Wet wood in the bilge. Is it a problem?

MH342 · May 1

I’m looking for some advice from anyone who can talk me back from the ledge . My 2006 342 has the bilge paint flaking off the pad down at the keel (red outline) that the bilge pump is mounted to. You can see dark raw wood between the wire looms and bilge pump discharge. The wood in that area is wet since there’s always some water in that area. I figure that best case, this whole pad is superficial and it’s on top of layers of glass that separates it from the keel. Worse case, there is a path for moisture to get from this wood to the structure in the keel. Thoughts? Should I loose any sleep over this? Anyone know how this area is constructed? Thanks.

PickleRick · May 1

Wet wood is always a problem. How much of a problem depends on if it's just wet or if it's staring to rot. Rotting wood will eventually leave a void which will weaken the transom, stingers, motor mounts, etc.

The water generally comes from items below the water like attached at the transom. Trim tabs, supports for a swim platform, transducers, etc.

Inside the hull you can take a small drill bit, maybe mark out and put some tape on the bit at 3/8" to 7/16", just so you don't go too deep. Take a few tests drills. You want the wood to come out solid, not sandy. Wet is ok...just not ideal

If you drill the holes at low points in the transom or wherever is wet you can drain some if the excess water in the cavity. If you don't fix culprit of the water intrusion, it will continue.

Once it's fixed hopefully you can shop vac the transom as dry as possible via the few small test holes. So long as the drilled inside holes can't catch moisture maybe keep them unsealed to dry out. Removing as much hardware as possible from inside and outside of the transom then getting heated winter storage is a good way to dry it out over time.

I went to in hull transducers this winter. Pulled one that had been on the boat since I got it around 2019 and water dribbling out. My boat hasn't been slip kept since well before my ownership.

I sucked it dry as possible with the shop vac, let it sit a few days before sealing up the hole with epoxy.

Now I need to pull my trim tabs and reseal them as they are most likely my culprit.

YYZRC · May 1

The pad is just there to mount the bilge pump. Annoying but not structural. Let it dry out over the next winter and repair if desired.

Liberty44140 · May 1

Agree with yyrc. Do not lose sleep! Small mouthing pad easily repaired or re sealed. Just keep the bilge dry this summer, vacuum it out often

earl1z19 · May 1

If you replace it use starboard or even coosa and you wont ever need to do it again

aero3113 · May 1

That exposed area is pure wood? On my 08 330 it’s epoxied wood. I dropped a riser and barely caught it, it made a chip in the coating and reveiled hard coated wood.

YYZRC · May 1

In a former boat I had the same issue. I removed the plywood completely and just left the bare fiberglass.

I made a SS plate with a 90 degree bend that I screwed to the stringer to mount the bilge pump.

PickleRick · May 1

I didn't catch that he was talking about the wood pad to mount the bilge pump/float.

Dumbest boat idea ever to make that out of wood. Not rinker exclusive nor were they the first to do it.

I like the idea of a SS plate that is removable for cleaning.

mattie · May 1

You're gonna laugh - on our 276BR the material all flaked & peeled off under the fresh water tank after couple years from new - wet all the time.
I pulled the tank out scraped, cleaned, dried & put on a coat of semi-gloss exterior white latex house paint. Held up perfectly for many years.

Latex is what I had on hand. lol.

PickleRick · May 1

My first boat restoration was a 1960s West Wind 21. It was a $250 dollar purchase. I sprayed the entire top side with latex porch patio paint. 30 bucks for white. Thinned it with mineral spirits. No primer, just wash/dewax and roughed the old gel coat with sand paper.

Still looked great when I sold it 6 years later. There's no telling how many times I dropped the mail sail in a hurry and the boom crashed into the cockpit. Never so much as a chip in the paint.

If I ever have to paint a fishing boat or little dingy, latex high traffic paint will be my go to.

LaRea · May 1

I'm not clear about the manufacturing process. Wish Al Waggoner was still here. But the hull is solid fiberglass that should not be affected by moisture, right? And the plywood mounting plates are laid on then glassed in?

aero3113 · May 1

I believe you’re right @LaRea. This picture is from when I had to drill a hole in my 2001 242 and it wasn’t solid fiberglass….

rasbury · May 1

My first was a 19" hydro sport bass boat, 150 merc, 80's error. The gel coat disappeared, I went to one of the brand name paints and they sold me a blue paint I could spray and it was for painting machinery- it really looked nice!

My 270 has an area, where the drain plug is- its thinner there and seems like a week point for sure..

Pat310 · May 1

Had this problem in my mid-bilge. Had some delamination in stringer and while repairing it I found the pad for bilge pump was saturated with water. Cut away fiberglass around it and replaced it with epoxy coated marine ply. Fiberglassed back in and gel coated

Wouldn’t want to try this in rear bilge without at least one engine out

LaRea · May 1

As I understand it, the plywood mounting plate doesn't add any strength. It just adds thickness so you can mount equipment without drilling into the hull. So, if the mounting plate is rotted, it doesn't affect hull strength.

PickleRick · May 2

Wood core in the hull is a building process that went the window in the 70s for most manufacturers. Stingers, flooring, transom and motor mounts are still wood cored in many boats even today. Some use foam or other types material like arjay, etc. I believe pursuit and grady white still use wood in their current builds where others advertise as wood free.

LaRea · May 2

Rinker used wood coring in some things such as transoms, swim platforms, and transom locker covers. But I'm pretty sure all Rinker hulls are solid glass.

PickleRick · May 2

@J3ff can tell you about the wood core in the 270 transom

rasbury · May 6

I know my 270 is wood cored..an 05

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Wet wood in the bilge. Is it a problem?

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