How does water get in front of the steps
 

If the boat is stored dry and the outside exit ( for the foreward bilge pump ) is plugged ?

Comes in the hatches or water leak from the fresh water system. I've seen it do both.

Maybe when we washed it huh

Put someone in the cuddy and then spray the deck down again. I bet you figure it out.

Depending on year and model I've heard and had an issue w ice cooler drain goes to bottom of v and never gets run back to drain...I just made my cooler drain out the side I also noticed if u get any rain water it's runs there from grab rail...once u get it there it can take awhile to dry out...I shopvac dry and put a fan on it and keep out of the rain and adjusted cooler drain haven't had a problem since...

I got no kitchen , no water ( Plummed) no drains. just seats, twin step 38. I has to be something. It stays dry and then when itake it out it has water in the area in front of the steps. Carpet never wet after washing it.. I'll have to check that when washing it. Anchor locker had water under it where the anchore wore through the floor. Pummped that out and glassed it up.. Plut a drain plug in there so i could check if it has water in it somehow. Ill have to check that too. Thanks

I seem to always find water under that step as well. I use a shop vac to get it out and somehow water always seems to find its way back. If I ever figure it out I will let you know. There have been several threads about this issue.

Hi Chad,
How is the new boat? Looks nice.
The water thing under the step, I figured it out on my 35, here is what I found.
1. the boat sits slightly bow low when on the trailer.
2. the ice chest drain goes only part way back and dumps outboard of the stringers.
3. if you pull the plug on the ice chest when the boat is on the trailer the water goes forward and ends up under the step. If you pull the plug when the boat is still floating it is stern low and the water will go into the bilge and will not come forward.
4. the deck drains in the cockpit area do the same thing as the ice chest.
5. be sure the drains at the back of the stringers are open to let any water that gets in outboard of the outer stringers can drain to the center.
6. most Fountains leak under the molding at the swim step where the deck is mated to the hull. This can do the same thing as #3.

hope this helps.
Dave

Thanks Dave, I don't have any running water, cooler or Kitchen. I think it might be the steps themself. Maybe on deceleration it gets in front of the steps. My non step bottom boat never had this problem so I did not pay much attention to the other threads.

mcprodesign,
I thnk its a San Diego thing I have the same problem with my 47' I have no idea where that water comes from. can only say mine comes from the galley sink outlet but I'm still searching let me know if you find out anything else.

Thanks

P.S. Maybe I see you on the water this season?

Mine does it too. I have found it only does it when i wash out the cockpit while sitting on the trailer. I never see water from the floor drains draining into the bilge.

:lolhit:

are you going to launch the 47 on Elsinore?



I go to Mission Bay for the Thunderboat regatta too... Also Havasu

Take a look at my post #8 on this thread. The reason you don't see any water draining from the cockpit area when you wash it down is because the water from those drains goes outboard of the stringers and then is running forward rather than back. This ends up under the step or forward below the anchor locker.

I mostly stay in Mission bay and San diego bay and also on the committee for the thunder boat regatta. What does you fountain look like got a pic you can send me?

[email protected]

I love the GP boats the most :D

Water in foward bilge
 

I had the same issue. It was multiple leaks.At the bow light,bow cleat,and bolt penetrations for bow rails.Take the mirror out in front of the birth and have someone outside with a hose and check all the above.It solved my problems.I have 1994 35 lightning.Something else u might want to consider.There is a drain plug under the steps. I keep that closed tight. In the step box there is a hole in the front side that allows water that might leak in from cabin hatch to drain to the bilge.I epoxied a short pipe nipple in that hole with 1/4 turn valve inside the box.That way if u get any water accumulation at all in the step box it cannot get out and ruin your carpet.Good luck,hope this this helps u.

Wow... this is driving me crazy I have tried everything even crawling under the thing looking for a damn hole in the bottem !

water on the gunwhale sides also drains to the front bilge when the boat is on the trailer. Be sure to check the seals on the side cleats and fuel caps. I haven't had any issues, I also leave my boat very nose high on the trailer with the rear plug out.

My 36 outlaw would transfer water from the rear bilge to the front bilge on decelleration and trailer braking, don't know if it is possible on the fountain. I used to drain that boat on the ramp otherwise I would have soaked cabin carpet by the time I got home

mine was the hand rail. had to take apart the side interior tighten the bolts down and siliconed the heck out of them.

a big problem on mine i've found so far was the bow cleat and bow lights but yet I still getting water under my step, even after I sealed them up.

I'm not shure YET if this has fixed my problem but I noticed the fairing was siliconed on the bottom and not from the top, so any water that came in from the backside of the fairing/ or any screw holes was staying trapped between the deck and the fairing and once it go high enough it would dump into the cabin/under the step through the screw holes. I pulled my entire race fairing off this winter and it was nasty between the fairing/deck. and all the stains/scum line ended barely above the screw holes that hold the fairing on.

I just scraped all the silicone off completely and ONLY siliconed around the screw holes between the deck/ fairing that way any water that does get in can atleast escape.

no fridge or toilet that could be leaking or condensating? I bet its your hand rails, go underneath and tighten the bolts down and silicon over them, I then wen around them on the outside and made a nice clean bead where you cant see them. I would also ensure you have a good cover.

Any water in the bilge travels forward and doesnt drain back. These are the small steps and you can see the angle. I would get it dry and then plug off both sides of these tubes

+1 what he sad

That is a great pic of the floor. It almost looks like a long tube down the center too??

I gutted mine and doing a full coosa/ prisma preforms stringer system. Im real close to starting a thread on the resto. But there is 2 tubes on either side of the middle stringer, and this is where the gas tanks sit underneath the cockpit floor. Those tubes arent even schedule 40 pipe, there real thin wall stuff. I say to def block off both ends and then let it 'air out' everytime you wash it, because they do leak from bow rails, and front anchor locker. Just not near as much as what comes from the bilge.

This is the advice we took, plugging the bilge tube holes that run under the floor to the cabin, since then cabin's stayed dry

This wouldnt be the same problem in a non-stepped hull would it?

I would think so.

post some more pics ! . . .

really interested to see how the original stringers looked

Which holes?? The ones in the cockpit at the rear by the bench? Did you just reroute those to the engine compartment for drainage?

Any input guys on how to plug these so the cabin stays dry? its been raining for days over here and I am having the carpet replaced.... just dont want to install new carpet without fixing the draining issue...

thanks!

Mine gets water on the trailer when the front of the trailer is lower than the rear must always keep the bow high and I have no problem.

How about one of the rubber style freeze plugs that tighten with a nut? That way it is not permanent and should work, also makes for an easy install.

From what I know I think a lot of the water comes from the bow rails not being sealed. I just pulled all mine cleaned, buffed the bow and used 4200 to reseal them.

for what its worth, i found that the rubber plug for oil bath spindles fits perfectly into the holes with a good seal, easy in and out. was using rubber corks, but they would sometimes bounce out in rough water.

This in my opinion was a very bad design flaw.... the cockpit is high enough that those two rear drains should have been routed directly into the ENGINE BAY :(