2017 Campion 542 cuddy leak

MikePA

MikePA

Well-Known Member
I bought this boat in the spring and noticed after I bought it that in the cuddy below cushion storage in the foremost part of the bow there was a bit of water, I chalked this up to the old owner possibly leaving the hatch open. I've kept a cover over it since buying it but checked periodically after a day on the water and have never seen water in there since. I left the tarp off the other night when it rained and went in the morning to check the water situation and saw about 400 mL of water in there. I have played around spraying different areas and it seems like the water is coming in through the starboard rub rail, and trickling down the carpet on the sidewalls and into the v berth storage. I felt around on the carpet lining the side of the cuddy and felt something underneath it, I put a little slit into the carpet and pulled out a broken rivet. I'm wondering if the rivets that hold the top and bottom piece of fiberglass together underneath the rub rail let go and is now letting water in? Any thoughts?
 
Did you check the caulking rub rail/ hull? The rubber insert usually fits into the moulding tight so possible water intrusion there as well but less likely I would think.
 
Interestingly there is no caulking between the rub rail and hull anywhere on theboat.
 
Yeah, unfortunately hull to deck joints, covered with the rub rail, are often a weak spot in boat construction. Shoebox joints with screw or rivet fasteners are not the best method but many builders use them. With the shoebox joint, there is a rub, which is the rub. As the deck flange slides down over the hull during assembly, it scrapes at whatever adhesive or sealant that has been applied at the joint. The result is inherent uncertainty about the continuity of the bond, which compromises how watertight the joint might be. The hull impacts in choppy water cause stress on the joint and fasteners as well as the occasional bumps into docks. Rivets are prone to failure. Sealants also deteriorate in time. The ultimate fix would be time consuming: pull the aluminum rail, reseal the joint with a polyurethane sealant and replace and seal the broken rivets or better yet all the rivets, with stainless through-bolts.

The quick, temporary fix would be to remove a section of the vinyl insert where the leak is, replace the broken or loose rivets, sealing them with caulk, replace the insert and redo the caulking above and below the rub rail.
 
Ok awesome, thanks so much for the ideas and analysis guys. Luckily I always cover the boat when not in use.. so it's exposure to this happening again is low... it's still just a **** off. I was happy with the boat build until I realized rivets were used!
 
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I’ve seen a couple campions and a trophy with this issue. Drilled out all the rivets and replaced with stainless bolts. Left long enough I’ve seen structural damage start to occur at the joint, especially around the forward section in question. Adding some 5200 or sikaflex is like putting lipstick on a pig, bolts is the cure...
 
Wow! a 2017 and they won't help you out...at all??? Sad for a local, Kelowna, company. Sorry they won't help you, good thing the great crew on here has some tips for you.
 
I just examined the 2002 I just bought and was surprised to find a couple inches of water in the bow. I'll consider the situation and repost when I think of something. I don't see a drain on the anchor locker right off. Also, why isn't there a drain to the bilge? Boat has been stored in open for awhile, water is not foul although I'm not going to taste it to see if it is salty, probably rain water.
 
Hi all, our 1994 185 (predecessor to the 542) has the "water trapped in the cuddy" problem. I do need to find the source of the water, however I am baffled by the fact there is no apparent drainage out of the cuddy area. Sure, water is not supposed to get in there in the first place, but should there not be some form of drainage (e.g. limber holes) connected back to the bilge (just in case)? I have asked Campion directly (no response) and posted to the Campion owners page, but have yet to find any provision for drainage. I have poked around with coat hangers, fish tape, cherry twizzlers, and various kitchen utensils to see if I could find a plugged drain somewhere, but to no avail. Any insights? Cheers.
 
Gman said:
Hi all, our 1994 185 (predecessor to the 542) has the "water trapped in the cuddy" problem. I do need to find the source of the water, however I am baffled by the fact there is no apparent drainage out of the cuddy area. Sure, water is not supposed to get in there in the first place, but should there not be some form of drainage (e.g. limber holes) connected back to the bilge (just in case)? I have asked Campion directly (no response) and posted to the Campion owners page, but have yet to find any provision for drainage. I have poked around with coat hangers, fish tape, cherry twizzlers, and various kitchen utensils to see if I could find a plugged drain somewhere, but to no avail. Any insights? Cheers.
Click to expand...
Hello, my 2017 542 also does not have any drainage holes in the cuddy.
 
Mine had been parked outside and had fresh water in cuddy. There is no convenient way to install drainage to bilge. Called the factory and they suggested sealing the hatch. Hatch instructions say use silicon on a new one so I used lots of it. Factory install did not use sealant. (Careful unscrewing as I stripped one head with my drill driver and spent time removing it. Also, alcohol is the solvent for silicon.)
The chain locker does not have drainage either but was dry and clean. My Searay drains its locker out a hole in the hull with a small shroud.
 
Check your docking lights. I had a Campion 602 with same style lights and it leaked throught the light mounting.
Took out and recaulked and problem solved.
I think it depends on the angle of the boat too. If bow up a bit the water pools in the tunnel
 
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Gman said:
Hi all, our 1994 185 (predecessor to the 542) has the "water trapped in the cuddy" problem. I do need to find the source of the water, however I am baffled by the fact there is no apparent drainage out of the cuddy area. Sure, water is not supposed to get in there in the first place, but should there not be some form of drainage (e.g. limber holes) connected back to the bilge (just in case)? I have asked Campion directly (no response) and posted to the Campion owners page, but have yet to find any provision for drainage. I have poked around with coat hangers, fish tape, cherry twizzlers, and various kitchen utensils to see if I could find a plugged drain somewhere, but to no avail. Any insights? Cheers.
Click to expand...

I have the same boat maybe one or two years newer. I believe if my poor memory doesn’t fail me that there is passage from the cuddly to the bilge. I was able to remove the plywood in the cuddy under the door. With that removed you can access under the step down outside the door. I believe from there, there is some drain hole that then would lead down the hull to the bilge.
Hope this is not confusing. Once I finish my renovation and get my boat back home, I will try to take some pictures.
I found I had to really raise the nose of the trailer to drain any water that would accumulate
 
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