Where does the water go?

[pinecrestwoods]

I've got a '93 Ebbtide 182 (bowrider... see avatar) with 4.3 lx Alpha One, Gen II. I got it a couple months ago and am still learning. I can't find any pictures of the anatomy of the hull. I had to do all of the seals/bellows, and think I have all of the leaks stopped.
Now my issue is: There is some liquid (left-over oily water (green-ish)) that appears in my bilge, probably less than 1 qt. Not enough for my pump to totally remove. Then, when out of the water, and the boat is at rest, it "disappears"- I suppose into the lower part of the hull. I do have a screw-in plug at the back of my boat (lower than the bilge area). I park my boat at a bit of an incline, remove the plug, and MAYBE a tsp. comes out, if that. Where is this liquid going, can I get it out, and should I be concerned?

I have raised the bow up as high as I could with the tongue jack and tried to flush the back of the boat with dishsoap and water (had my plug out and ran the bilge pump). I think this improved my situation (less sludgy, anyway), but the amount of liquid stayed about the same.

I just don't know where the liquid can be hiding.

Thanks- hope it made some sense,

Jeff

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Where does the water go?

Don't know that particular boat, but when you park it the bow needs to be higher than the stearn and the plug out. Depending on how long it leaked it probably has the foam saturated. The foam will give up a little water but will never dry out. Eventually it will rot the floor.

 

[pinecrestwoods]

Re: Where does the water go?

Lion Hunter- apparently, you have grossly missed the point of my post- you are SUPPOSED to tell me what I want to hear.

I have since raised the bow as much as I can without resting weight on the prop. I suppose it's at 20 degrees.

I tried a few locations on my property until I found the most incline, so I don't know how much fluid has come out. Each time I stopped and walked to the back, it was either running a very small stream, or dripping. I will let it sit as it is for a while.

Of course, you never know what the PO has done (used boat risk), but the floor is currently solid. I guess I'll have to resell next year????

I guess I'll just have to watch it. I will probably go to my local grain elevator and weigh the trailer and boat/trailer combo and see if I can find a huge weight discrep.

I REALLY don't want to do a floor job- been there, and I don't want to ever again.

So..... anytime a person leaves the plug out, or it gets flooded for some reason, the foam soaks it up, and the boat is never the same??? Seems like really poor design, no?

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Where does the water go?

The foam actually has to sit in water for an extended period. If you were to flood the boat and drain it the same day you would be allright. I think most of the foam saturation occur from rain. People park the boat, don't raise the bow or pull the plug. I have even had covers blow off in storms and have leaves plug the bilge hole. You are on the right track with weighing it. I would rather do a floor job than a floor, transom and stringer job.

 

[pinecrestwoods]

Re: Where does the water go?

I would rather do a floor job than a floor, transom and stringer job.

Dang you Lion Hunter..... stop making sense. I hate the fact that you are using logic..... I just want you to say, "Don't worry..... it'll be just fine."

I have no idea how long it has been like this.

I wish I could find some cut-away view of the boat (without actually cutting it away!). There is the floor level, then, behind the seat, in the engine compartment, it steps down approx. 12", then another few inches, where my bilge pump is, below the engine. There is yet another "level" below that glass (unseen), that is "drained" by my plug through the transom.

The lower area in my bilge (where the pump is) has a factory (I think) hole in it, that drains to the lowest level inside my boat. This confuses me- why would that be there. I would think you'd want the pump to remove that water, rather than dump it further into the nether-regions of the boat.

Whatever..... I guess I know what needs to be done.... eventually.

Thanks.
Jeff

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Where does the water go?

There are a few ebbtide owners on here that may chime in. Might also see if there is an ebbtide forum at the bottom of the forum home page. Someone is bound to have torn into one of these and knows the construction. I would start as you suggested and weigh the boat before you get to worried. If you find out the foam is waterlogged I would still run it through the season and make it a winter project. If its nothing more than waterlogged foam you may only have to remove it and be able to save the floor and stringers.

 

[davemoore]

Re: Where does the water go?

Depending on how long it leaked it probably has the foam saturated. The foam will give up a little water but will never dry out. Eventually it will rot the floor.

Great! Now I have something ELSE to worry about! Haha... We just bought our boat about a month ago (newbie boaters) and the guy we bought it from had just put new plywood flooring in because it had rotted out... Now I'm wondering if I've got a similar situation, although I've been very careful about draining the hull after each use... but that doesn't mean he didn't plywood over saturated foam right?

Well, just another little project this fall... I kinda' wanted to take out his plywood job anyways, because I don't think he used adequate thickness and I know he didn't use the proper fasteners. Guess I'll find out what the foam looks like then.

SO MUCH to learn!!

DM