Water in bilge on test drive, advice needed please

[ctimrun]

Soon to be boat owner. I am seriously looking at a 2004 Crownline 21' BR (216LS), with 70 hours on the meter. It seems like a sweetheart of a boat that has been taken care of and is in great shape. Got the thumbs up from a marine mechanic prior to the test drive.

The owner took me for a test drive and everything went great, but have a question regarding water in the bilge. The mechanic was not there and I have not been in touch with him since.

During the test drive we were floating and I was digging around and noticed there was a bit of water in the bilge. Not excessive or anything, in fact the bilge pump pickup would not pull it out. I have rented boats and the bilge stayed fairly dry so it got me thinking.

I put my hand in the water and it was not warm so I new it wasn't coming from the manifolds which I know can be expensive. The owner said it could have been from the ski locker from the day out the previous week (but the plug was out before we started, so that didn't make sense to me), or possibly melted ice from the integrated bow ice chest we had thrown some water bottles in.

Should I be concerned about this? My buddies who own boats say I worry over small stuff, but I want to make sure I am not making a mistake. How much water in the bilge is normal when we were not bringing water in the boat on our bodies or on skis, etc? Where do I go from here? Do I pay another Marine mechanic to look into it? Should I not buy the boat and move on to another seller? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jevery]

Re: Water in bilge on test drive, advice needed please

That?s a good question. As I?m sure you know, a boat sitting on a level trailer will often retain a little water in the forward section of the hull. Water that might have come off wet bodies, life jackets, etc. from the last time out or that bit of water that makes it through the cover during a thundershower. For that reason, some of us, myself included, lift the front fairly high when stored on the trailer. This ?residual? water will not be apparent until the boat is launched and the weight of the drivetrain tilts the boat back enough to allow the residual water to make it?s way aft. Now, at what point did the owner put the plug in? If on the ramp, then any residual water should have had a chance to drain and any water present would be leakage for somewhere. Bellows, thru-hull fitting, could be a lot of things. I?d be surprised to find bad bellows on an 04, but a leaky thru-hull or plug seal is common. The kicker is the cooler thing. My built-in cooler also drains to the bilge, and will contribute a few quarts by the end of the day. So, sure could be from the cooler, but no way to know for sure, unless you go out again with a confirmed dry bilge, (plug installed on the ramp), and no ice in the cooler. Seller?s probably asking for a fair amount of money for a 21? four year-old Crownline. I think I?d want to know for sure.

 

[fishmen111]

Re: Water in bilge on test drive, advice needed please

I would not worry if there were no obvious points of entry. Water will find it's way into even the best attempts to cover a boat even if no more than condensation. It is also not unusual for residual water to relocate while trailering or on the water as the craft moves side to side and up and down. There are a lot of nooks and crannies under the deck. For piece of mind, ask the owner for a second ride. Check the bilge on the ramp just before entering the water. If water is present, pull the plug to remove it and see what appears during the ride.

 

[ctimrun]

Re: Water in bilge on test drive, advice needed please

Thanks for the quick responses! When I showed up at his shop to meet him and take the boat out, he put the plug in there, so we trailered the boat 20 or so miles with the plug it, so it very well could have been the water from the ski locker which was completely full of jackets and other toys which were used the week before. Could have also been the cooler in the front like was mentioned.

I forgot to add in my original post that the boat is still under warranty which is transferable to me as the second owner and valid through 2010. This is also making me feel better about it.

 

[woosterken]

Re: Water in bilge on test drive, advice needed please

put a little water in the cooler with food color in it,then put some in the locker with a different color in it.that way you would know where it is comeing from when it shows up in the bilge.

woosterken

 

[GrindKore]

Re: Water in bilge on test drive, advice needed please

I would not worry about it, a little bit of water in bilge is normal. Usually small amountsof water finds it's way through various through hull fittings and screws, nothing that a tube of 3M 5200 ahesive/sealant can't fix.