545/548 - Salt water leak

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Salt water leak

Printed From: myHanse.com
Category: Hints & Tips
Forum Name: 545/548
Forum Description: 545/548 Hints, Tips and News
URL: https://www.myhanse.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14412
Printed Date: 27 March 2026 at 03:41
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Topic: Salt water leak

Posted By: ccuthbe
Subject: Salt water leak
Date Posted: 24 December 2023 at 00:44

I have a persistent salt water leak which I'm having trouble tracking down:

Saltwater accumulates in bilge under aft cabin beds
Saltwater accumulates under engine (but not under PSS shaft seal)
Saltwater accumulates under aft section of Galley bilge, but not forward section.
Leak only occurs when underway, not when anchored.
Engine is not leaking
PSS seal is not leaking
Thruhulls are not leaking
Antisiphon is not leaking

My current theory is the transom door, however I'm not convinced this would explain all the leaks and I've yet to investigate this.

Wondering if other 545 or 540 owners have had similar problems, its driving me crazy....

Replies:

Posted By: Arcadia
Date Posted: 24 December 2023 at 01:28

I had a similar problem on a previous Beneteau. It turned out to be a gap in the hull to deck joint on the stern. On many of these modern hulls the aft joint is near the waterline. It would only submerge when underway. I was only able to find it by motoring with the autopilot and then inspecting everywhere with a flashlight. Keep in mind it could be any fixture or joint which is above the waterline, but submerged when underway. That will narrow it down. Good luck!

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Leon / ARCADIA
2018 Hanse 588
Sag Harbor, NY

Posted By: Wild
Date Posted: 25 December 2023 at 16:20

Is this on a 545 ?

If it’s a 545 it’s for sure a leaking transom door.

Under healing , seawater gets in the garage in the lowest corner and goes in to the 2 storages under the removable floor plates. there’s a smal drain at the bottom of this storage who goes by a tube to a automatic showerpump box (Attwood )to pump it out this pump isn’t mentioned in the 545 electric wiring diagram.

If this pump is broken(our the fuse) the water find is way exact to all the places you mentioned by the hole’s made for the 100mm ventilation air tubes for the motorcompartment on the SB side.

To locate the pump box:in the front of the garage near by the ruddershaft there’s a long small wooden panel fixed with screw’s and a polyurethane seal. Remove this panel and you will find the pumpbox.

The fuse is in the small fuse box ( non switches devices like bilge pump-VHF etcetera) under the charttable.

A new rubber joint for the transom door stop’s the leaking normally.

On anchor with open door you can’t prevent some water is coming in the garage by waves

Hope this helps

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Wild and Wet
Belgium
545e#268

Posted By: Wild
Date Posted: 25 December 2023 at 16:32

Like Arcadia mentioned it also can happened under way on motor at high speed that’s salt water coming in with a bad our old joint.

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Wild and Wet
Belgium
545e#268

Posted By: ccuthbe
Date Posted: 25 December 2023 at 19:20

Thanks Wild and Arcadia for your replies. Yes, it's a 545 and I also think it's exactly as Wild describes. I'll more closely inspect the seal and observe underway. Seems like a pretty big oversight to not make the garage area water-tight from the rest of the boat.

Posted By: ccuthbe
Date Posted: 27 December 2023 at 23:44

Pump and fuse had both failed and there was quite a bit of water in the sump, so that certainly accounts for some of the issue. I've previously noticed the stern door on the port side doesn't sit flush with the transom and upon further inspection it appears the mount for the hydraulic ram on this side wasn't mounted in the correct location. All adjustment has been taken out (shortened) and the door still sites proud. Further shortening of the ram is required to fully close it. On the starboard side, there is still quite a bit of adjustment available and the door sits perfectly. Further investigation required to figure out how alter port side ram location / length. The hydro system is not factory, so this is local installation issue.

Posted By: Black Diamond
Date Posted: 29 December 2023 at 14:10

On my 575 I had this mysterious sea water showing up in my engine bilge. As you said, all obvious things were tight and dry, but yet there it was...

Turns out that an exhaust clamp was slightly loose. Unless the engine was running with high RPM (in my case 1400 or above) you wouldn't see anything. At that level it was spurting salt water around.

Simple fix. You might want to check these as well.

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Rick
S/V Black Diamond
Hanse 575 Build #192, Hull# 161
Newport, RI

Posted By: ccuthbe
Date Posted: 30 December 2023 at 05:23

Thanks Rick. As usual, it appears I'm chasing multiple problems.... Stern door not leaking now and bilge dry, but a few litres of salt water under the engine after 4 hours motoring, so must have an engine leak despite my previous checks. Will look at exhaust more closely, seems leak like yours, only happens at higher rpm.

Posted By: Tranquillity
Date Posted: 30 December 2023 at 10:42

Also may want to check water syphon valve as gets blocked with salt, so drips via overflow in to engine compartment, quick wash out with fresh water resolves. On an 80 miles trip we had few inches in engine compartment. Luckily an easy one to fix.

Posted By: Arcadia
Date Posted: 30 December 2023 at 12:30

Maybe shaft seal. Check with engine in gear.

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Leon / ARCADIA
2018 Hanse 588
Sag Harbor, NY

Posted By: Wild
Date Posted: 01 January 2024 at 10:09

Arcadia

On the 545 the small bilge under the PSS shaft seal is separated from the bilge under the engine.

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Wild and Wet
Belgium
545e#268