Water in Bilge

[Luke W]

The previous owner of my 285 drilled two 1/4" holes near the bottom of the bilge into what appears to be the keel pocket. These holes constantly weep water when the boat is in the river causing the pump to cycle every 2 hours or so. He had the keel seams repaired this spring, but the problem still persists. Now that the boat is out of the water, I have noticed that a very small amount of water is still getting into the bilge. We havent had any rain and I believe it is coming from those holes or the keel bolt at the bottom. There appear to be a couple of hairline cracks about 1/2 inch down on the keel that show some minor dampness. Has anyone had similar problems and found an effective repair? Thanks.

 

[Steve Dion]

How's your packing?

Luke:I think that the 28.5 is similar to 31. There is a liner under the engine that does not go all the way back to the shaft packing. If the shaft is leaking, water will get under the liner which ultimately wil get to the bilge.Check the packing and see how much of a leak you have. If that is NOT the problem then you can start with any of the thru hulls and then keel bolts.Also make sure you check your fresh water supply to see if you have a slight leak there too.

 

[Luke W]

Stuffing Box Leaks When Under Way

Thanks, Steve. The stuffing box leaks when under way, but was fine once the engine was stopped (until the last week in the water or so). The bilge problem was all summer even when unused. I didn't know that the engine liner doesn't extend all the way back. I'll check that area for possible leaks. Water does slosh around in the engine bilge while sailing and I empty it when I return to the dock, but some may well escape. Will the water damage the boat if it gets between the liner and the hull?

 

[john williams]

holes?????

the other two guys only addressed the H2O in the bilge. Lets look at the bigger picture. first, holes thru the fiberglass below the waterline are bad, very bad. why did the previous owner do this? the water is probably comming in thru these holes. any sealing between the keel and the hull is not intended to be so watertight as to allow 1/4" holes. second, the "crack" you spoke of is the seam between the iron keel and the fiberglass hull. If the boat is hauled and you still have some water in the bilge Without rain. look at the fresh water system, the head floor drain and the icebox drain which all feed into the bilge. FIX THOSE HOLES BEFORE NEXT YEAR! JUST IMMAGINE HOW QUICK THE BOAT WOULD SINK AT THE MOORING IF THE PUMP MUST CYCLE EVERY TWO HOURS AND YOU WERE AWAY FOR AWEEK AAND IT WAS INOPERABLE. fair winds and following seas!!!