Leaky Oday 28

[HarryHamburger]

My 1980 Oday has a lot of water in engine compartment that does NOT drain into bilge. What can I do, as the water runs all over my floor when the boat leans to either side.
Is there a fix for this.

 

[Pat]

Although my reply willl not be very helpful, you are not alone...We have water in our engine compartment as well. I believe there are suppose to be limber holes that direct water to the bilge and I can feel a hole w/my finger near the front of the engine compartment, but the water does not flow out of the engine pan thru the hole. In my case, the amount of water is not so bad, and it keeps what could be oily water from ending up in the bilge which is a good thing....that would be bad thing to smell oil every time you enter the boat. In our case the water is not oily, but it could be. Our leak does not originate from the engine, but rather the bolts holding the Edson wheel in place...we have a very small handpump like a bicycle pump that we use to remove the
engine pan water... Good luck.

 

[Chief RA]

Maybe install a small bilge pump below the motor. As Pat indicates; you might not want that water in your bilge anyway. Chief

 

[Richard19068]

My 1980 Oday has a lot of water in engine compartment that does NOT drain into bilge. What can I do, as the water runs all over my floor when the boat leans to either side.
Is there a fix for this.

Is it in the engine pan or in the compartment around the pan?

I assume it must not be in the pan or it would not run over to the floorboards. If that is the case there should be limber holes allowing that water to run to the bilge. have you looked for them and cleaned them out?

Do you know where the water is coming from? A leak as Pat has, excess drips from the packing gland or a loose through hull for the exhaust or cockpit scuppers?

 

[rogjack2]

Salty or fresh

If the water is salty check raw water intake system. If fresh , check hot water tank for leaks. Check bilge pump discharge hoses for leaks back near the quarter berth. I would bet on water tank especially if you leave your water pump on all the time. Roger

 

[tcwaltz]

There are two scoop thru hulls in there area as well as the drive shaft for the engine. See if you can determine where the water is coming from. I would suggest using a shop vac to draw the water out for now, dry things up as much as possible and see if it comes back. CHeck your packing on the drive shaft. IF it happens when the engine is running check for raw water leaks like someone else suggested.

Water from the bilge can get back there.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Like Pat says, our 85 had a weep hole from the engine compartment (not the pan) forward to the bilge. Every once in a while it would get plugged, and we were able to snake it out with a length of stainless steel wire. As others have said this does introduce the risk that any fuel leaks could run to the bilge, but unless you've got a dripless shaft seal (or over tightened stuffing box) there will likely continue to be enough water to need to drain. If the water seems to come in at an excessive rate especially when not motoring then do check the cockpit drain hoses and pedestal mount as others have recommended.

 

[agprice22]

Could it be from condensation from steel bolts in contact with the bottom? My keel bolts sweat badly, and I would end up with several cups of water in the well around the bolts. It alarmed me at first because the boat was new to me. Once I put in a solar powered fan, the boat stayed dry.

Maybe a well-placed fan would work in this situation?

Thanks,

Andrew

 

[Joan123]

Find the source of the leak!

My 1980 Oday has a lot of water in engine compartment that does NOT drain into bilge. What can I do, as the water runs all over my floor when the boat leans to either side.
Is there a fix for this.

Find the source of the leak. What model O'Day do you have? What type
of engine do you have? If inboard, have you checked the
stuffing box?