ALL the chainplates were leaking (must be coming in under the deckplate they
poke through, because I sealed the actual slot the stick through), the cabin
ladder supports, the curtainrods (!), one of the keel blocks I had
previously bedded, one of the hand rails, etc. Leaks I had previously
attributed to the deck/hull joint turned out to be from these sources.
The worst leak by far was the sternlight. Water was literally pouring in.
I've got a couple ideas on how to seal it up, but it has always annoyed me,
because it sticks up in an otherwise smooth part of the decking above the
transom, and its metal housing gets very hot when in use, and people tend to
burn themselves when coming up the boarding ladder after a late night swim.
I'm trying to think of a good place to relocate it. The sternlights that
mount flush against the transom seem like a decent way to go, because it
will be far less susceptible to leaks (the transom stays relatively dry when
it rains), and less likely for someone to grab at it and get burnt. But I'm
afraid that with the boarding ladder, rudder, and motor there, it will be
shaded even worse than it is now.
Any thoughts?