Where is the water coming from???

[jdsmith]

I would appreciate suggestions on solving a water problem:

Have a 1984 204 Fisherman cc. Keep it on a trailer. The following is the series of events that occured last week:

Before launching, positioned boat on steepest part of ramp to drain any rain water. No water flowed out of bilge plug area.

Inserted plug and launched.

With steady winds, sea water was constantly entering splash well through scuppers and filling aft bilge. Splash well deck was not caulked as I recently installed two new bilge pumps (Thank Goodness)

Sea water filled the bilge

Wised up and plugged the four scuppers and drained the aft bilge with pumps. Aft bilge was now void of water.

On the way back to port, stopped and bottom fished for 45 minutes. Bilge was still void of water.

Took ten minute ride to ramp.

Loaded boat on trailer, and again stopped at steepest part of ramp.

Pulled plug and was shocked at the amount of water that exited the aft bilge plug area. Water ran constantly for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Once home, checked the obvious; hull for cracks or holes, verified that the hoses on the 3 through hull compartments/coolers under the casting platform were not cracked or broken and allowing water to enter the forward bilge via the through hull outlet.

Ran pressurized water into the 2 tubes that extend from the forward part of the aft bilge, through the tank coffin to the forward bilge. I don't know where they end as it is not possible to inspect the forward bilge (No inspection plate). When water returned to the aft bilge area I noticed a lot of trash (leaves, debris) accompanied the water.

Has anyone encountered this issue?
Any suggestions to further investigate the problem?

 

[gonefishintoo]

is your rub rail sealed on the under side as well as top side

 

[catch22]

Do you have inspection plates in the splash well area? If you do, it sounds like they are leaking, (not surprised). Imo, they're notorious for leaking. The sealing area needs to be kept clean and you may need to replace the O rings. You might even go so far as to remove all the screws and re-seal them entirely.

Other items;

Check the condition of the hoses and the connections from the corner floor drains to the scupper thru-hulls in the transom. The thru hulls themselves might be leaking too, so check around the nut that secures the thru-hull in the transom.

If you have a washdown/livewell, check the water pick up, sea-cok, and hoses.

Any other over board drain thru-hulls and their hoses.

 

[D Ellefson]

Is it possible that all the leaves and debris were clogging the tubes leading from the aft bilge to the forward bilge and that the water was in the forward bilge all along? How do you store your boat at home? Is it level or inclined maybe bow down? Do you know how you picked up all the vegetation? You may have two separate issues, rain runoff collecting in the forward bilge (along with debris) while the boat is stored and the obvious intrusion through the inspection plates in the aft. Your ten minute ride back to the ramp may have loosened the junk up and allowed it to flow aft hence what you saw after pulling the boat out. Just my .02 cents. Hope you track it down. I'll be interested to hear the outcome.

 

[BobP]

Be carefull, filling the bilge is how boats sink, your boat will not float if the bilge is filled and it will go down stern first.

Seal the cover with a bead of GE Silicone II window and door after it is in place, do not seal cover by bedding it.

 

[Gulfstreamrobby]

The forward bilge area, if full of water, will not run to the aft bilge unless you keep your bow up at its highest point for a good while when you are under way. The tube(s) that allow the water to drain from front to back often get clogged up pretty good making draining occur a lot slower. One theory is that after your initial filling of the bilge with water, you drained what you thought was ALL the water but it may have left over a bunch of water in the forward bilge and that water didnt drain will you got on the ramp to pull the boat out. Your next run on the water can prove that right or wrong. Good Luck.

 

[BobP]

Gulf, can get a garden hose in its forward end and flush out toward stern,in succeeding compartments - presuming none of it wasn't blocked in error with resin at the factory.

When the stern drops upon accelerating, it will all flow to the stern bilge and pump out to clear it, after a few hole shots should be empty.

Yes some boats at the dock will go down bow first.

My 1988 204C was on the way down stern first when I took notice at the dock - the rubber piece of crap drain plug - threaded metal washer corroded and stripped, and no force was on the plug to expand it. The force of the water outside was all keeping it in place in the hole.

 

[Hoghunter]

The forward bilge area, if full of water, will not run to the aft bilge unless you keep your bow up at its highest point for a good while when you are under way. The tube(s) that allow the water to drain from front to back often get clogged up pretty good making draining occur a lot slower. One theory is that after your initial filling of the bilge with water, you drained what you thought was ALL the water but it may have left over a bunch of water in the forward bilge and that water didnt drain will you got on the ramp to pull the boat out. Your next run on the water can prove that right or wrong. Good Luck.

Ditto, my bet is the water was in your forward bilge the whole time. I have many times looked in my bilge to see it dry only to have the same thing happen. The forward bilge area is lower in the Grady's I've owned and the only way to get the water to the rear is to run it bow high in the water for a ways to get the water to the rear bilge and your pump or have it drain out at the launch ramp. It seems to run forward much easier than to the back.

 

[BobP]

Depends too what fuel load you have at the time.
Fuel will bias the stern.
Twin motors vs singles will bias the stern.

 

[jdsmith]

Thanks for your input guys. I am hoping that the water was trapped in the forward bilge and the debris was not allowing the water to drain until I reached the ramp and pulled the plug. I have repetedly ran pressurized water into the tubes going aft to forward and each time noticed less trash coming back out of them as they drained. I'll have a better idea of the issue this weekend. Thanks again.