can't keep the bildge dry...

[mirage2991]

I can't keep the engine bay bildge dry...everytime I wetvac it dry, a week later I have 1/2 of water in beetween the engines (center compartment that runs from the buklhead all the way back to the gen).
I have no idea where it is coming from. I'm thinking maybe rain water and condensation? So I'm wondering if it's possible to keep it dry or if I'm fighting a loosing battle. (I have V-drives if that makes a difference).

[ed & inge]

hai mirage

indeed your fighting a battle you cant win......take a look in the anchor chain place and see if the outlet is going through the hull or down under in to the boat to the bilge compartiment...the windows of the livingplace outside (curved windschields????) are taped and installed with screws....water go's straight through it to your bilge compartiment.....air vent places in the hull......water go's straight to the bilge etc. etc.........you can buy special pillows, the absorb galons of water....put one ore two in the bilge place and take them away each week and dry them........because i only have one motor in my 2400sc, i use a hand pump with a flexible hose to remove all the water of places i cant reach by hand with a dishcloth

greatz, ed

[seapuppy]

well...there's more too it than that ed....he's got twins...with shaft drives....now with shaft drives you have packings at the penetration where the shaft goes thru to the props....you also have rudders where there are packings ..sometimes they leak...the packings need to be either replaced or slightly tightened to slow the leaks down....there are things you can replace the packing glands called dripless shaft seals...they pretty much stop the leaking....but you need to repack the rudder glands...
you may also be getting water down at the radar arch base....make sure it's sealed all the way around it...
might concider installing an electric pump to pick up that water and discharge it overboard......may have to do some fancy engineering but it's possible to hook up a standard water pump with a pickup assigned to a switch on the dash...or close by....simple really ....then when you get about 20 gals of water down there...you can just hit the switch and when it stops blowing ovbd....turn it off....or get a bilge pump and tee it into your bilge pump discharge hose ...when it gets enough water ..it will kick on and discharge it ovbd....
lotsa ideas for that..

SP

[William Ferrell]

I had the same problem and it drove me crazy, however after trying everything else I started looking at the problem and it only occured when I was on the anchor away from dock water. The person who owned my boat 3700SCR 1998 had winterize the water system poorly and I had water coming out of my water pump due to a crack at the fitting on the down stream side. Try drying it up and not pressurizing your system for a weekend and if no water in the rear you and I have at least one thing in common

[ed & inge]

now i understand (by reading it over and over) that he means that the bilge water place is filled 1/2 full.....then your right pup....there must be something other beeing wrong.......but when it is that much, you must almost see it going in at those places.....what i suggested and the radar arch of you wont get that much water in to the bilge i think

greatz, ed

[mirage2991]

no no the bildge is not 1/2 full, but 1/2 of an inch of water.
I sit in brackish water, and since the water in the bildge between the engines was clear (and out of frustration for not finding a darn obvious leak) I did the finger test and it's not salty.
here is the bilge compartment I'm talking about (not my boat but best I could find on the net):


from the gen all the way to the bulkead, in the center (where that alum like steping board is in this pic), that bilge has 1/2 of water. Now, that center bilge is not inner connected that I can tell to the ones under the motors. It is connected to the one under the gen. It has a pump by the bulkhead and one under the gen, and the water never got high enough for it to kick in.

I've looked at my rudder's penetrations and hardware, and that's pretty much dry. I guess the shaft gland thing could be it, but you'd think that bilge under the engine would fill, and it doesn't...

When we first bought the boat, it had beat up canvas, with holes, so we figured the water was coming from the rain...now we have brand new canvas, but I still get water... I know for a fact that my hatch doesn't seal worth a darn...yup had the wife close it with me in there and spray it with the hose...I got a free shower that day LOL...but...again, new canvas, all enclosed, and I've rinsed them down with no majore leaks (always a couple places where it trips from the zipers but not enough to fill 1/2" down there)...

I'll look into the packing for the shafts... although the surveyor indicated there was no leaks there.

Really, what puzzles me is that this particular center bilge compartment does not connect to any other compartments besides the one under the generator, and I do not see any leaks there nor traces of leaks...

[seapuppy]

if it's fresh water...then it's coming from either rain water or your freshwater tank...where is that located on your boat???...if it's rain water...good luck trying to find it....again..check where the joint of the arch and the gunwhales attach.....water will run in ways that simply amaze you......
also try running the generator and check the water hoses.....run each engine ..one at a time...step down there but be careful not to get eaten by the fanbelts......but look down and around the engine while it's running to see if there are any leaks.....if each engine shows nothing...then charge up the water system...then your going to have to inch around each line till/if you see any water leaks...
keep looking ...gotta be there somewhere..

and keep us posted..

SP

[William Ferrell]

It does connect to the fresh water holding tank under the center board i the rear bed room that is where my leak was at the fresh water pump so it stayed dry at dock water and only leaked when my fresh water pump was on at anchor. Drove me crazy but a simple fix after I found it Less than $5.00 for parts

[mirage2991]

Where does it connect though? here is the picture of the front of the bilge, at the bulkhead. There's no transfer holes from any other bilges there either...(this is a pic from my boat)

[William Ferrell]

I have a 1998 3700 SCR and have a small seep hole that lets water out of where the fresh water tank is to the center of the engine compartment only so Looking at your picture I would just say that my problem and his are not alike

[seapuppy]

well..the bilge well should have a weep hole on the fwd bhd stiffener.....that would allow the water to weep from the fwd section to the aft part so that the bilge pump could pick it up.............
doesn't look like alot of water in there...not enough to really be concerned with.....just irritating...my bayliner does the same thing...I have to suck it out since the bilge pump is higher than the bottom of the bilge...

SP

[ed & inge]

Originally Posted by seapuppy

just irritating...my bayliner does the same thing...I have to suck it out since the bilge pump is higher than the bottom of the bilge...

SP

same problem with me pup.......looks like the pump is mounted on a high hill/mountain....so always water under the engine.....and thats realy irritating

greatz, ed

[mirage2991]

The picture was taken during the survey...it usually fills up to the "hump" of the pump.
Now, this is not the only bilge pump...I have one there, under the gen, in the aft state room between the potable and gray water tank, and three in the living room bilge (one for the ac condensation, one in the shower box and one outside it too). This is probably why there is no cross over at the bulkhead. Not even the left and righ bilge under the engines seems to have a cross over into this center one.
There is one think I did not think of: the two storage bins out back of the boat....I believe those drain down to the bilge...I know it has rained after everytime I've dryed the bilge...and to this day, that is the one thing I have completly overlooked...but it almost make sense: rain would flow down the canvas and onto those two doors...if the seal isn't good, it might just go in there, then drain into the bilge...I will have to test this theory out next time I'm down at the boat.

[mirage2991]

ok, so the verdict is this: all my storage areas on top of the boat, ice maker, and bellow the sink storage drain down via hoses into that cente bilge.
I also had a leak at the connection of the faucet, and since I usually turn on the water (tank or shower) while I'm on the boat, it would explain some of the issue. Also it hasn't rained this week, and the water has not gone up at all...