Q2: even though the sump appears dry, could free water being hiding [in the Unibond hull]?
Q3: on a 1969 NAUSET 16 can there be a depressed area in the rigging tunnel or trapped debris in the rigging tunnel that could hold a shallow pool of water in the tunnel aft of the console where it cannot be seen?
Q4: could a a small delaminated cavity [in the Unibond hull] trap enough free water to make noise?
Q5:[if a small delaminated cavity in the Unibond hull is possible and could trap enough free water to make noise, where] on a NAUSET 16 [is the most likely location of such a cavity]?
Q6: what would YOUR first action be with a 1969 NAUSET 16 [to find the source of a sloshing noise in the aft starboard corner]?
BACKSTORY
[Recently I purchased] a clean 1969 NAUSET 16 that was cosmetically solid, had intact bottom paint with no scars, a transom that felt rock-steady, and decks that are firm and have no soft spots. I saw no evidence of prior, The boat had not been in the water for a while. But here is a mystery:
With the boat on a trailer and on an incline so that the aft starboard corner is the lowest point, if I gently rock the boat on the trailer I hear a distinct sloshing at the aft starboard corner, coming from under the deck. There is nothing obvious topsides, there is no puddle in the splash well, there is no standing water in the sump I can see, and peeking into the console opening with a mirror I don’t see water in the rigging tunnel either. Yet the sound is there, like a few gallons sloshing back and forth somewhere that I can’t quite access.
MY PLANS
- I will orient the trailer so the boat is bow-high, remove the overboard drain in the sump, and see if I can coax anything to move or drain;
- I will iInspect the drain in the sump, the splashwell, and the bow locker for pitting and looseness; I will check the bedding and replace the bedding if questionable;
- if the noise persists and nothing shows, before I go down any drastic path, I may weigh [the hull in order to] to rule out meaningful water mass.
