Bilge Area Water Level

[LuvBoating]

What should be the maximum amount of water that would be in the bilge area after being out on the water for an hour or so? Where does the water come from that does get into the bilge area (being there is no water leaks anywhere)? Is it time to look for a water leak when the bilge pump is being used too much? When the boat is sitting on the trailer being prepared for transporting and the transom plug is taken out, how much water should come out of the boat?

If the bottom of the bilge area is fairly full of water while underway and no visable leak is detected, I guess only a repair shop would be able to check for a water leak in the engine area or outdrive..........right? We didn't find a leak.

Comments, please.
Thanks

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

If the boat has no leaks as yo imply, there should be NO water in the bilge. Since we have no idea if you have an outboard or an I/O or an inboard, the answers as to where the water comes from is impossible to relate. For an outboard, a leaking drain plug, ruptured speedometer tube, splashing over the transom, a defective live well pump (the inlet is below the water line), leaky rivets in aluminum boats. For an I/O or inboard any coolant leak at the engine, outdrive, exhaust system bellows etc. If there is water in the boat you have a leak.

 

[QC]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

Do you swim/ski/float/get into the wawa?

If not, I agree with Silvertip with the addition of checking the speedo input tube and also the rubrail covered joint between deck (cap) and hull. Also, exhaust bellows will not cause water ingress, ujoint bellows is a big potential source with an I/O

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

Sorry, the boat is an I/O. Also, there are no visible leaks in the engine compartment that we have been able to see/find. I noticed more water (than I thought there should be) in the bilge area while we were underway (going back to the ramp) a month ago. I had the bilge pump in the "off" position at the time. After seeing the water, I let my wife take over steering while I used a flashlight to search for a possible leak, but didn't see one. It looked like, to me that is, that the entire bilge area was full of water! I took over the steering and had my wife take a look and she got a little scared and thought about heading for shore. I turned on the bilge pump and that took all the water out that we could see. I left the pump on "auto" after that. After we got back to the ramp and loaded up on the trailer, I took the transom plug out and quite a bit of water came out. She said to me, "that's too much water, we must have some type of leak." The next day, we done a couple of water leak checks of the engine and outdrive, but didn't see anything. I talked to the mechanic that installed the new engine block we have now (installed in Aug.) and he didn't seem to concerned at all. "Just keep the bilge pump on "auto"" is what he told me. That sure didn't seem like the correct diagnosis of the amount of water we seen!
So, due to what I've wrote above, I was wondering how much water is too much??? Should the bilge area be completely dry or should some water be in there?

If the boat has no leaks as yo imply, there should be NO water in the bilge. Since we have no idea if you have an outboard or an I/O or an inboard, the answers as to where the water comes from is impossible to relate. For an outboard, a leaking drain plug, ruptured speedometer tube, splashing over the transom, a defective live well pump (the inlet is below the water line), leaky rivets in aluminum boats. For an I/O or inboard any coolant leak at the engine, outdrive, exhaust system bellows etc. If there is water in the boat you have a leak.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

No swimming, skiing, floating or getting into the water. We do tie up to a Landing sometimes. We take the boat into the shop early next month for Trim Switch replacement and will have them check it out. We also bought a lighted Inspection Mirror to check around with also.

Do you swim/ski/float/get into the wawa?

If not, I agree with Silvertip with the addition of checking the speedo input tube and also the rubrail covered joint between deck (cap) and hull. Also, exhaust bellows will not cause water ingress, ujoint bellows bis a ig potential source with an I/O

 

[rbh]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

In your situation, I can only think of two places, the engine to include the hoses or the drive and its bellows.
First thing I would do to check would be in the yard with the muffs on and fire up the boat and let it run (get it up to temperature)
If no water this eliminates the engine and the hoses, this then leaves the drive and all its rubber parts and pieces.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

The answer is zero water, If your climbing in out of the boat wet you may get a very small amount, other than that you have a leak some place.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

I talked to the mechanic that installed the new engine block we have now (installed in Aug.) and he didn't seem to concerned at all. "Just keep the bilge pump on "auto"" is what he told me. That sure didn't seem like the correct diagnosis of the amount of water we seen!

In my opinion, a mechanic that thinks it's OK for a boat to fill with water and bilge pumps are made to cycle constantly wouldn't touch my boat again.

So, due to what I've wrote above, I was wondering how much water is too much??? Should the bilge area be completely dry or should some water be in there?

Any water is too much, but some is acceptable. You have a problem and it's not going to fix itself and will only get worse leading to a lot more expensive work to repair. Your wife has the right idea. Head to shore and find the problem.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

Did that.....note the statement above: "The next day, we done a couple of water leak checks of the engine and outdrive, but didn't see anything." This was with the muffs on and operating temp.
But, unfortunately, we really don't know what we are looking for/at when it comes to water leakage. We would know what an obvious water leak would look like, like when the petcock broke on our old block, but other than that.......nope.

In your situation, I can only think of two places, the engine to include the hoses or the drive and its bellows.
First thing I would do to check would be in the yard with the muffs on and fire up the boat and let it run (get it up to temperature)
If no water this eliminates the engine and the hoses, this then leaves the drive and all its rubber parts and pieces.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

Your opinion about this mechanic is the SAME as ours! The boat is going to the Mercruiser dealer next time.

In my opinion, a mechanic that thinks it's OK for a boat to fill with water and bilge pumps are made to cycle constantly wouldn't touch my boat again.




Any water is too much, but some is acceptable. You have a problem and it's not going to fix itself and will only get worse leading to a lot more expensive work to repair. Your wife has the right idea. Head to shore and find the problem.

 

[rbh]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

Did that.....note the statement above: "The next day, we done a couple of water leak checks of the engine and outdrive, but didn't see anything." This was with the muffs on and operating temp.
But, unfortunately, we really don't know what we are looking for/at when it comes to water leakage. We would know what an obvious water leak would look like, like when the petcock broke on our old block, but other than that.......nope.

I read that, and these were the only things I could think of that would leak at the motor/drive.
So like the other guys said, check the speedo hose for leakage, and the rub rail, other than that I don't know were else to help you to look.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

Put the boat in the water for a few hours without the motor running check for water if there is none than you know you dont have a leak. If you run the motor and see water then you know it is somthing more than likely engine related, but keep in mind that water can leak in when the boat is under way. If it looks like a duck walks like a duck etc than its a duck. I would suspect the motor if it was just worked on. Could be something as stupid as a loose clamp. Its never a bad idea to check clamps for tightness and double clamp everything.

I will admit to having what seamed allot of water in the bildge on one trip then none on the next so I never thought about it.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

Hopefully its not a rotten transom that is causing this.

What boat/engine combo do you have here?

Probable worth pulling the drive to see if you have water in the u-joint bellows and that your shift bellows are ok.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

1992 Celebrity 200, with I/O 5.7L/350 Mercruiser, Alpha 1/Generation II Outdrive.

The drive will be pulled when the Mercruiser shop replaces the Trim Switches next month. At that time, we will have them check the drive as well.

Hopefully its not a rotten transom that is causing this.

What boat/engine combo do you have here?

Probable worth pulling the drive to see if you have water in the u-joint bellows and that your shift bellows are ok.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

How much water? A pint? no problem. A gallon? problem.

Sometimes your plug leaks, or other through hulls. Sometimes water pushes its way in while you are underway--an unsealed bow eye, under the rail (prime suspect), over the transom from stern wake.

Do you do a lot of hard reversing? Especially with an I/O that can let in some water.

But the whole engine plant and set-up for an I/O is the most likely place.

Water getting in a boat, generally, is not a problem as long as it gets back out quickly. But water coming in through the wood between fiberglass coverings is a big problem.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

Good points made here already but,did you previously leave the drain plug in when it was sitting in the driveway? It could have gotten full of rainwater before launch.Grub

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

There should be dust in your bilge, not water.

I know from your other posts that you keep your boat inside a building when it's not in use, so that rules out storm water.

If the engine and drive check out fine you may want to check your rub rail, it can if your boat porpoises over wave and wake.

Check your transom for rot, an I/O with a rotten transom will take on water.

Maybe there's a small breach in your hull that you have missed.

These are just suggestions, there's no telling what it is until you find it.

 

[cribber]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

You said "I talked to the mechanic that installed the new engine block we have now (installed in Aug.) and he didn't seem to concerned at all." I would start there since changing an engine block you have to remove the outdrive to do that and the mechanic who did this work isn't concerned??? There's where your leak is likely located and something has loosened up between the motor and outdrive if it didn't leak before.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

We use to keep our old (sold now) boat in our garage in Colorado, but the boat we have now is kept in an outside space, on the trailer, at a local RV-Boat Storage.

There should be dust in your bilge, not water.

I know from your other posts that you keep your boat inside a building when it's not in use, so that rules out storm water.

If the engine and drive check out fine you may want to check your rub rail, it can if your boat porpoises over wave and wake.

Check your transom for rot, an I/O with a rotten transom will take on water.

Maybe there's a small breach in your hull that you have missed.

These are just suggestions, there's no telling what it is until you find it.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Bilge Area Water Level

When the boat is sitting in our outside storage space, we always leave the drain plug out and the hull raised on the trailer. We also have two covers on the boat (full cover and deck cover) to prevent rain water from getting into the boat. We did put the plug into the boat the night before we took it out on the water, but there was no water in the boat at all when I put the plug in. It didn't rain that night either or before we took the boat out. So, with that, there was no water in the boat when we launched it at the ramp.

Good points made here already but,did you previously leave the drain plug in when it was sitting in the driveway? It could have gotten full of rainwater before launch.Grub