Mysterious bilge water

[Kevin Kane]

Water appears in the bilge of my O'Day 272LE with Universal Model 12 Diesel apparently only while motoring. The boat can sit for days in torrential rain and can be sailed for hours with no water accumulation. However, motoring for an hour or less results in filling of the bilge. My assumption is there must be raw water being allowed into the boat by the engine cooling system. Through hulls for raw water and head are tight with no leaks, snuffing box is dripless, and hoses to and from the water pump don't leak. Any ideas where else to look?

 

[Bob]

Where To Look

Hi,Most likely places are: The "dripless stuffing box" - may only be dripless when not rotating.Wet exhaust - hoses from the engine to the exhaust manifold. I have used pieces of paper to trace.Good Luck,Bob

 

[Bob Todd]

My PSS dripless...

...doesn't drip at all. The bilge has been bone dry all season. Some of the dripless packings that are out there are really not totally dripless. Check out pics of my installation (link below).Another thing it could be is a leaking water heater or fresh water line to the galley sink tap. The icebox maybe? Also, you might touch a drop to the tip of your tongue to check if it's salt or fresh water. Yeah, I know someone will blast me for suggesting that, but unless you're carrying some acutely toxic substance on board, of which one drop will kill you, then it shouldn't be a problem.Cheers,Bob