Water in aft cabin

[Jayjay71]

Hi All
I am after some advise please as i am a new first time boat owner.I have just bought a 3000scr 1997 and when we checked on boat today the aft cabin floor had 3 inches of water in it.I can see no evidence of any leaks from above and the area where the pump and water tank is was also full of water.Has anyone ever heard of this before as i am now worried there could be a serious problem with our new purchase.Any advise would be greatly appreciated:

[Phillbo]

Is the boat in a slip or on a trailer? That sounds like a LOT of water. Is the engine bay flooded?

If you're in a slip I would consider having it hauled ASAP.


on edit: I just looked at some pics of the layout of that boat and I must be reading this wrong because 3 " in the Aft Cabin would mean the bilge is completely flooded and the swim deck would probably be close to being submerged.

We need more details.

[Jayjay71]

Thanks for reply.there is a small step down to aft cabin area of about 6-8 inches creating a recessed floor of about 5ft by 5ft.this whole area has 3 inches of water in it.there is no water in the engine bay at all.As you come out of aft cabin there is a small hatch in floor where the bilge pump is,and this hatch was full of water also but the carpet above this hatch is dry.I hope i have explained this well .

[Jayjay71]

Thanks for reply.there is a small step down to aft cabin area of about 6-8 inches creating a recessed floor of about 5ft by 5ft.this whole area has 3 inches of water in it.there is no water in the engine bay at all.As you come out of aft cabin there is a small hatch in floor where the bilge pump is,and this hatch was full of water also but the carpet above this hatch is dry.I hope i have explained this well .The boat is moored on non drying marina.

[pascavone]

the boat is open under the carpeted floor from the anchor hatch, to your aft cabin, which is under the driver seat.

so the water, from the rain, horn hole, windless, all drips down to the bilge pump as the boat goes fast in the water. That is what the forward bilge is for,

They split these two compartment from the engine room, because of the chance of carbon monoxide. So engine room has its own bilge and water will flow backwards under the fuel tanks to it.


Usually, the forward bilge is dead on an old boat, so i'd just check it.

Any drinking water line leaks will end up in your forward compartment , or leaking windows, leaking rub rail, or bow rail post leaking.


welcome to the wonder world of used boats....

[jamanati]

If the 3000 is anything like the 3200, under the main cabin floor is the water tank that holds your drinking water.

[shrew]

If water is coming from below, it will only come from one of 4 places:

1) Bellows/outdrive area
2) A/C seacock
3) Head seacock
4) Hole in the hull

Otherwise it is coming from above. now that is relative. How far above is yet to be seen. Are the cushions wet? I'd check particularly underneath the cushions. 3" is a lot of water. most rub rail, stanchion type leaks wouldn't create enough to water to actually collect and stand. If they were, it would be a noticable leak. I'd be apt to check a plumbing fitting. If you leave the water pump switch on, do you periodically hear the water pump short-cycle. It should not. The pump is a pressure pump. It turns on when water pressure drops below a certain threshold, then turns off when the pressure in the lines is raised again. Short cycling means that water pressure is dropping. unless you're turning on the faucet, this would mean a lea somewhere.

[Jayjay71]

Thanks for all the advise .The problem was a cracked t joint on fresh water system that was leaking and the aft bilge was dead.

[shrew]

Yep, that would definitely do it. So the good news is you found it. The bad news is, ever single connector in your freshwater system is now suspect. These most commonly rupture due to improper winterization. I had one let go on me. Once that first one let go, then another one and another one. I ended replacing every single connector in the boat and found about 30-40% had stress cracking on them indicating they would have eventually let go as well. Some guys will drain the tank, then blow the freshwater system out with an aircompressor. If ALL of the not is not purged, then it can collect at a low spot and if enough water collects in that low spot, it can freeze and blow out the connector. If the faucets are cracked open, you'd think the expanding water (ice) would work it's way up the empty tube toward the open valve as that would be the point of least resistance. This does not always seem to be the case and stress fracturing can occur as a result.

I'd prefer to drain the entire system then fill it with propylene glycol until it is flowing pink from all faucets. Just a thought.

[Jayjay71]

Good advice on the glycol.She is being lifted out of the water tomorrow for a thorough check as the previous owner only took her out twice in 10 years What a crime! And i am expecting a few more little surprises yet.