Buying Used O'Day 20-Bilge Water Common?

[Cate]

First time buyer here. I was inspecting a used O'Day 20 last night and it was in the water and had been sailed these past two weeks. I ntoiced there was water in the bilge and the owner said he didn't know where it came from, but there was a hand pump to pump it out. Is it common of water to accumulate in the hull and have to pump it out every now and then?

 

[Mike]

Bilge Water

My O'Day 20 will leak a little during haevy rain. There is a note in the owners manual:BILGE DRAIN PLUG "The plastic plug in the cabin floor located over the aft end of the keel is provided so that any water in the hull can be pumped out. Be sure to check this area prior to sailing"I used to leave my boat in the water during the Summer, The drain hole was inlarged slightly and a Rule 500 Auto was placed there. That way I didn't have to worry about rain or acculmation of water.

 

[Eric]

Bilge Water

Cate, I bought an O'Day 25 last fall and I've noticed that my bilge tends to rise a lot after periods of hard rain. I think it's fairly normal, but it's a good incentive to find the leaks that are letting in the water. For my boat the biggest culprit is the cockpit seat-hatch that leads to the storage area beneath the cockpit. Water is SUPPOSED to drain out around it, but it doesn't seem to work that well.Anyway, I wouldn't let a little bilge water scare you away from buying a new boat if it seems otherwise fit.Eric