How Much Bilge Water?

[Roger]

My '84 Cat 30 has water in the bilge. I've had the packing gland adjusted, I've put in a new water pump and still water seeps into the bilge. So, #1 should the bilge stay dry? and #2 How much water is too much?

 

[Pete]

Wet bilge

I have an '84 C-30 also. The water in the bilge comes from three places: The packing gland, the ice box and the shower. There could also be areas where rain water is getting in. If your bilge pump is cycling often I would recheck the stuffing box (1 drop every 7 to 10 seconds).

 

[Tom Leney]

Re Water in the blige

I collect a little water in the bilge although it is not much. I get very little from the stuffing box. It drips a drop about every 5 minutes. sometimes I can't see a drip, but the area is wet. You may be getting water from a through hull fitting such as the exhaust fitting. It is normally not below the water line but it is when motoring with several people in the cockpit. Also check the drain hoses for the cockpit drains. Mine were all dried out and leaking on the bottoms. I think it is from acid rain water laying in the hoses. There is a low spot in the hoses. Again, these drain though through hull fittings that are normally above the water, but not when motoring. Also make sure the muffler biox is not leaking when the engine is running. Check all the other thru hull fittings for leaks. Finally, it could be rain water getting in between the outer and inner hull liner. The rub rails can wick water via the mounting screws. Mine is an 82 with an atomic four engine.

 

[Dave]

Wet Bilge

Check the drain in the steering quadrant box.The panel in the cockpit sole behind the steering.Mine had blocked up filling the quadrant with rain water whichoverflowed into the bilge.

 

[Joe R]

Typpical

A friend who has worked for a Catalina dealer for years tells me that it is normal to find 1 to 2 inches of water in the bilge on the Cat 30.

 

[Irwin]

leak around rudder post

I have had rain water leak around the rudder head inside down the rudder post it runs down under the fuel tank, collects there and then pools under the area under the small wooden cover at the foot of the stairs before running into the bilge. Try wet vacuuming up your bilge area and the area under the stair foot hatch then check both places to see if the area at the foot of the stairs gets wet first if it does I would check your rudder post or cockpit drain hoses. I use a PPS seal and the prop shaft doesn't leak a drop.

 

[Gerry @ GMJ Marine]

Bilgewater

I also own an 84 C-30.Impossible to keep bilge totally dry since stuffing box should drip when engine is running. Also the ice box drains into the bilge on my boat as well as the shower drain if you use it. I never let the bilge fill up but rather every few days I manually operate the bilge pump float to keep it as dry as possible. Usually around 1/2" - 5/8" remains after pumping. Occasionally I'll totally hand pump and wipe it out, only to start the whole process over again. This does help to keep the bilge clean. Gerry