MYSTERY SOLVED: Finally Watertight Again!
Mystery Leak Found and Fixed! Several readers were interested in the mystery leak we had on AQUAVIT that first appeared on our rough offshore passage from New Smyrna to St. Augustine. The leak showed up in the 4-6 ft seas ploughing ahead at 15 knots, waves breaking over the bow. We noticed a steady stream of water over the cabin sole. Not much fosters more anxiety than water on the inside when one is a few miles offshore. We quickly determined it wasn’t enough to sink the boat, but still very concerning. That was the beginning of our frustrating quest to track down this leak that wet the bedding. During our cruise, we checked bilge, forward deck hatch, port lights, and hull. We considered sea conditions and rainfall as sources. We recalled a rotten vinyl covered headboard that had been replaced in Naples in July 2017 when we purchased “Mr. Goodbar”. Molly’s Marine had sealed port lights and replaced the headboard with a new plywood insert and mirror. The bulkhead beh...