and totally dry during a rain and noticed I was getting some water dripping in where the hull meets due to small holes for the screws that attach the rubrail. I checked the carpeted ceiling and seemed dry except on the sides. I may have water coming in at the screws that attach the railing perhaps. I was thinking of somehow caulking the inside where the rubrail attaches and taking out the screws for the railing and filling them somehow. What is the best stuff to use and any other ideas would be great. Thank guys. -Andy.
Funny you should mention this. I have traced my leaking problem on my brand new seaswirl 2101 dc in the changing room/head area to the thru deck pump out fitting. It then wicks down the hoses and has soaked the carpeting. The storage area under the helm on the opposite side has stayed dry during the same time. I have not been able to get it to dry out due to the wet spring. The dealer is coming tomorrow to seal it with 5200. All I can say is it better work. So not being familiar with the cabin of the 23 and where the pump out fitting sits, I would suggest checking any through deck fittings.
I always wondered that too. But with all the rain we've had this year it's been pretty easy to identify the majority of the problem areas. Nothing major, just enough for a damp cushion if you leave it directly under the source of the leak. Spend a night or 2 in the rain and you'll find them.
my 25` parker had the same rubrail leaking..
it needed to be removed in toto and rebedded...
you could TRY some goop along the top of the
rubrail and you have a chance to get it...i do
believe the rubrail is SCREWED INTO GLASS as the
basic design flaw....i chose to drill out each
and every screw hole and thru-bolt every one
at 6in intervals...this is probably a winterover
project...try goop du jour on the upper side of
the rubrail for now... dan
You were actually able to get to the back side of the rubrail all the way around the boat!??!? WOW, a big thumbs up for Parker!!! Wish I could say the same thing for my GW.
As far as the rubrail, I saw water leaking in on the inside, and was just go to puddy or caulk it from the inside as I have a carpet that covers it, so it is ok if it is messy. I was wondering what the best stuff would be to use. As far as the screws on the life railing, what would you use for that? Someone told me not to use 5200 on the screws for the stantions, maybe try 3200? What do you guys think? Thanks.
The right way to resolve the problem is as dry doc described, you have to remove the rub rail and caulk the deck to hull screws and then the rubrail screws.
Sounds like the dealer is going to just put 5200 on the rubrails for a temp fix, if he does not remove the rubrails they are doing a poor repair that will leak again in short order.
The port side of my parker had the same leaks, yes we can get to the back of the thru bolts from inside the cabin.
Sounds like the rubrail part is a winter project to do it right. I just want something to last the season so my gear doesn't get wet and the wife won't mind sleeping on it for a weekend or two. I may do the railing now, but I keep it in the water so taking off the rubrail and reinstalling would be a major pain in the a$$ right now. Thanks guys. -Andy.
If the dealer tries to use 5200 w/ out taking the rubrail off, don't let 'em!!!! That will make it 100 times harder for you to do it properly over the winter, both in terms or removing the rubrail as well as cleaning off any remaining sealer. A good quality silicon (not the breast type ), applied to the top side of the rubrail where it meets the hull/deck should last through the summer. That will be easier to clean off when the time comes. It probably won't seal it up perfectly, but it should be better.
I was planning on using silicone. I thought that might work good and be neat on the outside and maybe apply it real thick on the inside under the carpet. I agree 5200 would be a bad idea. This is a great site. Thanks to all.
yes, it was an instance where you realize
that somebody with knowledge and integrity
built this thing properly....sadly, this is
not a "feature" as defined by consumers...
during the full electrical, furniture internal-
ly, and deck hardware intstallations i did my-
self, one of the things i valued most as an
owner was that i could get to any and every
square inch of that boat (and DID!) in the
course of those installations...to me, it was
immensely reassuring: not only will they SHOW
you the whole construction, but i took the time
(and the tylenol #3) to get there to SEE what
they had done....and i have to say also in praise of elwood parker and co, no matter which
cranny i worked in, i never found shoddy materials, shoddy work, or carelessness of any
sort...if they arent fudging you in the (usually) hidden corners, then i am content they
didnt and dont fudge at all! dan
Just a question about this. To me it seems funny that a unsealed screw or two would cause a significant leak (above the water line). Is this typical, or is it a bunch of screws aren't sealed? or is the actual joint what is leaking?
Having had first hand experience with this problem I can almost bet you are getting the water from the mounting bolts for your bow rail around the boat. I have a 210 Striper and the stanchion mounting were never caulked. When I addressed this and other issues with the manufacturer, I wasn't even graced with a reply. They even left open holes behind the back rests for the rear seat exposed so that the wood they installed as a biting surface for the screws behind the fiberglass, was subjected to the elements. I had to install deck plates. The bolts for the mounting plates for the rail are hard to see because of the walkaround and they are covered by carpet. Take a look, you'll probably see the acrylic carpet covering the bolts are stained.
Water Leaking Problem 
), applied to the top side of the rubrail where it meets the hull/deck should last through the summer. That will be easier to clean off when the time comes. It probably won't seal it up perfectly, but it should be better.
