Leaky RS300

Bugger me that must be why i am so slow i forgot to connect the shrouds !!!  lol

Be a bit wary - might be a breather hole if its at the top of the mast pot...

Originally posted by Mikey 14778 Possibly of some interest to those of you with RS300s. The copious leak turned out to be in the mast pot. There's an intentional hole at the bottom of the pot to let the water out, but this of course also tends to let water in. This coupled with a (presumably unintentional) hole from the mast pot to the buoyancy tank gets you a shed load of water in your boat which allows Richard Le Mare to sail away far too quickly. The short term fix is simply to bung up the hole at the bottom of the pot. A proper fix will follow when I've worked out where in the pot the leak is and how to approach filling it in. I'll let you all know how it goes.

 

Glad you found it Mikey ... But you might have a job to keep up with me now ... especially as I will be wearing my new body tonight .. in the shape of ...Serena ... that should give you a challenge 

On the subject of leaky boats.......... Last year I restored an early Lightning 368 from a complete wreck. It had holes in the floor holes in the bottom loose pintles and just about everything else wrong. Because it's condition was so awful I attended to and examined every part or the boat finaly painting it. When sailed it leaked, big time, I mean 5ltr an hour! I  left it over the winter and have just started sailing it again, it still leaked. I sat the boat level and filled it up with water which dripped out round the slot gasket. I re did the gasket with loads of aquaseal and took it out for a blast in a big wind last weekend, no leak. I lent the boat to a friend this Sunday. Race 1, big leak, race 2, big leak, race 3, no leak!!! I took the boat apart yesterday and checked everything, nothing, filled it up with water, nothing. Finaly pressure tested it with soap......bloody nothing!! I floated the boat and pressurised the hull looking for bubbles round the outside and in the centreboard slot.....nothing. I know the pressure test was working because it showed up round a loose fitting but nothing near the water. This weekend I am competing in three 1 hour persuits,  I will drown. I just cannot understand it, there is no logic to it, any suggestions (stupid or otherwise) will be considered. A wizard (Merlin) an egomaniac (GRF) or a schoolboy (most of you) please help an old man.

Originally posted by turnturtle Well I've just heard back from Les at Branfibre re my equally leaky (read: excuse for slow offwind performance) RS300. Two leaks were discovered, one in the mast pot, one on the centreboard casing... both now repaired and the hull is once again water-tight! Prepare for a stella-performance this weekend Steve411, there's nothing stopping me now!

I would expect nothing less Mr T.

But beware because Mr Vincent has made my boat look like new. I also had a leak or two. Now fixed. Apparently the main problem was not having an 'O' ring on the inspection hatch. Oops! (Never was any good at repairs...