(update) need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

[silveraire]

The boat has a self bailing deck, but it seems lacking. Also, in the bilge area, is has a foamed in gas tank. No pump. It has a half cover that goes over the front part of the bilge, but if I get water in there, there is no way to drain it out while out in the water. Seems like a hazzard.

What do you guys think? remove foam and put in a pump? fully enclose the bilge area??

The self bailing drains on the transom

thanks in advance for any help

chad

 

[jigngrub]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

The boat has a self bailing deck, but it seems lacking. Also, in the bilge area, is has a foamed in gas tank. No pump. It has a half cover that goes over the front part of the bilge, but if I get water in there, there is no way to drain it out while out in the water. Seems like a hazzard.

What do you guys think? remove foam and put in a pump? fully enclose the bilge area??

thanks in advance for any help

chad

I had a nightmare once that looked like that pic!

That is not factory foam, it's foam in a can that someone has squirted in there.

Looks to me like there was a cover for that bilge area at one time.

I'd make another cover for that bilge and dig some of that foam out and see if I could make a working bilge with pump.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

For SURE, that is NOT the way this boat came from the MFG. Where are the Drainage outlets for the deck? That JUNK foam WILL eventually absorb water. ALL of it shuold be removed and the tank should be secured to the hull with mechanical fasteners. Does the bilge have an external drain tube? If not, one should be installed, IMHO as well a bilge pump.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Silver - I'm no expert but I don't think you have a "self-bailing" deck. The drains you arrowed look more like splash well drains and I see no scuppers for deck draining. Typically self draining decks don't have an open bilge. You need a bilge pump.

 

[silveraire]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

ga, the drains that the arrows are pointing at are right on the deck level. the splashwell drain is dead center under the motor and can't bee seen in that pick. As far as scuppers go, the drain holes are about 3" above water level when in the water, but I am planing on installing scuppers in their place once I get this all figured out.

chad

 

[silveraire]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

here is an update. Foam and tank is out and this is what I have.

Red arrow is only drain from this box area. The drain is below water line.(is this a bilge area?)

Red arrows drain from deck surface. Above water line.
black arrow drains from splash well(hidden)
green arrow drains from the box where foam and tank was. Below water line.
yellow arrow drains from below deck and the box. Can't be seen when standing on the deck.

now I'm really confused. need help on this one.

chad

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Hello chad ..

The yellow one is your Bilge drain.

The green one is below the water line and drains from your fuel tank compartment .. hmm..

Can you tell if its factory looking ( Sleeved or something ) ?

One thing for sure..glad you took that foam and tank out

YD.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

It appears to me that the PO built a FALSE bilge area and created another drain tube for it. (Green Arrow) the Yellow Arrow, is and should be the Original Drain tube for the Orginal Bilge. The PO probably/Hopefully permanently plugged this when he created that False bilge for the Tank. If she were mine, I' remove the bottom of that box and see what lies below. Take some pics so WE can SEE TOO!!!!

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Kinda looks like that dont it Woody..

They shoulda drilled that compartment into the bilge and not out the back ( Ill bet the PO didnt realize how far Down he was drilling ) .

YD.

 

[silveraire]

Re: (update) need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

so, would it be safe to mount a large fuel tank in the box, and put a cover over it? Replacing the small drains(red arrows) with larger scuppers? That would leave me with no bilge pump. Guess I'm looking for alternatives before I go tearing up a pretty solid hull.

chad

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: (update) need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Problem is You could have water collecting in the REAL bilge underneath the FALSE bilge where the TANK is sitting. IMHO this is not a very good setup. I guess I'm going to agree with you and say to go ahead and Install a bilge pump and port it out the drain in the false bilge. Not an ideal setup but it should ensure that if any water gets into the bilge, the pump should take care of it. Maybe some others will chime in here.

 

[silveraire]

Re: (update) need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

wood, you are right. Didn't think of water under the false floor. I'm going to put a little more though into it, but it seems that a tearout may be in order. hmmm...... Or maybe juat a small access hole or hatch to get a pump in??

chad

 

[chrisp929]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

It appears to me that the PO built a FALSE bilge area and created another drain tube for it. (Green Arrow) the Yellow Arrow, is and should be the Original Drain tube for the Orginal Bilge. The PO probably/Hopefully permanently plugged this when he created that False bilge for the Tank. If she were mine, I' remove the bottom of that box and see what lies below. Take some pics so WE can SEE TOO!!!!

Exactly what he said. Complete tear out i feel is most certainly warranted.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Been Thinkin, Uh Oh that could be dangerous!!!! How bout Tearing out the bottom of the box, fabricating a basket weave kinda floor for it so you could SEE down into th bilge, install a bilge pump and port it out to the splash well. You could then fill the Green Drain hole completely. Like I said JUST THINKIN!!!!

 

[silveraire]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Hmmm........

 

[ezmobee]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Been Thinkin, Uh Oh that could be dangerous!!!!

Hmmm........

oh no, it looks like the two of you are thinking simultaneously. This will not end well!

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

here is an update. Foam and tank is out and this is what I have.

Red arrow is only drain from this box area. The drain is below water line.(is this a bilge area?)

Red arrows drain from deck surface. Above water line.
black arrow drains from splash well(hidden)
green arrow drains from the box where foam and tank was. Below water line.
yellow arrow drains from below deck and the box. Can't be seen when standing on the deck.

now I'm really confused. need help on this one.

chad

Okies Chad..here is the deal ..the aft deck has been Modded..

From your pics..you have this Hole ( green arrow if im not mistaken ) for this Fuel tank compartment ..that is Below the waterline and was until recently foamed in. That HOLE is Below the waterline..meaning its taking ON water and not Draining..right. So basically somebody built a compartment for a perm fuel tank and drilled a "Drain" hole that Im sure he didnt realize it was Below waterline.

Your GREEN hole in the trans has to be filled and sealed.

I would NOT fill your fuel tank compartment with foam..strap that puppy in there and have a Drain hole on the back end going to your Bilge.

If your deck is getting water ( from cleaning/washing/rain ) its going to get into that fuel tank compartment because its NOT glassed/encapsulated or sealed off . You have to drain it into the Main Bilge.

Seal off that Green arrow hole ..Glass it.

Your fuel tank drains into the Bilge ( dont foam your tank in..its not That big ).

You can install a bilge pump if you like..but if your not "welling" and not having your boat to a constant A/C or D/C source for that pump to run .. your kinda pissin in the wind.

YD.

 

[silveraire]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

I found out a little also. I talked to the po. he had a few rod holders that he forgot to give me. all the drain holes in the back have brass?? sleves that fit a standard plug. When he ran the boat, he had a plug in the bilge drain(yellow arrow) and the drain that comes from the fuel tank compartment(green arrow). All others were open. When he got the boat, there was no foam in the box with the tank. Just a tank and a bilge pump. The tank wasn't mounted and slid around so he foamed it in to keep it from moving. He also removed the bilge pump. He said it never worked and that very little water ever got in there. He just drained what little got in there at the end of the day when the boat was out of the water. I didn't have the nerve to ask him what the hell he was thinking, lol. The fasle bottom is factory from what he was told from the first owner.

chad

 

[silveraire]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

I just talked to a friend of mine, he is going to lend me an inspection camera(can't remember the real name) Its a small video camera on the end of a flexible 2ft long tube with a light on it. We are going to feed that sucker up the bilge hole and see whats under there. Then I will decide if, when, and what to cut out to get a proper bilge area. If I can by chance save images, I will post them here.

chad

 

[silveraire]

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

Re: need help with boat drainage? (foam in bilge???) W/ pic

well, we just used the scope tonight to see up in the bilge area. I believe I can confirm the po's word that the false floor where the gas tank was is original to the boat. Atleast thats what it looks like from the way its glassed. scope could not take pics so I don't have any to share. there is a center stringer all the way back to the transom, with about a 2 inch round cutout right at the bilge drain. It seems that the builder was not worried about water down there????

From checking over the boat, it seems that the only way that water can get under the floor is through the anchor locker or the two storage compartments in the bow. If I put hatches over them, it would all but eliminate water under the floor. I could then mount a bilge pump in the far rear of the compartment behind the gas tank on the false floor for back up drainage. Still doesn't take care of the small amount of water that is in the bilge, but it seems that it will be a small enough amount that it just could be drained after we pull the boat out of the water. That still also doesn't help if I would hit something and get water under the floor, and with a hull with no foam, she's going down fast. Hmmm..... still confused. What was the builder thinking about water drainage when he designed this boat??

chad