Bilge filling with water

Feb 6, 2013
5
Oday 272 Middle River
I have a 1987 O'Day 272 that is suddenly collecting water in the bilge. It fills slowly...takes a couple of days to fill the whole bilge. This has not happened in the 5 years that I have owned the boat, As best I can tell, the only thing that drains into the bilge is the cooler, which I have not been using, The only other hose in ther bilge is for the hand pump. Unless there's some other source, the only other thing would be the keel bolts...hopefully there's something else that might be the source. Any ideas/suggestions?
 

Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Thru hulls for galley sink drain? Head sink drain?
In-board or Out-board? In-board probably has cooling water thru hull and as DayDreamer41 said, shaft packing.
Cockpit drain hose?
 

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
Is the Middle River, like near Baltimore? Is the bilge water salty or "fresh" water?
You have had a lot of rain in the last few weeks.
Systematically, you need to figure-it out.
First: Fresh or Brackish/Salt water?
 
Jan 27, 2008
3,045
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
Hoses rot over time. Check all of them. Including cockpit drain hoses. Empty your bilge and dry it with a sponge. Use clay to build a few dams to see where water is collecting. If coming from keel bolts get a torque wrench and tighten them then ask yourself why are they loose?
 
Feb 6, 2013
5
Oday 272 Middle River
I was hoping it was rain water, but there wasn't any water on the counter tops under the cabin hatch and the carpeted side walls all were quite dry. The cockpit drain seems OK, too. If it were leaking there it the berth would have to be really wet.
 

Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Another spot I had trouble with was the anchor locker drain at the bow. The hose draining the locker out through the bow was loose as was the hose barb going through the bow.
Sounds like it's time to get the hose out and have someone soak flood the deck while you crawl around inside.
 
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May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
In older boats usually rain leaks but also check the fresh water tank for any leaks that may have developed. Water from many different sources collect and get trapped in the stringers below the sole and will latter be dislodged by boat motion. Also check each and every one deck fixtures including the pulpits, stanchions and the rail.
 

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
It's an outboard. Theres no indication it's coming from any through-hulls.

Is it fresh water or salty "sea water" in the bilge?
 
Feb 6, 2013
5
Oday 272 Middle River
I didn't check for salinity, but water had brownish tint similar to the bay. I will check that
 

Pat

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Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
I on one occasion had the water line to the galley sink fixture come off under the counter...with the water switch on, it emptied 30 gallons of water into the space/then bilge pump basically took care of it....also had the water tank empty itself....into it's compartment but the judicious use of limber holes meant all the water made it quickly to the bilge where it once again pumped itself out with the bilge pump.....I'm still thinking of possibilities....Patrick
 

SFS

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Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
Apr 26, 2015
660
S2 26 Mid On Trailer
I was hoping it was rain water, but there wasn't any water on the counter tops under the cabin hatch and the carpeted side walls all were quite dry. The cockpit drain seems OK, too. If it were leaking there it the berth would have to be really wet.
Water can enter from the toe rail and other fittings and seep between the liner and hull never getting anything inside wet. This will happen also when the hull to deck joint is compromised. Does the water appear after sailing or when the boat has not moved from the slip. As someone else pointed out systematically rule things out.
 

Pat

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Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
When my water tank leaks around the top, it is pretty explain-able...as there is a fine crack around the top...the
water tank holds 30 gallons of water...imagine the switch at the breaker is on so having a hose come off at the faucet is like me telling the tank to empty....except, it all goes in the bilge and is pumped out...I've not had water
in the bilge when nothing was wrong..I'm lucky I guess.....sitting at the slip the boat has not taken on water from any source except the water tank's 30 gallons....I've just thought of one more spot; i.e. the transmission/packing gland....
 

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
I don't think he has the 272LE which wasn't make by the original O'Day -- it was a follow-on manufacturer and a somewhat different boat. (Plus, he has a stern transom mounted outboard.)
 

Pat

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Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
We bought our 272 LE in 1986 while O'Day was still in business in Fall River, Ma....it's been a wonderful boat..
we had a couple walk down the dock today and remark how great it looked....I need to somehow get it waxed by someone who can get rid of the old polyglow I put on it about 12 years ago.....can't get it off...so the gray looks kind of bad ...the best luck we've had removing the poly glow is floor wax remover from a janitorial supply store...