Anyone ever try to track down where the rain water gets into the bilge??

J3ff

Well, seems like the season here have changed in FL... one day you haven't seen a drop of rain for months and the next day some kind of half way tropical storm is here and it's raining inches of rain each night. 

Of course with all this rain the bilge ends up FULL again, enough to kick on the pump and pump for 60+ seconds.. not good. 

This morning when a downpour came through decided to go see where it was coming in. Keep in mind my cover completely covers the blower inlets and exhaust outlets. 

These are the areas I saw water coming in..

For this one it was dripping through the cover.. landing in that little area next to the rail and then the rail bolts aren't tight so going right through there and all the way back to the engine room.. a drip every few seconds. 



This one is under the port rear seat.. no idea what that crack is but water is coming in pretty quickly there. 
T


Pooled water on top of the black water tank and the hose is wet. 


This one is pretty obvious but it's going to be interesting trying to figure out where it's coming from it's the middle starboard stern



Pooled water, starboard stern... again with the water lines up top.. checked the shower hose area but didn't see any holes that looked wet. 


While the rain keeps raining this will be the next battle to fight. 

Just wondering if anyone ever tracked down and eliminated water leaks from rain in the engine room and if it truly ever stays 100% dry. 

Aqua_Aura

The main water leak I have if from the port tie down on the swimdeck. I need to get the drain tubes that go in the screws so I can direct water directly to the lower bilge. 

skennelly

Ever since I did the steering pin I get very minimal amounts of water in the bilge.  Still trying to solve my cabin wet carpet issue but that's a different thread

J3ff

skennelly said:

Ever since I did the steering pin I get very minimal amounts of water in the bilge.  Still trying to solve my cabin wet carpet issue but that's a different thread

It took me a long time to buckle down and do what was needed. Wish I would have done it before removing windows and re-doing them, because the windows appeared to have nothing to do with wet carpet. 

Basically I spent 3 or 4 hours over a 6 hour window and resealed every screw from the windows into the top deck and then EVERY screw down the sides from the bow to the stern.  Found 1 window screw that just spun in place and then 3 or 4 in the rail.  Have not had one drop down there since. 

skennelly

@J3ff - I've done almost exactly as you said about every screw on the deck.  The only thing I haven't done is the rub rail, railing bolts and bow hatch.  As I type this is thundering outside

dalek

I am an expert on rain as I live in the UK. A couple of years ago it rained 85 days in a row. I have noticed on my 270 that if I wax the front topside with white wax, that the water in the bilge then turns white. Somehow the rain landing on the top of the bow ends up in the bilge. I am mystified by this.

Willhound

Personally I don't care. My 20 year old top has shrunk so that there are gaps where pieces meet so my cockpit deck and bilge are always a bit wet in rainy weather. That's what bilge pumps and frequent visits to the boat are for. After a heavy rain I pull my carpets for a bit and let them dry. It's a boat, not a house.
Now, the cabin is another matter. I've got that sealed to the point that it is always dry. The rest I don't care about. Keeps the bilge clean. I obsess on some things like mechanical maintenance. But not a bit of water.

J3ff

skennelly said:

@J3ff - I've done almost exactly as you said about every screw on the deck.  The only thing I haven't done is the rub rail, railing bolts and bow hatch.  As I type this is thundering outside

The rub rail was where I believe it was coming in... Get that done and cross the fingers! We have this tropical depression just sending wave after wave of rain.... Carpet has been dry since the day I finished the rub rail.. It's amazing

J3ff

Willhound said:

Personally I don't care. My 20 year old top has shrunk so that there are gaps where pieces meet so my cockpit deck and bilge are always a bit wet in rainy weather. That's what bilge pumps and frequent visits to the boat are for. After a heavy rain I pull my carpets for a bit and let them dry. It's a boat, not a house.
Now, the cabin is another matter. I've got that sealed to the point that it is always dry. The rest I don't care about. Keeps the bilge clean. I obsess on some things like mechanical maintenance. But not a bit of water.

Have always been the same till I found out that water gets in the gimbal and kills it... ! 

Willhound

Good point. But wow, that would be a lot of water to reach that high. At that level, yes I'd worry about a sinking.

J3ff

So mine seems to get about 10 - 12 gallons in it before the bilge kicks on... What I've been told is if there's that much water in it and you throttle up without running the bilge, it'll all come crashing back from the mid-belly of the boat and a wave will run right up and in through that hole...  If it rains all weekend that dry bilge pump project will get done! Raining right now, again, as it has for the last 24 hours. 

goalie59

I had the stern leak on my 320. The water would pool and then slide into the bilge. It was coming in through the main bilge cover hinges. Removed the bolts and resealed. 

J3ff

That would make sense goalie... Seeing as how they are both at about the same place...  This also probably doesn't help.

aero3113

I sealed those areas on my 330, should help.

rasbury

Jeff- I'm in Orlando and have barely had a drop today. That's FL! I remember when Andrew came through s FL and decimated it- we were sitting at the pool. Crazy state...

rinker270nb

The risk of having your fuel tank corrode comes with persistent water in your bilge, fresh or salt water.