V holding water
 

I have been keeping my boat at the community dock everyday so I can ride after work and everytime I step on to it the bilge goes off pumping out about a couple gallons of water. When I look into the bilge I can see water but no sign of where it is comming from. I have an old copper through-hull pickup that may be leaking but when I bought the boat I FILLED it with water and watched and everything was good. I don't like how the starboard side of the boat sits on the trailer. The steplifts rest on the skids weird. Could that cause some cracking or something. It floats at the dock good and high and I know I'm gonna get some water during use but it's coming in from somewhere!

If thats all it is I wouldnt sweat it too much. Usually a gallon or two of water will get it some how on most any boats. From what you are decribing its not enough to trigger the switch till you step in there...correct? With that in mind its probably not even as much as you think.

You may redo the garboard drain plug just in case...but dont freak out too much....it happens. :beer:

Another area to look at is the livewell pump, do you have one? WELLCRAFT put the livewell drain into the bilge so if you don't shut off the water to your livewell pump it will continue to fill your bilge constantly while under way. And many times you get small leaks at the hose connections while at rest that will cause water to slowly build-up.

I have had my boat in the marina for the last two years and just like you everytime i stepped on her she spewed water out the bilge pipe. I thought it was alway rain......maybe that is your problem??? But sometimes last summer when it was not raining i still had water. Take the plug out and wrap it up with a lot of plumbers tape. that might help.

I have an I/O and had a leak from the rear seal of my heat exchanger. It looks like you have an O/B, so that's probably not it.

I'd check that through-hull. My wash-down fitting didn't seem to be leaking, but when I went to re-plumb the pump, it moved a little and when I pulled it out, the transom wood was wet and thinking seriously about starting to rot. I'm glad I checked it.

V20 will still float when the water is to the gunnel's! NO worry!

a friend of mine that is a retired Lt. Commander from the Navy after serving a full stint on submarines, once told me " the #1 Object of boating is keeping water out of the people holder" thats about as simple as it gets

Yea and I bet if you looked at his Navy ships there was water in the hole!!

Boat is in water, it rains out, dew from the night, pulling anchor, taking spray, taking waves all leads to water in the boat!

If you filled with water like you said and nothing dripped, and you checked the bait pump then all is good!!

Taste the water, is it salt or fresh??

Now stop it or I will find your boat and dump a bucket of water in every night and you really will go nuts!! :you:

LOL....Im with MJ....if a little water in the boat bugs you you arent gonna make it as a boater. They ALL have water in them if they are docked....and some out of the drink hold it too!

:beer:Who said I wanted to be a boater, I'm a fisherman! Boaters don't keep people fed!

If you own a boat...ur a boater too.

Really...you call yourself a fisherman? I just checked the reports page and I don't see nutt'in....so I guess I got to call :bsflag:

You might want to add a bilge pump counter to see if the bilge is filling up a lot while you are away. They are cheap and an easy way to get an idea about how much water is getting into the bilge.

-Svence

Never heard of such a thing?? Learn something new everyday here, some you don't want to learn but thats ok to! :clap:

The difference
 

Believe me, on the coast of Georgia there is a difference between boaters and fisherman even though both own boats. Boaters sometimes love to fish and fisherman love to cruise but the two are night and day. Ask anyone who has been buzzed off a good drop by a skier or even better a jetski. :sun:

I guess you got me there, let me get to work.

There is a difference here to as well....but you know what I meant...

Let me rephrase...as a FISHERMAN...you should get accustomed to water in you boat.

Roger that!

Water in the boat? Thats bad, you are going to have to replace the whole thing.

I know, I know, what to do with the old leaky piece of junk. I tell you what, I will haul it off for you, no charge. And just to be safe, you better get a new motor too. I will have to charge a small fee for disposing of the motor because of the HazMat involved.
:beer:

Randle let me know if you need any help hauling it away. we can discuse the splitting of the profits like gentlemen. :fight:

FWB what kind of plug do you have in the bilge area, internal or external, brass plug or the old rubber type with the flip lever.

Mine was letting in some water during crusies and or fishing, which ever you want to call it, so I adjusted the plug to fit a little tighter and my leaks have stopped. :clap:

If you dont find the leak, you can consider it a bilge pump test when you step into the boat. If the pump runs and pumps,GREAT, if it dont NOT SO GREAT. :head:

Moral of the story: is to use the situation to you advantage. Tell your friends you planned it that way and they will think you are the greatest thing to boating they have ever seen. :sun:

That sounds like a plan.....I surely didn't mean to offend anyone with my boaters/fisherman comment. I know many fisherman that keep their head up there a$$ on and off the water. As for the hauling off of the defective boat...you gotta get it past the wife, she's kinda in love with it.:zip: