# Chasing cabin leaks in 1985 Pearson 34



## Yuletide85 (Dec 4, 2021)

*does anyone have experience in deck and cabin leaks? I know most of my ports are leaking and one Stantion. But there is water coming in through the liner I think. Someone has suggested the toe rail. I brought her in my heated riding arena to work in this. Also what about the ports? Replaced them once but they’re all leaking again. They’re the gray plastic(?) ones*


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

My only suggestion is to start high and work your way down. My leak turned out to be from the handrails on deck. Where the water exits, is not necessarily where it enters. It could travel and exit through a lower point.


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## J-LOker (Aug 25, 2020)

Check around your hand rail bases...on my 10M had slight drip, thought it was from ports, but turns out when I sealed all handrail bases, and other seams while at it (mast collar, around hatch seams), the minor leaking stopped. Use 120 grit sandpaper dry, or my new favorite 3M red scouring pads with total boat 100, on all seams, clean with acetone, then apply 3M 4000 on seams (I'm using a syringe next time) using thin beads....next wet fingertip with acetone, and wipe all seams for nice fillets. I'd like to find a thin rubber glove that stands up to acetone, probably not such a good idea to be using a bare finger....3M 4200 can be used too, but no UV protection; yard told me it won't loose strength, just yellow a bit...the 4000 was applied early last season and a still has a good white bond


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Smoke, I think people have tried it it may show too many leaks! The smoke is generated with what is called smoke generating candles and you seal up the boat with a fan pushing air or drawing air into the boat so the whole boat is under a positive pressure and the smoke leading air will leak out the leaks but you'd probably need a crew of 10 people that chase them all down!


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## arf145 (Jul 25, 2007)

We purchased an 87 Pearson 28-2 when it was 20 years old and had never had anything rebedded. You can assume that every single deck and cabin-top item that has not been rebedded needs it and has probably been leaking. The handrails, as others have mentioned, were definite sources of mystery leaks on my boat, as water runs down the headliner. Chain plates, cleats, jib tracks, stanchions...all were leaking. Luckily, I got them before they had affected the core too much. I used flexible butyl rubber for all rebeddings.

The portlights are another matter. They leaked because Pearson did not reinforce the space between the outer skin and the cabin liner, which allowed the portlight seal to flex quite a bit. The solution was to reinforce the area with epoxied in spacers and then reseal.


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## Waltthesalt (Sep 22, 2009)

Yuletide85 said:


> *does anyone have experience in deck and cabin leaks? I know most of my ports are leaking and one Stantion. But there is water coming in through the liner I think. Someone has suggested the toe rail. I brought her in my heated riding arena to work in this. Also what about the ports? Replaced them once but they’re all leaking again. They’re the gray plastic(?) ones*


I had good results rebedding my deck fittings with butyl tape.


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