Re: 1994 Fiesta Vee 265 Rinker water in cabin
Yes, water can flow from the engine well into the cabin on the Fiesta Vee 266. You can determine if the engine well is the source by examining the water for oil, engine grime etc. Water entering from the hatch should be relatively clean.
At the beginning of one season I took my boat out and noticed I was taking on water. I lifted up the engine hatch to find the engine compartment half full of water, so I immediately headed back to the slip. When I lifted the boat onto the boat lift, water that was in the engine compartment flowed into the cabin. (The fellow who winterized the boat had removed a fitting to the hot water heater and failed to replace it, which was the cause of the water intake).
Also, the Bowmar hatch on these boats are know to lose their seal. When I opened my boat this spring, I had 15 - 20 gallons in the cabin that could only have entered the boat via the hatch (and verified by the wet headliner around the hatch).
Rinkers are not very dry boats, and mine has been a source of minor annoyances since my purchase new in 1996. My rear hatch, front hatch, restroom, and rub rails all take rainwater in. They could've done better.
