Cape Cutter 19 Association Forum

After the recent heavy rain, when I went for a sail yesterday I found my forepeak bilge contained quite a lot of water and the space under the quarter berths had a fair bit sloshing around as well - yet the main bilge area in the keel section under the cockpit was virtually dry so nothing for bilge pump to get rid of. Wondering whether a drainage channel is blocked somewhere. Can anybody comment on whether there are supposed to be channels that make the forepeak bilge drain back to the back of the boat?

When you say forepeak bilge, do you mean the space under the bed or do you mean the place where the bowsprit is placed?

The space under the quarter berth cushions is not connected to the main bilge.

I fear you may have a leak, possibly between deck and hull. I assume the boat is on the trailer?


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Hi Charles - when I say forepeak bilge I mean the bit beneath the bed. I think it is rain water coming in through the hatches partly because of its taste and partly because of the water on the surface forward berth (I don't keep the cushions on the berth as I use it for sailbags and other detritus). The boat is on her mooring, but I'll be hauling her out in a couple of weeks.

I’m glad you mention the water on top of the locker, as I was thinking you might have a leak (perhaps from the fitting used for the water stay). <edit>but that seems unlikely now<edit>

Look carefully to see if you can work out where the water is coming in. It might be the hatch seal, the hatch surround, the anchor well drain pipes or perhaps the strake bolts. The latter is the most likely source IMO.

I appreciate your concern Charles, but to be honest I think it may have something to do with not closing the forward hatch properly and the particularly heavy rain we have had recently. Generally the forward hatch works well but the main hatch leaks a lot. When I have the boat on its trailer in my drive I'll be able to experiment with a hose pipe.

So my question was primarily about whether the bilges are interconnected. If not, perhaps it is just relatively unusual to get water coming in apart from through the main hatch - so no need for the bilge pump to deal with the forward bilge?

Can you see any practical objection to making a path for the water to get from the forepeak bilge into the main bilge?

I would really keep the forward locker separate - it shouldn’t get water in it. If your forward hatch does not leak then it’s not a problem