Trojan Boat Forum

Hi Trojan lovers, I have a dilemma and need your collective brains for help. I have had a 1975 Trojan 44' FBMY for over 20 years and have developed a leak(severe) in the forward cabin, starboard side, right where the closet bulkhead meets the hull. It is right below where the cabin top meets the deck. The leak appears on a deck beam about a foot in from the starboard running light. I have tried tracing the origin for the past year, recently covering the majority of the cabintop with a sheet of plastic from the windshield forward to the foredeck. The leak is substancial enough that you would think the origin would be very obvious from the topside. I have boated for close to 60 years and have tried everything I know to trace this. The entire deck including all deck beams has been replaced several years ago and there has been no leaks until recently. Anyone run into this before or have suggestions? All help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Jim

Ahhhh the fun of tracking water leaks!

Don't know how much of this will apply to your vintage, but from experience with a '69 28' Sea Skiff

• if you have hand rails on he cabin top, look at rebedding the screws/bolts that hold them on
• if you have vinyl over wood for that cabin top, vinyl may have become permeable and just let water through - try waterproofing it
• if there is a seam from bow to stern in the middle of that cabin top, look at whether it needs resealed (ie it may not be one piece of vinyl full width, but 2 that meet in the middle with a 'weatherstrip' over top of the gap)
• front windows (ie on the front of the cabin) - if you have them, check and/or re-seal
• cabin top to deck joint, behind the teak quarter round... may need to pull trim and reseal
• and if it's had enough wear and tear, the teak may be getting thin enough that it has become porous, or may have an open seam

Over 20+ years with the boat my dad and I found all of the above at one time or another. Where the water comes out may have absolutely nothing to do with where it came in! Good luck

Thanks Captainmaniac.....been through all your suggestions that were pertinent to my boat.....rebeded everything I could take up and bed again.... all good suggestions so thanks again....you're so correct..... "the fun of tracking water leaks"

Just for fun... have you looked at caulking / sealing around helm forward windows / where sash under them meets the cabin top?

I have..... this past test I had plastic taped on the windshield all the way to the foredeck and still had the leak. My next thought is possibly from the flybridge but I don't think there is a direct channel to go from the flybridge to the cabin top....thanks for the added suggestion