A lot of water in the bilge
 

Long story but my 382 got stuck on the boat ramp Saturday night for a couple of hours. I jacked the tongue up to lower the stern and gain a couple of inches. When the tide finally got high enough to lift the boat off the trailer it wouldn't budge because water was up to the crankshaft pulley in the bilge. The swim platform was not under water but I imagine the scuppers were. I don't know if lowering the tongue allowed me ( And the bilge pump) to get ahead of the water or if the leak was slow enough that two pumps were enough to overcome it.

I am thinking that the water was coming in through one of the two bilge pumps in the engine bay since one of them did not seem to be working, but that doesn't make a lot of sense. I checked the hoses and they all seemed to be routed properly.

I have had what seems like excess water in the bilge when I go out and am wondering if the nose high attitude you get pulling up out of the hole might have something to do with it. In any case leaving the boat in the water for a weekend has never been a problem.

If anyone has had this happen to them I would sure appreciate knowing what your solution is.

I use a backflow preventer (Check Valve) on my pumps. That way water cannot come back down through the discharge hose.

my guess would be leaking bellows...

bellows too. But it may also come from the raw water pump when running. I had that and it's impressive the amount of water can be ''dumped'' by a crack in the housing...

The shift and U joint bellows in the transom assembly are 7-10 year service items at best. If you haven't changed them yet you are due. I would check them first.

The bellows were checked last Fall when I had the drives off. But it seems to me that since they are underwater they would leak all the time not just when I am pointed up. I like the check valve idea but have heard that check vales on the bilge pumps are discouraged.

Bear in mind that the cockpit floor, rear seat, and shore power cord trunk all drain into the bilge, too. I doubt that the water was reversing up the bilge pump hoses, since the pumps would have switched on and pushed the water back out.

There is a drain in the swim ladder compartment that is not sealed to the underside of the platform. If you had the rub rail submerged at the back, that could have been the source of the water.