1992 Renken 210 B/R 21'

[Gavman04]

I'm providing some pictures. I bought this a few months ago and I noticed some minimal sitting water, I vacuumed it out and tore the carpet up to find there is no drainage in this compartment. Should I drill a hole or how would you guys approach this? Thanks in advance!

 

[arriva2001]

Is this the ski locker in the floor? Usually there is a hole near the back at the bottom that will drain to the bilge. Mine was clogged up and hardly even visible on my boat.

 

[Gavman04]

Yessir, the two pictures are of the ski locker in the floor without the carpet on. There is no drain hole to the bilge that I can see, unless the p.o. fiberglassed over it. I can't see it.

 

[arriva2001]

Boy I wish I could be more help. You might need someone to weigh in who has the same model boat. All boats I am familiar with have open draining all the way from bow to bilge under the floor..that way if you take on water, it eventually flows to the bilge where the pump can pump it out.

I'd be real careful drilling a hole though, because often the fuel tank is right behind it.

I wonder if the PO was "annoyed with their stuff always getting wet down there," in that storage compartment, so sealed it up with a layer of fiberglass. Are you able to get in there with a flashlight to see if you can see a dark hole beneath the glass?

I know I always wished my ski locker would stay dry, but if you get water in the boat, you certainly want the bilge pump to be able to clear it out.

I guess you could either figure out where the drain should go and drill it...or install a bilge pump in there or just manually bail it out if it fills up and air dry it.

Is the compartment sealed in front too? Meaning water from under bow area of the floor can't get in there?

Maybe they rigged it so water under the floor is routed around that compartment and you have nothing to worry about. In that case...just keep it dry in there!

 

[arriva2001]

Just thought of something...is the bottom of that compartment flat? Or is it a "v" shape like the shape of the hull? If it's flat, then it's elevated above the hull and water is going under it to the bilge. So the only way it would get wet in there is if rain or water from Abive dripped in there through the door (does the door have vents in it?)

 

[Mad Props]

Is there a pipe going into the bilge on the bow side of the bilge? If not then my guess is there was never a drain in the ski locker and your kinda stuck the way it is and you'll have to dry it out when your done boating

 

[Gavman04]

"I'd be real careful drilling a hole though, because often the fuel tank is right behind it." You know the question, what's the worst thing that could happen?! well that would've been the worst thing hahaha thank you for bringing that up! I will NOT be drilling.

I'll try the flashlight again, but no I couldn't see anything there.

"Is the compartment sealed in front too? Meaning water from under bow area of the floor can't get in there?" I can't see the front of the locker, it's honestly too dark even with a flashlight.

The floor is flat and NOT a V shape like the hull.

​I'll look for the pipe in the bilge area, but I didn't see one when I did my oil change a few days ago.

 

[arriva2001]

Yeah, drilling a hole in your gas tank wouldn't be a fun way to start the weekend! If it ends up being just a completely sealed compartment and not part of the boat drainage system, then you might just need to dry it out manually after you boat each time. Also, I have found those little moisture eliminators work pretty good at keeping those small compartments dry and not mildewy. Iboats and other places sell them for pretty cheap. http://www.iboats.com/Moisture-Absorber-Damp-Rid/dm/view_id.1184106 But they're a one-time use, so better for when you're going to be storing the boat for awhile.