# Water in Bilge



## Durham72499 (Jul 15, 2014)

I have a 1999 21 foot Seacraft center console and I am new to boat ownership. Boat mainly used for offshore snapper fishing and tubing with the kids. Should I be concerned if my automatic bilge comes on more than once an hour? I have looked over the hull and don't see any obvious reasons. Am I just being paranoid or is this normal.


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## Play'N Hooky Too (Sep 29, 2007)

The water is coming from somewhere and if it was me I would want to know where. A leaky thru-hull or loose hose today can be a broken thru-hull or a disconnected hose tomorrow. 

Check your live well fittings and hoses with the boat in the water and the live well on and full.


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

With the boat dry and out of the water, get a water hose and start filling up the boat from inside . You will figure out where water is coming in as soon as the water finds the leak


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

I've replaced two different thru-hull connectors due to them being plastic and cracking for some reason . 
You need to fix your problem .


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## Durham72499 (Jul 15, 2014)

Thanks for the replies.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

This site has great information for boat owners. Here is the link to their section about finding and fixing leaks.

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/dealing_with_leaks.htm


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## kiefersdad (Apr 26, 2013)

*Water in is bad*

The boat is supposed to float and if it fills with water it sinks. We have all had leaks and we all find them fast. If the boat battery stops sending juice to the pump you have to have a hand pump. If the pump gets clogged or stops working a good battery will not pump water. I have had experience with all the above so I am not busting your chops. I try to maintain everything in good order and always fix whatever is wrong before the next trip, or delay the trip. Sometimes you miss a great weather day but to sink your boat on a beautiful day is still no fun. Swimming home is no fun either. I tried that once in November in 1980. It was also snowing. I don't think I could do that today. Sorry for the long rant but fishing is too much fun to take chances with your life and the lives of your crew. Stay safe and enjoy all the good days. Mike


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

That brings up another good maintenance issue.... How often would you replace your bilge pump(s). Like every other piece of equipment, it will eventually go bad, why wait until its gone.
Seems like I replace our main bilge pump about every 1-1.5 years. But not neccesarily because it was going bad. Ours is a Rule RM500A Marine Bilge Pump with the auto sensor. And every so often it gets a wild hair and just keeps running- I found it was just easier to change it out than to try and clean it up or figure out what else was wrong with it. I actually think that is probably the worse type pump to put down there- always getting sludge, gunk, and everything else all over it possibly causing a sensor malfunction.
On another occasion, it didn't run at all- I just happened to find out before disaster struck, when I was doing a bilge wash- and it didn't come on.... red flags flew! I found a corroded watertight electrical connection to blame. On the ground wire! Oh, we do carry a spare pump with us on the boat. 
Anyway, just something else to think about...

You said it comes on more than once an hour- but how often? 
As said, common areas to check for leaks at is at any and all thru-hull connections- including intakes for various livewells and raw water washdown pumps. inboard connections should be checked too, especially any plastic connectors, filters, and valves- especially if the boat has seen any freezing weather, as water trapped in these pieces can freeze and caused cracks or break (we had a boat sink at our marina due to a busted raw water filter at the intake- which probably occurred while on the trailer during a freeze). Make sure your drains are secure- some screw in stainless plugs have an O-ring on them, it could be damaged or missing? Lots of bay and bass boats have big livewells for tournament fishing which have an aerator built in o the circulation pump. If the tube on it becomes dislodged, cut or broken- it'll pump a steady stream into your bilge when in use.
Then, if the problem is not discovered, I'd be looking for possible problems with the hull. 
Just a few ideas...


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## JoshH (Sep 28, 2007)

if you have plastic thru hulls, its those. Also check the fitting your plug screws into (or just pull it out and re 5200 it and re install) Id have at least 2 bilge pumps btw. a boat will always have a little water in the hull, but you seem to have more than just a little.


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## Durham72499 (Jul 15, 2014)

Thanks for all the suggestions. Going to take a hard look before I go out again. I have changed the bilge pump and the float switch. I also really don't like the in the floor live well. I suspect that it may be contributing to my problem. Thanks again.


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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

Close the Seacock and run the boat to get a starting point.


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## Play'N Hooky Too (Sep 29, 2007)

Durham72499 said:


> Thanks for all the suggestions. Going to take a hard look before I go out again. I have changed the bilge pump and the float switch. I also really don't like the in the floor live well. I suspect that it may be contributing to my problem. Thanks again.


 90% of the time it's the live well or one of those plastic thru-hulls that has cracked. Replace the plastic ones with bronze. I know, I know they are expensive, but 10 years from now they will still be solid and you won't be worried about them every time you put the boat in the water. If you look around, you may be able to find someone who has a pile of pre-owned ones that they will let you have for about 1/10th of what they would cost at West Marine.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

The hardest leak I ever had to find on a boat was on a brand new boat that had a water leak in a closet. Since there were no pipes anywhere near the closet and access was limited the problem was compounded. The leak was located under the rub rail where there was a gap in the sealant between the hull and the cap. The water came in from rain/bow splash into the boat running under the rub rail, through the gap in the sealant, and down the contour of the hull and appeared 12 feet away where the closet frame touched the hull/cap seam. Sometimes the leak isn't going to be real obvious and you really have to look for it.


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Unless I'm mistaken, yours is an open transom vessel...vice a euro transom. You could be getting water via a deck plate/hatch located close to the engine.

You could also be getting water coming through the scuppers and then down a deck plate.

This would normally happen while anchored/drifting while fishing since the crew weight would be concentrated aft.

Water should not be coming in the places I mentioned above while running.

Do you have any thru hull transducers? If so, check them.

Also, check in the water inlet for you live well.


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## Starlifter (Feb 24, 2011)

Are they manual or automatic bilge pumps? Automatic bilge pumps cycle to check for water before turning off, and repeat this sequence to keep bilge dry (as in minimal amount of water in bilge).


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## flounderpounder225 (Jan 10, 2008)

found a leak for a friend a few years ago, the PO when installing the Bennett Trim Tabs, did not seal the upper triangular mount, where it screws into the transom, and the Hydraulic Line runs through, it was hard to see because of the location, but that was it. Just another item to check, assuming you have tabs.


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## Deeplines (Sep 28, 2007)

Some areas I have found water coming in over the years. 

1. Top shell came away from hull. (It doesn't take much from stripped screws)
2. Check Valve for on deck discharge no good. 
3. Access cover O-rings worn out.
4. I don't have one but leaking Live Wells.


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## Durham72499 (Jul 15, 2014)

The leak was the plug itself. The fitting was actually loose no sealant around it. Easy fix with 5200 and one size larger screw.


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