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water in the locker - bilge doesn't seem to work consistently


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Story

  • Sunday:   Got to the boat (2003 - 21 Wakesetter VLX) and noticed (for the first time) that there was quite a bit of water in the center locker - probably about 4" below the lid.   It had been raining, so I presumed that the auto-bilge was busted.  But when I turned the bilge to "ON" it did start to pump out some water - but not much - we had to get the ballast pump out to clear out the rest.  We filled up, rode for a few hours, checked the locker and was dry.  Cool, I thought, just the bilge is funky - no big deal.  
  • Tuesday:  Back out to ride and noticed about the same amount of water in the locker.  s*** - it hasn't rained so I don't know where the water is coming from.  Clicked the bilge, and nothing.  Dammit...  Few minutes later the bilge worked intermittently but wouldn't come back on later.  Rode, checked the locker - found it to be nearly dry again.  

Problems (I think)

  • bilge is faulty and needs to be replaced 
  • where is this water coming from.  

Questions:

  • Are there 2 bilge pumps?  Where are they located?  I presume that one of them is in the locker - stern-side - and has a red cap on it, and feels affixed to the hull?  Is that one?   Is there another in the engine compartment?  Any things to be worreid about when replacing?  Can I replace it in the water or do I need to pull it out?  
  • How the heck can I find out where the water is coming from?  Any thoughts on why the water levels would be the same both days?  

 

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Bad prop packing. Google how to adjust it. Its a PITA to do. It's possible you just need to tighten it down a bit.

Skidim.com sells a "Virtually dripless" packing for cheap. 

New bilge pumps are cheap & easy to replace. There is usually only 1, located under the motor. Might be clogged with some debris. 

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I am with Bill on both counts but if the bilge pump works sometimes it sounds like it just needs to be cleaned out. PITA to get to though.

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Thanks Bill and strada, 

  • With regards to the prop packing, is that something that would/could go bad after the boat sitting in an indoor storage for 6 months or so?  
  • To replace the bilge, would I need to pull the boat out of the water (aside from the benefit of being able to drain the standing water?)
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formulaben

I've heard of the packing drying out and shrinking slightly when stored (or new install) so let it be in the water a while before you "tighten" to control drip rate.

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/stuffing_box&page=1

Should be able to install new bilge just fine in the water.  Discharge hose goes up and above the waterline. 

Probably overkill, but some food for thought on bilge pumps: http://www.yachtsurvey.com/bilge_pumps.htm

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Thanks for your thoughts guys.  I got the boat out of the water and on a lift last night.  Weird thing though, once the boat got fully lifted out of the water, the autobilge came on and started pushing everything out.  What the heck could cause that... I figure that regardless about the bilge, I still need to figure out where the water is coming from and have that fixed up so I've got my local shop coming to look at it this weekend, but before I do that -- any thoughts?  

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Might help to know that unlike many boats, in ours the low point when on the lift or sitting still is not at the transom. It is about where the center locker drain is.  So water will drain forward away from the engine compartment bilge pump.

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Are you sure you don't have a leak from either the center ballast bag or one of the pumps (drain or fill)? I have had pumps Crack over winter before and leak anytime the thru hull wasn't shut. You can plug the divider in the bilge in order to isolate where the water is coming from as well. 

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On 5/18/2016 at 8:40 AM, aryder said:

Thanks Bill and strada, 

  • With regards to the prop packing, is that something that would/could go bad after the boat sitting in an indoor storage for 6 months or so?  
  • To replace the bilge, would I need to pull the boat out of the water (aside from the benefit of being able to drain the standing water?)

Yea, the packing dries out. Then when it gets wet it can swell back up & maybe even stop leaking. But sometimes the old wax rope packing just sucks. I replaced mine when the boat was only 5 yrs old.

The bilge pump is usually back by the engine. The lowest point in the bilge is about midway of the boat. So water can sit in the locker, but the bilge pump is high & dry....... Until you are under way. Usually around10 or 12 mph, with the bow high, all that water will go back around the pump.

The pump itself looks something like this. The blue part is glued to the bilge bottom, and acts like a screen to keep the pump from sucking any debris & clogging. But usually, after years in the water, it can clog with algea, pine needles, smaller stuff that has gathered in your bilge. You can unclip the pump from the blue part & replace just the pump....assuming the pump isn't working. 

4334926.jpg

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
  • Like 2
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