Multiple cabin leaks in 36' Express Trawler; reimagining the interior wood

[Mariner]

For the second time in a year, I'm ripping out much of the interior wood trim and structure surrounding the electrical panel and AC duct along port side and aft wall of the main salon. I really thought I'd repaired the leak, but apparently I hadn't, and due to the fact that I pulled the bimini top off the flybridge to have it remade, a LOT more water got into the cabin this winter, causing extensive rot and mold. Thankfully, it's mostly just cosmetic wood over gelcoated fiberglass, so the only part that actually NEEDS to be rebuilt from a safety and functionality standpoint is the enclosure for the power panel and A/C vent.

First, where the water was coming from, I think: Two sources. Last year, I THOUGHT that the water was somehow finding it's way in through the small cabin window in the aft wall (between the salon and the cockpit). I rebedded that window and sealed it up with 4200, rather than the rubber foam that it was originally installed with. However, I now think that the water was coming from the underseat storage locker on the flybridge above this area. There is no visible caulking or sealant around the edges of the interior of this locker, and my guess is that whatever was sealing it (if there ever was anything), failed. So, I sealed that up well, as well as the joint between the back of the flybridge and the cockpit cover. Second, the opening for the forward, port-side opening cabin window was cut a little too large for the window, and the rubber foam seal behind the exterior window flange didn't quite seal in the top forward corner. This was probably ok at first, but over time, the tiny bit of rubber sealing the edge wore out and started letting rainwater in. So, I removed it, stripped off the rubber, and sealed it with 4200, just like I did last year for the rear cabin window.

All of the interior wood trim below the windows was rotten and had mold and fungus growing in it. I removed it all, and I plan to install a smaller, 2" wide strip of moulding over the unsightly joint between the cabin floor liner, and the cabin side piece. I'll probably use something like teak or ipe which should have better resistance to water damage (it was maple before).

Much of the structure around the electrical panel was also water damaged, and so I'm thinking about rebuilding this with Starboard. While I am hopeful that I've found the source of the leak, I really don't want to have to do this again in a year (or sooner) if it turns out I haven't. While ideally I 'd like to do this without having to do much, if any rewiring (I was able to do it last year with only minimal electrical work), I'm also looking at the whole stack and thinking about how I can potentially reimagine the whole thing to be more efficient, and maybe even safer. The current design is prone to switches accidentally being flipped when someone is seated in the settee if they lean back and bump the panel. Also, although my kids are past the age of compulsively flipping switches just to see what happens, I feel like it'd be safer if they were behind a door that can be closed, and latched, or potentially even locked.

I'm sharing all of this, first, just to add to the wealth of knowledge held in this website, in the hopes that others may find it useful in the future, but also to solicit ideas for potentially reworking the panel area. I believe this setup is similar to what is found in the 35' Tournament Express.

Forward port-side window removed. Not the scum line from the rubber seal, and how it cuts the corner:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/P5i3Yqhg7oVEST4y7

Window. Note that the rubber seal was not compressed in the corner, indicating that it did not overlap the exterior of the cutout:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NPKw8jbc8j8PL2nJA

Settee area with cosmetic wood trim and cushions removed:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rmpaABTPdYmWMeqF8

[Mariner]

Port-aft corner of cabin, with AC stack and trim boards removed. Electrical enclosure still intact.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/hKbfoEGvz3Lh4zSN6

Bottom of electrical panel enclosure:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZWaFt7HDk8EPjQqG6

My father and I joked that we should just call up Albin for a warranty repair, as it was clearly a factory defect.

[Nancy]

Wow, Peter, that is quite a mess, but as you say, luckily mostly cosmetic. What year is your boat? I don't know much about the 36ET. Where were they built?

[Mariner]

2003. Pretty sure it was built in Cos Cob. It'll clean up pretty well. It's a shame to lose all that wood, but I really don't see the point in replacing it. I can patch the screw holes in the gel coat and polish it all up to look like it was meant to be that way. The end result will be a little less homey and a little more fishing boat, but I honestly don't think anyone will even notice once it's done. If I'm going to spend a bunch of time and money on cosmetic work, I can think of a lot of other upgrades that I could do.

[MaasGuy]

I have leaks in the same areas but from higher up. I suspect it's from the seam were the flybridge is attached to the cabin. I'll be pulling all that interior wood as well.

[Mariner]

Man I've spent weeks trying to track down these leaks to no avail. I've concluded that there's just no good way to ensure that no water leaks down into the cabin structure from the flybridge. As I'm thinking back on it, it leaked when it was new, but we quickly added a bimini to the flybridge and so it wasn't really an issue for many years until a couple years ago when the bimini was destroyed by some particularly slushy snow.

So, I think I'm going to replace the bimini, rebuild all the damaged wood with star board, and just pull the cushions out of the boat in the winter when we get lots of rain.