[Anonymous]

I lIfted the board under the saloon table on my Bavaria 30 and noticed a little dampness (no water) around the top of one of the keel bolts and some slight rusting. A quick wipe and a brush and it all came up clean. The bilges are very dry so I’m pretty sure there hasn’t been any water lying in the bilge.
On my old wooden boat I was used to seeing things like this and wasn’t too concerned but I wasn’t expecting it on my sparkling clean stainless steel bolts and pristeen bilges!

From the experience of those with older Bavarias (mine is 2005), is this common and anything to be immediately concerned about?
Thanks in anticipation
Derek

[Anonymous]

Derek.
Did you taste it?
Most unlikely to be sea water. Most causes are either rainwater getting in through either the toe rail or stanchion bases or in my case a leak on the cold water pipe at a tee just from the aft tank.
Dry the area off and sprinkle the bilge with talc and that should indicate where the water comes from.
It can take many months to trace but if you find it as a leak on a stanchion or toe rail fixing then Captain Tolleys Creeping Crack Cure (No jesting) seems to work quite well.
And having just re read your post saying that there is only moisture, no water I’d suggest it is probably condensation forming on the cold keel bolts and nothing to worry about at the moment.
Regards
Richard

[Anonymous]

I can highly recommend the Captain Tolleys stuff, it does exactly what it claims to do. Previously the bilges on Crystal were always wet, but after dribbling some of the Capt. Tolleys into the most likely area, the bilges have been absolutely bone dry for the last three months.

[Anonymous]

Bavaria 36 2002 – Also check the shower. We were getting some water in the bilges due to a poor fit of the plastic cupboard door under the sink. Any water getting under the shower will work its way into the central bilge.

Taste the water to see if it is salty?

[Author]

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