[DavidB]

I have had an interesting experience with a water leak right over my couch from the headliner.  It started a few months ago when a very heavy downpour out of the northwest caused a leak.  This is Florida and it rains all the time and this had never happened before.  I figured it was a seal around the windshield and did some caulking along the window molding top and along the joint between the front and side windows.  It did not leak in the next rain and I assumed that I had taken care of it.  3 weeks ago another tough storm out of the NW caused it to happen again.  We unscrewed the molding separating the windows and caulked again.  Let it dry and hit it with the garden hose and it still leaked.  I started researching for a marina to pull the windshields and re-bed them ( probably at a huge cost).  I decided to go one step further this week and bought an inspection camera with a 3ft flexible tube and LED lit head.  I figured that I could possibly pin point the leaking area.  I discovered a hole in the ledge on the starboard side that the windshield sits on.  I could see light coming thru a section that should not have light.  The fiberglass at this point is very thick and it appears this may have been a defect or a small hole purposely put there to assist in lining up the windshield during the build process.  The hole was mostly covered by the black molding but enough was open and with a direct heavy rain/wind directly on it caused it to open a bit more to allow the water to flow.  I also had a thorough detailing done on the boat just before this all started to happen.  The detailing must have knocked out whatever plug was in the hole and possibly enlarged it. The hole was sealed with good caulking and allowed to dry.  Hit it heavy with the hose and it appears to be fixed.  The $200 investment in the camera probably saved me thousands of dollars.

[Uhehner]

Read the post about the dish wash soap and the leaf blower. That might also have located the leak.
Capt. George

[DavidB]

The camera saved me from having to tear apart the headliner in the cabin.  I was able to weave the tube thru the break in the liner between the wall and the ceiling.  It should have been totally dark in this area and the light from the hole was an easy find.

[Chris Burkard]

An infrared camera  can also pinpoint leaks that is not video accessible.  An infrared camera can see through thin objects. Just another tool to think about when needed.

[DavidB]

Lots of heavy rain in the past week and dry as a bone.   A/C compressor went but that is another story.