Sometimes, new things fail. Always be cautious.
On July 4, we had a great time on the water. After shutting down the vessel at the end of our sail I performed my usual post-sail check before leaving the boat. The lowest part of the bilge, where the two manual bilge pump intake hoses are seated, was full of water. I estimated 5-10 gallons. I was surprised we had taken on that much water.
I started pumping the bilge pump in that area of the vessel so I could track progress. Water was moving. I could hear it squirt out the side of the vessel. Yet, the water level did not fall after a couple of minutes. I decided we must have ongoing intrusion.
I pulled the floorboard above the prop shaft and noted the dripless seal had malfunctioned. Water was streaming into the boat as of a faucet had been opened. I was able to stem and slow the flow and evacuate the bilges of water, including the under engine bilge that was holding about 2 gallons od water.
Unfortunately, the leak recurred several times. I was able to get a hold of the folks at Helmut’s Marine who did a service call in the evening and we adjusted the shaft seal to stop the leak. It has not recurred.
The vessel may have partially sank had I not pulled up the floorboard. I intend to install an electric/automatic bilge pump in the near future.
This experience highlights the importance of a thorough post sail evaluation.
Sailing Ruby 