Catalina 350 International Association

This is a new boat for me, and I dont now all if its secrets! When it rains I find water in the compartment where the depth finder and speed meter are. I looked underneath the floor and I found that it comes from a hole that seems to be in the bottom under the bed near the windlass compartment. I opened the access panel to the windlass compartment but could not see any evidence of water. I was wondering if any one can shed some light to this.

Check the windlass seal. Mine leaked and I found water on the forward shelf near the reading light that is near the midline, far forward.. easy fix and dry afterwards..

Another area to check is where the forestay connects (between anchor rollers).

You can remove the Breckson plate in the anchor well and use a hose to see if water is running down forward of the anchor locker.

You might also want to read this thread: http://www.catalina350.com/phpBB3/viewt ... f=15&t=736

I found that the sealant around where the forestay tang protrudes between the 2 anchor rollers had loosened causing a leak. On our boat, the 2 anchor rollers create a 'V' shaped cavity that slopes downward going aft. At the bottom of the 'V' on our boat the 2 sides are welded together solid making the cavity hold any rain water or bow splash. At the bottom of this V shaped cavity the forestay tang protrudes through and any leaking around it goes into the the bilge forward of the anchor locker, under the forward berth and to the area you described. I filled the cavity as best I could with clear silicone and it lasted a year or 2. The last time I used clear Lexel to see if it would last longer. So far so good.

Good Luck

Thank you all for your replies. I did trace the source of the leak to the chain plate. The seal forward of the plate was missing and it was non-existent all around it. I filled up the whole area with silicon. The "founding fathers" provided a hole in the bottom of the compartment where the plate is, for the water to drain into bilge - a nice touch.