Water in bilge- '95 18 classic

[Sagbay32]

After pulling the boat out of the lake the other night I noticed some water in the bilge that was not there before I put it in the water. Is it common for some water (1") to come into the bilge area or do I have a leak in something.
1995 18' classic 350 mag w/ Alpha one 50 hrs on it.

Thanks for listening

[Moody Blu']

umm, its a boat, are you sure no splashes came over the front? or did any wet people climb into your boat? I always have water in my bilge, but i keep my boat in the water.
maybe you have a cooling leak?

[boldts]

Sagbay,

If you had no water in the bilge when you put her in the water, no one was swimming and got back into the boat, and you didn't plow the bow into a wave causing water to come in on your lap, I would suspect a leak in the engine area. Hopefully there are no cracks of holes in the hull of the boat. Next time you go to the lake, back her in the water, but leave the boat on the trailer. Next, start the engine and look in the engine bay for any obvious water leaking from a engine hose. 1" does not sound like you have a big leak depending on how long you were in the water. It may be tuff to find such a small leak, but there is water running through every hose on the engine. Even the exhaust rubber hoses have water in them and could be leaking. Start her up in the water and do a through check, you should be able to find out where your water is coming from.

[Jerry Eisele]

If The boot is original, it could have a crack , or split. If so Merceuiser has a small whole on the transom that will let you know of the problem. Good luck.

[RedDog]

I always end up with a couple of gallons in Genuine Trouble. I am sure sometimes it is a combination of drainage from the floor cooler and wet swimmers but even when out for a cruise without swimmers or "boat sodas" on board, I still get water. I have been unable to spot any leaks. I guess a little comes through the motor hatch when I cut the throttle too quickly. I also have wondered if you could get back-flow through the bilge pump hull fitting if it dipped below the surface?

[RickR]

If it is the driveshaft boot, it will be hard to see the leak.
I use a handheld mirror and dive as far into the bildge as I can get.
Also inspect the boot closely for cracks or punctures.

[Sagbay32]

I will have to look into this further. I know it was only in the water for a few hours and I did shut down quick a few times. I never really thought about it before (it is a boat isn't it?). Boat is a '95 with 50 hours on it. I guess I will have to put her in and go diving into the engine bay with mirror in hand.
Will keep you posted. Thanks for the help

[CrackerJack]

Sagbay32,
I have a 96 16' and had the same dilemma after taking it out for a spin. What I found
was a compartment under the rear seat area
that can be looked at thru the center round
gas opening. It would collect and hold water until I ran the boat and somehow it would
finely get down to the bilge area. I drilled
a drain hole to the rear engine/bilge area
so now the water that enters the cockpit can
drain all the way out. When I was at the
Donzi factory the newer models have a different under floor design. On mine the drain hole that is just in front of the rear seat is where the water would lay. See if you have
water down there. At first I would siphen it
out until I drilled the drain hole thru the back just above the bottem drain hole by the bilge pump. Jack

[Dr. Dan]

Sag, Don't forget about rain water, we had a dry bilge, but after we got going, all the water from rains earlier in the week, got forced to the rear of the boat and eventually out the plug hole, I was amazed at how much water was in the keel area of our 22, so I am more aware now and keep it cranked up a bit higher if its sitting for a while in the driveway, just an FYI, you may not have a leak at all!...Good Luck...Doc

[RickR]

Sag
If you stopped quickly a few times it could very well be water comming in the hatch.
With friends in the back seat of Genuine Trouble I had to be carefull not to put water in the back seat. :eek:

jkeef
If you drilled a hole in the bulkhead make sure you seal the wood with epoxy.

[Sagbay32]

Yes a day before I tok it out it had rained hard on the boat. I thought the full cover kept it out but maybe not. I did move a bunch of stuff out of the garage so now she sits inside and my BlaZeR2 sits outside.
Will have to see what happens with the water situation. I am going out on the bay tomorrow.

Thanks for the advise.

[digitalMan]

My 16 outboard has the same problem. Obviously, my problem is not a leaky cooling hose. While your problem very well could be a cooling leak, my guess is backflow through the bilge pump.

The most "mystery water" I ever took on was after towing a 27 Maxum about half a mile. I tied the tow line on the same side of the boat as the bilge pump through hull fitting. When I started towing, that side of the boat was pulled down low in the water.