!998 Rinker 272 CC Leaky Cuddy already Replaced Cuddy Hatch Seal

[chrisawol]

I have a 1998 Rinker 272 Captiva Cuddy and had a leak somewhere in my cuddy that would soak the mattress and the ceiling looked / felt damp. 

So I took it to the marina and had the Hatch seal replaced in the cuddy but I am still getting a wet mattress and cabin in a hard rain.

A friend said the leak could be anywhere and running down the bow somewhere into the cabin.

Examples are where the windshield is screwed in or where the cleats are screwed down, basically anywhere the fiberglass is penetrated.

I ran a hose over the whole bow and cannot find a leak.

Any suggestions?

A wet Cuddy Cabin is a real buzzkill. 

[Gene]

Get the boat back to the house and set a sprinkler on the cabin top or the hatch, cover the hatch with a towel so it doesnt get scratched and crawl in the cabin and start playing cards until you see the leak. I would look in the anchor hatch to start with.

[chrisawol]

Thanks Gene,

I  tried that already, I have no trailer but have a hose on my boat slip.

I locked the hose sprayer handle and let it run for awhile. I guess I will have to try it again.

Even If it is the anchor storage or not ,

What is the fix?

Silicone, sealant, etc... ?

[Gene]

This will be a tough one until you find the point of entry. My technicians in the car biz hate these. Pour a few gallons of water in the anchor hatch and see if the drain works out the side of the boat, if the drain is plugged clear it, if not keep loooking. Maybe Alswagg will chime in???

[cableguygreg]

My 1998 232cc started leaking pretty bad last summer and it was coming in around the port windows. I took the trim ring off from the outside and the glass pretty much came right out. I reinstalled them with 3M 4200 caulk, and my leak went away. Hope this helps.

[chrisawol]

Thanks to all the help ,  I think I figured it out.

I Sprayed a hose on the bow hatch until I saw the leak coming in, unscrewed the frame from the fiberglass and used Boat-Life Marine clear Sealer to seal the aluminum frame for the hatch to the fiberglass.

Crossing my fingers this will work it has been 24 hours since it has dried and I am about to test the seal again with another round of spraying the hose on it.

[chrisawol]

well I was wrong it is still leaking, even bought a new 3 m seal and re-caulked again and added screws slowed down the leak but it still leaks enough to get the mattress wet, which is not acceptable.

Any other ideas?

Maybe I wily a brand new hatch

i cant attach a pic because the file is too big

[Gene]

Try taping water proof plastic bag over it for a while and see if it stops, then at least you'll know thats the entry point of water. Please let me know what it is as I am looking at a 2000 272

[chrisawol]

I think I fixed it, my boat guy took out the seal for the 4th time and cleaned up all the edges. the problem was the whole cut for the window was bigger than the actual window by about 1/8" all the way around. He used boat tite sealer and added 4 more screws in top into the fiber glass and wood.

I live in the Detroit area and have been hammered by rain recently , i am going to check on i this weekend to see if my mattress and cabin have any dampness.

I will report back.

As for the boat itself I love it and highly recommend it. Smooth ride plenty of deck space much more than boats that are even technically longer and the boat is very fuel efficient.

What is the price of the 2000 Rinker Captiva Cuddy 272 you are looking at?

[Gene]

502 MPI Bravo3, 496 hours, complete camper enclosure canvas and really nice. Not sure if I want the 272 over my 232 that I have owned and pampered since new. Asking Price is 25900 and includes triple axle eagle trailer.

[chrisawol]

definitively go with the 272 much nicer and alot more room 25k isnt bad for all that stuff.

[Gene]

I hope to get it to my boat guy for a check up before I buy it. I may be selling my 232 CC 454 B3 babied since I bought it new. What is the top speed of your 272 boat and what engine and drive do you have. My father worked for Chrysler in Center line for many years and we lived in Port Huron for many years before moving to Colorado in the 80's. Enjoy your weekend. Gene