Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

84EdH

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
575
I have been working on my 1979 Century 3000 bowrider for quite a while now. I have been rehabing the outdrive, put an engine together for re-power and am ready to put the engine back in the boat.

I was drilling some holes for front motor mounts and found water! A litte background. Some years ago a marine fiberglass repairman replaced my rotting stringers back by the engine. He actually fiberglassed in the whole rear floor area and bilge area. So today when I was drilling some pilot holes where the motor mounts will sit, I drilled in about 2 inches deep through what is apparently double layer of plywood, then hit an open space, then a couple of inches further down solid wood. The trouble is some of the wood waste that ran up the bit was mushy. I put compressed air in the hole and a bit of water spit out! My boat has been in a barn since last fall. The only water around has been some hose spray i directed at the bilge area and lower transom plate to wash off some degreaser. I dont think that got in these "bulk heads". This water must have been in there since last fall.

Where could this water come from? Everything back there feels solid, no floor movement etc. But the rigid fiberglass this guy layed in could be hiding bad wood.

My transom wood is solid. The floors are all solid, but apparently there is some water trapped in the sub-floor.

What to do? Magic fixes appreciated
 

BWT

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
363
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

Pics please; we really need to see what you're dealing with. Thank you!
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

Waterlogged flotation foam perhaps?
 

84EdH

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
575
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

These are a few photos of the bilge area. You can see that the entire last 4ft of floor from starboard to port and through the bilge area is fiberglassed over what was a stringer repair job 8? years ago. There is no movement or softness to step on anywhere back in this area. It looks and feels rock solid. The holes you see are three new ones (two most forward, one back) and the two old holes in the middle from the last engine mounting. The lag screws bite well into area beneath floor about 4 inches in.

If it was water trapped in foam flotation.......do I still need to rip it all out?

I have a couple better pictures I will post shortly.

I really appreciate all help.

Ed
 

Attachments

  • DSCN1841.jpg
    DSCN1841.jpg
    148.2 KB · Views: 0
  • DSCN1837.jpg
    DSCN1837.jpg
    147.2 KB · Views: 0
  • DSCN1840.jpg
    DSCN1840.jpg
    147.4 KB · Views: 0
  • DSCN1834.jpg
    DSCN1834.jpg
    136.8 KB · Views: 0
  • DSCN1842.jpg
    DSCN1842.jpg
    147.9 KB · Views: 0

84EdH

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
575
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

Here are three more pics of the rear of my boat
 

Attachments

  • DSCN1831.jpg
    DSCN1831.jpg
    146.4 KB · Views: 0
  • DSCN1838.jpg
    DSCN1838.jpg
    147.6 KB · Views: 0
  • DSCN1833.jpg
    DSCN1833.jpg
    147.7 KB · Views: 0

Doernuth

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
332
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

Is there foam in there? I don't see any drainage holes either, they could be there, and just not visible to me in the picts.

It is hard to answer your question without knowing how the stringers were redone the first time. I always go by the better safe than sorry concept.
 

84EdH

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
575
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

I dont know if there is foam in there. On the sides there is. you can see in one of the pics where the man cut away the bottom of the foam to get out to the outside support. some one suggested the foam as an explanation of water. there are no drain holes in this area on either side that I can see. when i forced compressed air in the holes with the others closed off...it seems sealed. lots of force required to keep the air hose at the opening. I am struggling with the safe vs. sorry issue. This is a 1979 boat, its summer, I am 60 years old in the Pittsburgh area (read serious shortage of good boating weather, also, at 60, its getting late in the season for me too lol!

I feel that since everything feels solid, I could re-install the engine, do some boating, and either junk the boat or pull it apart again in the winter. I am more concerned with the lateness of the year right now than the work involved. "Safe" I presume is for piece of mind, not actual safety.
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,929
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

I'd say you have SOME water infiltration SOMEWHERE and possibly some Waterlogged Foam but at this POINT I do NOT see anything that is ALARMING. If it were ME. I'd RE-Install and GO BOATING!!! And I Am Normally VERY Overly Cautious so for me to say this, I don't think you have much to worry about. If you want to keep the boat, LONG TERM, then you MIGHT want to do some DEEPER investigationg in the OFF Season but for now, I say button her up and hit the water.
 

84EdH

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
575
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

woodon, thanks for your input. I boat on an inland small lake also. I have thought about using a holesaw and making a couple of
2" holes and peeking in there and poking around a bit.

where would you cut in to make the least trouble and best view? I thought maybe a little behind where the mounting holes are drilled inside of the stringer.

Ed
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,929
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

If you feel you must, I'd drill some 1/2 inch holes, Down LOW about 1 1/2" deep in the areas indicatted on BOTH stringers. If you get water or major WETNESS then you May have a more serious issue. IF not GO BOATING!!!

Click the pic to Enlarge


Drillhere.jpg
 

84EdH

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
575
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

Woodonglass, thats what i will do. thanks for your help again.
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,929
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

When you're dun, fill em with 3M 5200 Sealant
 

84EdH

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
575
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

where do you buy that stuff? I found some at home depot, but they only had it in 3oz tubes.
 

84EdH

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
575
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

Update: test drilling holes showed really bad stringers. I have a boat guy that started to replace stringers. When the fiberglass over the stringers was exposed, it showed some rot that extended back into the transom. If you look at the pictures above, when the stringers were pulled out and everything clean to the floor, the area where the stringer on the port side runs into the transom shows bad rot. It is not all exposed yet, but a 6x6 inch area is exposed and if you poke a screwdriver into the area surrounding, it is all soft.

I have been advised that the whole transom should be replaced. I have learned, but didnt know this means the transom wood port to starboard. The repair guy has suggested cutting into the last few inches of the beams that run the lenght of the boat, under the floor, where they run into the transom to allow for transom repair.

Question: Is this the way to do this? I have seen photos on this site where guys are pulling up everything on the floor. I want to do this right, without shortcuts. Any advice appreciated.

Are there any step by step instructions for transom repairs?

thanks

Ed
 

Piece715

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 26, 2009
Messages
757
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

Many people have tackled the transom... Its a very doable project... Do a search and you could read for days! Good luck to ya!
 

jigngrub

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
8,155
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

I personally would drill test holes in the stringers down towards the bottom every 3' to make sure they were ok while you're at it. 8 years is long enough for rot to develop... but that's probably just my OCD talkin'.

Better safe than sorry.
 

84EdH

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
575
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

"
I personally would drill test holes in the stringers down towards the bottom every 3' to make sure they were ok while you're at it. 8 years is long enough for rot to develop... but that's probably just my OCD talkin'.

Better safe than sorry.
"

Do you mean the stringers running toward the front of the boat (terminology....I thought motor mount supports were the "stringers".....and the other large structural wood supports were "beams"....
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

Motor mounts are motor mounts. The stringers are the longitudinal "floor joists" for lack of a better descriptor.
 

84EdH

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
575
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

right, I meant the longitudinal floor joists the motor mounts bolt to...not the mounts. But I understand what your saying.....ALL those longitudinal floor joists....are "stringers".

thanks for the clarification and advice! Do you reccommend marine plywood for the new transom wood? Is there a "usual" thickness of plywood used in a 19' boat with an 8' beam?
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: Water in bilge area.....under the floor!

Marine plywood or regular exterior grade.

I know that outboard transoms are typically comprised of 2 sheets of 3/4" plywood laminated together. For I/O's I'm not sure. Any I know that the drive's transom assembly definitely requires a specific thickness so you'll want to find out exactly what that is. Friscoboater may mention it in one of this threads.
 
Top