Water in forward bilge 35 Lightning classic
 

I have a 2000 35 Lightning Classic and there is always water in the forward bilge. I seems to travel back and forth between just below the step into the cabin and up under the bunk below the hatches for storage. The bilge pump below the step can't pump it completely dry. Does anyone else have this problem? Where does the water come from? How can I get it dried out and kept dry? Any help/advice would be appreciated.
TIA
David

you might try a wet vac and suck it out, use the hole under the cabin step. also check your sink drain hoses for leaks, maybe the water is coming in there

I did use a wet or dry shop vac and got it as dry as I could, although the angle the boat sets on the trailer may have prevented me from getting all of it out. The sink drains seem to be ok, drain to the outside. I am not so sure that the ice chest is doing what it is supposed to. When I pour water into the ice chest I can't see where it comes out although it does seem to end up in the aft bilge.

My 35 FOUNTAIN HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH I BELEAVE I HAVE CORRECTED. IN UPGRADING OUR MUSIC SYSTEM WE REMOVED THE ICE BOX TO GET ACCESS TO THE EXISTING AMP. DICOVERING THE ICE BOX DRAIN HOSE HADE WORKED ITS WAY FROM ITS INTENDED LOCATION. REMOVE THE PORT SIDE SPEAKER, THE CLEAR HOSE SHOULD BE LOCATED IN A DRAIN HOLE THAT RUNS UNDER THE GUNNEL WHICH IS ALSO SHARED WITH THE FLOOR DRAIN IN THE REAR SEAT AREA, POUR A LITTLE WATER IN THAT DRAIN YOU WILL SEE WERE IT COMES OUT AT IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.THEN DO THE SAME IN THE ICE BOX TO COFIRM ITS DRAINING PROPERLY. GOOD LUCK

My 35 lightning 2001 modle had the same problem till I got a bow cover. I think when it rained water entered through the anchor hatch.

alot of the the 35's have this issue. you can remove the bow light ans re seael or install a permanent style which will stop the leak. or use a style from say livorsi that has a catch basin under it with a drain similiar to the ones used for recessing cleats.
or you can make sure the anchor locker is properly sealed and the drain is functioning properly.

any of these 3 should solve your issue if its not as the others have posted.

Bo....call me. Fuel pressure issue

Thank you for that lead, I will take a look, I had suspected the the Ice chest had something to do with it. When I pour water into it, I can't figure out where it goes. I will take a look tomorrow.

Anchor Hatch???? I don't have an anchor hatch, is that something that came on newer boats or was an option. There is a plastic vent up front in the left side of the hull, but no access to where the rope locker should be.

Thanks Monstaaa,
I will take a look, I have a feeling it is to do with the ice chest.
David

When I bought our boat it had a newer rub rail installed....I kept getting a wet couch in the cabin.
When I removed the rub rail the holes from the one before where never sealed....I sealed all the holes and filled in the gap between the deck and hull, guess what, It was dry ever since.
Good luck and lets us know what you find.

cool , like back said keep us posted. interested to know

Well, I pulled the left front speaker out and felt around in there. The drain hose for the ice chest was just laying in there, not connected to anything. It was all moldy and gross. There was a hole between the floor boards, but I couldn't feel anything in there. Next I poured water down the left rear drain in the deck, it just disappeared, did not come out anywhere. When I looked in the motor compartment there are no holes or drain tubes that go through the bulkhear, so as near as I can tell all of the water is just draining into the area between the two bulkheads where the fuel tanks are located. I am sure that isn't doing the fuel tanks any good. I am thinking about trying to tie the ice chest into the sink drain, but not sure if there is enough vertical drop. Any suggestions????
TIA
David

After reading the post I went and looked and found I had water under the step as well. Which speakers are you guys talking about removing. I have an '01 lightning and the only cabin speakers are above the couches - I think. I'll have to look. I first thought it might be the drain from the fridge but I'll check around the anchor locker as well.

Remove the speaker in the cockpit front left by the passengers feet, from there you can reach inside and feel around for the ice chest drain hose, it is a white 3/4" hose and in my case went to nowhere. I am still not sure how it was supposed to be hooked up. When I poured water into the ice chest or the rear floor drain in the cockpit it doesn't show up anywhere, but it did run out the end of the hose, just wasn't connected to anything, and there aren't any drains through the rear bulkhead.

My coolers also just drained into no mans land. The hose actually went to where the gas tank is. BAD MOVE FOUNTAIN! The compartment the gas tank is in has no drains in case water could get in there, which would only be if the boat had so much water in it that the floor would be covered,or.............. had a cooler draining into it.

I was able to run a drain hose from the cooler, under the floor, and out a drain hole in the bilge bulkhead just in case I ever used the cooler. My sink drain is to high to tee into, would still leave a couple inches of water in the cooler.

You guys actually use that thing? I was seriously considering taking it out to make some more storage or make room for a couple of power amps.

Post a pic of which coolers you are referring too.

US1 Fountain said: I was able to run a drain hose from the cooler, under the floor, and out a drain hole in the bilge bulkhead just in case I ever used the cooler. My sink drain is to high to tee into, would still leave a couple inches of water in the cooler.

How did you route the new drain hose, what size did you use, same 3/4" as it came with, and where did you drill the bulkhead? How did you fish it through? I was concerned that I would have the same problem with the sink drain, looked like it might not drain all the way.

Only for storage. Still didn't want water draining in the bilge, so never used it. A carry on coler was just easier.
But the cooler has now been removed to make room for the AC, which does get used. :D
I actually have more 5x more storage space there now because the AC is off to the side and set back vs the cooler that was dead center. Plus the upper compartment is now used fro more storage.

I forget, but I think it was more along the lines of 1/2" ID. I may have replaced the cooler fitting to a smaller one for use of smaller hose. Been a few yrs. Easier to run and really don't need that large of drain hose.

I used one of the existing bulkhead drain holes for the cockpit draining to feed the hose thru. By removing the gas tank sender inspection plate inside the rear set compartment, using a light and mirror, I can see from the bilge bulkhead to the cabin bulkhead above the gas tank. There is approx an 2" space from the bottom side of the cockpit floor to the top of the gas tank. I just ran an electricians fish tape to the front from the bilge. At the front on the passengers side storage compartment, again with a mirror and flashlight, I could grab the fish tape, then just pull the hose thru and feed it into the cabin along the side to the cooler. Sounds like a pain, but was really easy once I seen the open path available.
Keep in mind this is on my 32, so yours may/may not be the same.

Thanks for all of the information. I will take a look when I get back up to the boat. The boat is at Lake Havasu, AZ now and I am back in CA, so it will be a couple of weeks before I can go see it. I will try to bring all of the appropriate tools etc.

Is your A/C 110 volt and runs off shore power or do you have a generator, or is it automotive type and the compressor runs on one engine? Nice looking installation. What size is the unit?

Runs off shorepower. 6500 Btu marine unit. Can be ran off a 1000 watt gen if needed.

Thanks

I don't have a cooler, I have a Norcold fridge installed under the cabinet. I thought it might be condensation from the fridge. It runs most of the time when it is at the slip plugged up. That way I can always have a cold one ready for those last minute "hot laps" to shake off a bad day @ work.:drink:

about that ice chest drain hose... i had the same problem but if u take off the hatch that allows you to get in the ice chest and the bracket that holds it on then take out the ice chest itself and look where the hose goes....is is gonna just go onto the floor inside where the ice chest goes ....if u look further back to where the gas tanks are and that removable pannel by passengers feet there should be a hole about 1/2 to 3/4 inches .....take the hose comming from the bottom of the ice chest and put through that hole ( if there is no hose well then obviously go buy about 2-3 foot of hose and connet with hose clamps to fitting in bottom of ice chest and put through hole.) ............ hope i explained this well enough if not let me know and i will try to explain a lil better .....and also those drain holes u said u didnt have .....check on the side of either port or starbord up against the bulkhead(through) there should be 2 drain holes.........if this helped at all plz let me kno

Hello fountainguy214,
Your explanation was excellent and very clear. I have done all you said, the hose (3/4") is connected to the ice chest and runs through the cabin bulkhead and was sitting on top of the carpet just ahead of the side storage compartment. I reached through the hole where the left front speaker was and felt around for the hole you describe and found it, I was able to put the hose down into it, but when I checked in my engine bay there are no holes to allow anything to drain from the center bilge area to the engine bilge. I poured water in the ice chest and in the rear floor drains and it just disappears, but does not come out in the engine bilge. I know that this is not a good thing for my gas tanks to be sitting in a wet bilge. Maybe the factory forgot to put the drains into the engine bilge. Where do they go?
Thanks,
Dave

Fountain i think did the same with my boat i believe ....in the very bottom of the bilge....check if there is a drain hole on either side of the middle stringer if not...i had the same problem ....i would ask around first since we have 2 diffrent boats but what i did was drill 2 1/2 inch holes on either side of the stringer and the forward bilge drained that could in your boat also drain the icechest ......check again though on either side of the bilge but way up near the sides of the boat where i believe your batteries are (that is where mine are) there should be 2 pipes comming out the fire wall that is what drains my ice chest ....... hope u find them if there is any if not i would call fountain and ask about your specific boat........hope i helped again

The AC idea looks great and makes better use of the space. My boat has two feed thrus in the bilge next to the center stringer. Any water that gets in up front drains all the way to the back. My cabin cooler, drains to the outside of the boat on the port side. If you gusy are having a problem with it draining into other cavities, install a tee in the sing line and attach the cooler hose to the tee and pass the water out the port side.

I was thinking of doing that, but it looked like it might not drain the last inch or two of water.

I have looked carefully, can not see any holes, but some water does appear there, not sure how it get into the bilge. Last time I asked Fountain they knew less than I did. I will cook carefully when I am back up to the boat in a couple of weeks, and will bring a drill as well.
Thanks,
David

Great advice, guys... I seem to have the same thing going on...

You said that you dont think that those last few inches of water will drain if you drill the holes ....and it wont the way i did it was in the step when you first walk in the cabin in my boat there is a carpet lining and i took that up and there is a hole under the carpet and if you use a wet vac just about all the water should come out.

I continuously have water in the area under the step, it seems to come from the forward bilge. I didn't see any opening going toward the rear from the step. It is HOT and dry in Lake Havasu right now,so I am hoping that everything will dry out and then I will see where the water comes from and where it goes.

Did you drill from the step toward the rear?

OK i am kinda lost on this one. Out of curiosity i looked under my step in the cabin and sure enough I have water under the step, beneath the plug. So where exactly are you drilling a hole? And anything else I shoud check? Pictures would be nice.

not a paying member sorry no pics ....... but im not drilling in the cabin im drilling in the engine compartment through the fire wall at the very bottom of the bilge but in yall's cases with newer boats and yall are possible first owners then there should be two holes already on both sides of the center stringer in the engine compartment .......that is where i drilled

If that center compartment is anything like my 32', that is the gas compartment. There are no holes down low there because the only way water can get in is if the boat has water at floor level and it fills in from the top side, or if water is 1 ft deep in the bilge to the point water will run in the 2 drain holes inside of the outer stringers (which is open into teh gas tank area a couple inches higher than the tank.)
The cockpit side drains drain into the outside of the outer stringers to the holes down low by the batteries. The front bulkhead doesn't have drain holes either into the center compartment. By allowing water to enter in there by way of the low in the bilge, you might be taking a chance of soaking the foam that holds the tank, and that chit doesn't dry out.

I assume this may only apply to the newer boats that don't have drains for that center compartment down low. They must have done it for a reason. The bilge pump in the cabin step is supposed to hadle the water up front because it can't run towards the back. I have been told the reason there are no drains from front to back is to prevent gas fumes from entering the cabin by way of hull drainage system as gas fumes lay low, hence drains done away with.

My A/C pump hose runs thru the gas tank compartment drain holes. Notice it is a good distance up, compared to the very bottom of the vee, which is not shown.

Just my thoughts and hear say.

I just got off the phone with Tony Vick, who is the tech guy at Fountain. He pretty much confirmed everything that US-1 just stated. The compartment where the gas tanks are located is sealed at both ends in case there is a leak, it can't get to the cabin or the engine compartment (USCG requirement).

The ice chest and the cockpit floor drains go to the area below the floor, but outboard of the engine stringers. There should be drain holes down low outboard of the engine stringers, and then at the rear of the boat (not visable with the engines installed), there are drains from the outer stringers to the center bilge.

The front bilge does not drain to the back, but has it's own pump.

I think things are much clearer now, I will need to check my boat next time at the lake.
David

So there is a bilge pump up front? What year was the first year for that?

That's exactly how mine is done. I was pretty sure the rupture tank was a possible reason for the sealed ends, but wasn't sure enough to say so.

This winter while working on mine, I did find that the 2 outermost side drains into the bilge at he bulkhead where somewhat sealed off with FG matting. They install a short peice of PVC in the hole, then glass it in place (w/o covering the open ends hopefully), then the white paint. I ran a hole saw in the pipe, then resealed the edges with epoxy just in case. PLus a lot of building trash left behind to hinder draining. She's all free and clean now!

My '99 had it. So at least by then. My '94 didn't. I removed mine for more storage space (plus it was broken) and I don't get any water up front. It's mounted in the cabin step.
Bad thing is it needs a couple inches of water to operate, and doesn't pump it all out. My pump was actually mounted to a raised pad that was glassed to the hull bottom. Been better if it could be in a recessed pit, but that's not possible.