Has anyone ever found a lot of water under their floor boards? I have a 1989 28.5 and just aft of the bilge access there is a floor panel that removed because it seemed weak and gave quite a bit when I would walk on it. There was about an inch of standing water under it and the boards were very damp from it. I used manual bilge pump and got about five gallons of water from the area and it still seemed to be coming in slowly from somewhere. My initial thought was from a underwater thru-hull that might not be on right, or I run the air conditioner all the time and that might be leaking somewhere. Any ideas where this water could be coming from?
Water under the floorboards
- Thread starter Tim O.
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D
Dave
Water...
Yeah, this is a common issue with this model and others. The construction of this boat has a molded "bilge pan" that is laid into the hull as a separate piece. It is only bonded in certain places. See the construction details in the owners manual. Because of the shape of the "pan", there is plenty of room for water to sit between the "pan" and the hull. You cannot see or gain access to these locations unless you drill holes through the "pan". You'd want to be very careful doing this for obvious reasons. The water will slowly migrate to the bilge sump (where the pump is) via weep holes as the boat heels back and forth or during any rocking motion. If you remove the small cover over the bilge sump, sponge out the water that's there and then watch while shifting your weight to get the boat rocking, you'll see the water running down into the sump from one side or the other. The most probable sources of water for these "hidden" areas are from the shower drain, the cooler drain, and if your engine bilge has been modified by drilling a hole in the lowest point (near the front of the engine). The latter is not recommended because the water can be contaminated with fuel and/or oil. Leaky hatches, ports, stancions, etc. could also be contributing factors. The plumbing diagram for this boat show the shower drain and cooler drain routed to the bilge sump via corrugated drain hose. I cannot see that in by 87' model. I believe those drain into the hidden areas instead. The soft wood sole you describe is a symptom of that water being there and soaking the underside. As you can see, the underside is not varnished or treated with anything from the factory. It's recommended that the bottom of the sole be treated with polyurathane or varnish to help protect it from the damaging moisture. However, in your case it may be too late. When I was in the market for a boat, most of the ones I looked at had soft soles. The one I ended up buying has a mint interior including a sole in perfect condition. I plan to put some water-proofing on the underside when I open it up again to explore solutions for this hidden water problem. Things to check for leaks: Thru-hulls, packing gland, keel bolts, raw-water hoses and strainer. If you're showering in the head, that would be a big contributor. If you use the cooler a lot, that'll put some water down there. You mentioned having to use a manual bilge pump,do you have an automatic electric pump? Does it run often?
Yeah, this is a common issue with this model and others. The construction of this boat has a molded "bilge pan" that is laid into the hull as a separate piece. It is only bonded in certain places. See the construction details in the owners manual. Because of the shape of the "pan", there is plenty of room for water to sit between the "pan" and the hull. You cannot see or gain access to these locations unless you drill holes through the "pan". You'd want to be very careful doing this for obvious reasons. The water will slowly migrate to the bilge sump (where the pump is) via weep holes as the boat heels back and forth or during any rocking motion. If you remove the small cover over the bilge sump, sponge out the water that's there and then watch while shifting your weight to get the boat rocking, you'll see the water running down into the sump from one side or the other. The most probable sources of water for these "hidden" areas are from the shower drain, the cooler drain, and if your engine bilge has been modified by drilling a hole in the lowest point (near the front of the engine). The latter is not recommended because the water can be contaminated with fuel and/or oil. Leaky hatches, ports, stancions, etc. could also be contributing factors. The plumbing diagram for this boat show the shower drain and cooler drain routed to the bilge sump via corrugated drain hose. I cannot see that in by 87' model. I believe those drain into the hidden areas instead. The soft wood sole you describe is a symptom of that water being there and soaking the underside. As you can see, the underside is not varnished or treated with anything from the factory. It's recommended that the bottom of the sole be treated with polyurathane or varnish to help protect it from the damaging moisture. However, in your case it may be too late. When I was in the market for a boat, most of the ones I looked at had soft soles. The one I ended up buying has a mint interior including a sole in perfect condition. I plan to put some water-proofing on the underside when I open it up again to explore solutions for this hidden water problem. Things to check for leaks: Thru-hulls, packing gland, keel bolts, raw-water hoses and strainer. If you're showering in the head, that would be a big contributor. If you use the cooler a lot, that'll put some water down there. You mentioned having to use a manual bilge pump,do you have an automatic electric pump? Does it run often?
D
Dave
Also...
Tim, I assume you're in salt water? I know it doesn't sound good, but most people will suggest a little taste from the tip of your finger to see if it's salt water that's leaking in. If it's not salty, then the water most likely is from shower/cooler use, fresh water tank, air conditioner condensation, or leaks from rain. Five gallons from an airconditioner seems like a lot though. You probably have multiple sources for that much water. By the way, the engine bilge could still contribute even without the modification by overflowing. If there's a lot of water under the engine, especially when motoring, then you'll want to adjust the packing gland. A few drips per minute is the norm.
Tim, I assume you're in salt water? I know it doesn't sound good, but most people will suggest a little taste from the tip of your finger to see if it's salt water that's leaking in. If it's not salty, then the water most likely is from shower/cooler use, fresh water tank, air conditioner condensation, or leaks from rain. Five gallons from an airconditioner seems like a lot though. You probably have multiple sources for that much water. By the way, the engine bilge could still contribute even without the modification by overflowing. If there's a lot of water under the engine, especially when motoring, then you'll want to adjust the packing gland. A few drips per minute is the norm.
Re: Water...
Thanks to everyone for the advise. I'll be looking at all the suggested areas. I do have an automatic bilge pump and it runs fairly often but from the amount that pours out I almost think that there might be a second bilge pump somewhere. I do see a small drain hole in the most aft portion portion of the "pan". I test the water to see if it's salty or fresh, next. Thanks again.
Thanks to everyone for the advise. I'll be looking at all the suggested areas. I do have an automatic bilge pump and it runs fairly often but from the amount that pours out I almost think that there might be a second bilge pump somewhere. I do see a small drain hole in the most aft portion portion of the "pan". I test the water to see if it's salty or fresh, next. Thanks again.
J
Jim McCue
another spot to check
Did you look at yourH2O line feed and connection from your water tank???thru to the water pump? Check from under the V-berth connections
Did you look at yourH2O line feed and connection from your water tank???thru to the water pump? Check from under the V-berth connections
J
Jim McCue
another spot to check
Did you look at yourH2O line feed and connection from your water tank???thru to the water pump? Check from under the V-berth connections
Did you look at yourH2O line feed and connection from your water tank???thru to the water pump? Check from under the V-berth connections
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