steve_eo

I am getting a wet carpet at the bottom of the step inside my cabin. I presume that there is a blocked bilge flow as I expect that any water infiltration should end up in my bilge and then get pumped out or drained when I pull the rear plug.

Does anyone have a diagram showing bow to stern drainage flow?

I'd love to understand how many bilges there actually are. IE I found a small pump just behind the cabin steps yesterday....and of course there is the engine bilge....and there is one under the AC compressor. Are there more?

What about right under the cabin flooring? Why isn't here an access port in the cabin flooring to inspect/drain for water?

What drains to the fore drain plug? I occasionally pull that plug and get water from there....not much but where is it coming from anyway?

Sorry for all the questions....but a diagram would have answered all of them...does this diagram exist?

Thanks.
-Steve

Donzi38ZXXX

Steve,

If it is a newer style hull then it is a stepped hull. The water cannot get out without a bilge bump you found by your cabin step. That should be all you need.

COOPS

iTrader: (2)

I have a 26zx. This is a very common issue from the 26 and up. The under the step bilge isn't connected to the under the floor cavity. I put a 6 inch inspection cover in my cabin floor because it was always wet. I traced mine to a broken front anchor locker floor. The self drain for the anchor locker would let water in under large seas but wouldnt drain back out. It would flow though the cracked locker floor and end up under the cabin floor. Also check your caulking around the rub rail. I had water leaking out of the helm because of that one.

Lots of write ups on this on the Donzi forums.

steve_eo

Ya, so I think the cabin floor inspection/access cover is the way to go. At least then I'll know if there is water in there.
I just don't want to cut into a truss or something important.
Thanks.
-Steve

RumBlur

The water coming in and landing just in front of my cabin step is coming from the poorly sealed deck hatches. Fix those seals first or if you are forgetting to latch them, latch them, and then step on the hatch to press it down for a good seal. Not fun, but it works.

Now as for the water in front of the step: I screwed the top lip of the carpet to the face of the first step, then lifted the carpet in front of the first step and propped it up so it could dry. The glue on the carpet re-works itself when you lay the carpet back down. A cob-job, but it works.

I too, wish I knew how the keel drains so I knew where to drill some holes and get a wet cabin to drain to the engines.

Speaking of engines / drains. The factory bilge pump never gets all the water out, so I placed a really tiny torpedo pump all the way at the back and just aligator clamp it to the batter when I want a bone-dry bilge. That two gallons of water always being there has to be causing some condensation and corrosion somewhere. I'm on a lift so I can't get to my drain plug very often. Good Luck