New Boat = New Problems.
I just purchased a 1991 Thompson Carrara 205 from a private individual. It's in pretty good shape; I thought I went over it pretty well (for what I know about boats, anyway). No major problems, yet, but I'm having one annoying one.
There was a bit of a funk coming from the port side in the rear, behind the seat. Upon removing the seat, I found a hidden part in the hull where water has been collecting for who knows how long, just sitting in there festering. I'm glad I found it before this winter, it may have frozen and cracked the hull. The water is mainly coming from the blower vent on that side, dripping into the boat, along the port side shelf just above floor level, and then down into this little compartment. It would take a long time for it to fill up in this manner. Washing the boat, getting in out of the water, raining into the boat without the cover on, etc. would definitely accelerate the process.
I've pumped the nasty water out of the depression, and removed all the debris I can. I can't find any little passageway from the that compartment into the main bilge area. I did find a little hole (about 1/2" diameter) in the bilge on the port side. It doesn't look like any kind of mounting hole, i.e. engine mount. I stuck a wire in there, blew compressed air in, and re-filled the little compartment with fresh water again. It still doesn't drain.
When I poke the wire in there now, it feels like it enters a bigger compartment on the other side of the bilge wall. Feeling around with the wire, it hits something firm, and yet kind of squishy. The fuel filler and vent hoses are right in that area; that's what it kind of feels like.
Does anybody know if that little water-retaining compartment is supposed to drain into the bilge? It seems to hold about 2 gallons or so of water, until it overflows and runs along the floor at the transom behind the hydraulic trim pump, and finally into the bilge. I just can't believe a boat manufacturer wouldn't see this obvious flaw. Is it reasons like that Thompson is out of business? It seems like a fairly decent boat, though.
Thoughts?
I just purchased a 1991 Thompson Carrara 205 from a private individual. It's in pretty good shape; I thought I went over it pretty well (for what I know about boats, anyway). No major problems, yet, but I'm having one annoying one.
There was a bit of a funk coming from the port side in the rear, behind the seat. Upon removing the seat, I found a hidden part in the hull where water has been collecting for who knows how long, just sitting in there festering. I'm glad I found it before this winter, it may have frozen and cracked the hull. The water is mainly coming from the blower vent on that side, dripping into the boat, along the port side shelf just above floor level, and then down into this little compartment. It would take a long time for it to fill up in this manner. Washing the boat, getting in out of the water, raining into the boat without the cover on, etc. would definitely accelerate the process.
I've pumped the nasty water out of the depression, and removed all the debris I can. I can't find any little passageway from the that compartment into the main bilge area. I did find a little hole (about 1/2" diameter) in the bilge on the port side. It doesn't look like any kind of mounting hole, i.e. engine mount. I stuck a wire in there, blew compressed air in, and re-filled the little compartment with fresh water again. It still doesn't drain.
When I poke the wire in there now, it feels like it enters a bigger compartment on the other side of the bilge wall. Feeling around with the wire, it hits something firm, and yet kind of squishy. The fuel filler and vent hoses are right in that area; that's what it kind of feels like.
Does anybody know if that little water-retaining compartment is supposed to drain into the bilge? It seems to hold about 2 gallons or so of water, until it overflows and runs along the floor at the transom behind the hydraulic trim pump, and finally into the bilge. I just can't believe a boat manufacturer wouldn't see this obvious flaw. Is it reasons like that Thompson is out of business? It seems like a fairly decent boat, though.
Thoughts?
you might have to perform a tiny bit of surgery (out of sight) to investigate.