Water in the Bilge

[Oceanis 440 NY]

Happy New Year Beneteau Owners!

Have a new/old issue I am hoping someone in this forum may have experienced and can help identify the problem. The issue is new to me but old to the boat (apparently) that the surveyor did not catch. I noticed water in the bilge while on the hard. Not unusual but this was a lot of water, I emptied gallons then told the yard about the water and asked them to pump out. There were several gallons of water they also pumped out that they say was there for a long time and is coming from somewhere.
Ruling out a leak in the water tanks (Pump would not randomly come on), what else could be the source? I highly doubt this amount of water came from rain.

 

[jssailem]

Looking at the logic of the situation. You are on the hard (out of the water) so only two sources come to mind. Either inside (stored water) or outside (rain or snow melt).
Inside sources:

1. Water tanks (not emptied when put on the hard)
2. Water lines (less likely in that they probably do not store "gallons" of water)
3. Bottled Water
4. Water trapped that found it's way to the bilge when boat placed on the hard.

Out side source:

1. Something is leaking.

 

[BrianRobin]

I wouldn't rule out your water tank until you drop some food coloring in and check to see, My aft tank leaked all the water out of a cracked line last spring, slowly filling my bilge while on the hard over a 2 month period

 

[Davidasailor26]

Jssailem gives a good list. Some other ideas:
- Just because the water pump doesn't come on doesn't mean the tanks aren't leaking. The pump will only cycle if the leak is in the plumbing downstream of the pump, not if it's in the tanks or the plbing before the pump.
- There could have been a few gallons hidden in the hull grid until the boat was put on the hard and sat at a different angle. It could take a bit of time for that water to migrate to where you saw it.

Now that you and your yard have each pumped out a few gallons, I'd start to troubleshoot. The first thing I'd look at is whether the the water tanks are empty for the winter. If they are and you get more water in again then it must be rain water coming in from somewhere. The first places I'd check are any hoses from cockpit scuppers or anything around the anchor locker drain. Our hull had a void between the anchor locker liner and outer hull which allowed water to drain from the locker into the hull rather than out the drain itself.

 

[Gunni]

Look for deck scupper drains just inside the toenail, typically about mid-ship. Those deck drains connect to a corrugated hose that lead inside the boat and back out via through-hull. Leaks can occur at the deck fitting, the connections, or the hose itself. They route A LOT of water running back the deck.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Is your boat covered for winter? Mast stepped? Tanks empty?

Those answers would minimize the guessing game here