Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

[Cofresea the Pirate]

Have a 1988 Chaparral 235 XLC with a Mercruiser 5.7 L enigne and a Alpha One outdrive. It is on a trailer. Took it out on the water today (ocean) and when we got back notices about 2 feet of water in the cuddy cabin and about 1 foot of water in the enigne compartment. Any ideas on what might be causing this? Just bought the boat last month. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

Any ideas on what might be causing this?

Ayuh,... The boat has a Leak,+ No bilge pump....

You need to repair or replace the bilge pump,+ Find the Leak...

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

Start the engine on a flusher and look for water leaking in the engine compartment.If nothing check the drive shaft and shift cable bellows for holes.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

I am with Bondo on this one.
could be an engine leak,transome assy leak or a thru hull fitting leak and your bilge pump automatic is missing or broke.

 

[Cofresea the Pirate]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

Thanks for all the info..we will check all suggested items. The automatic float on the bilge does need to be replaced but I am not sure if it is missing or not.
Thanks again...

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

You took your boat out on the ocean & you don't know the ins & outs of your bilge pump? That is a recipe for disaster. I don't know what you have for a pump, but I hope it's not one of those chintzy 500 g.p.h. pumps that are stock on most trailer boats. Considering that you use your boat on the ocean, you need the biggest bilge pump that u can fit in your engine compartment. 1500 g.p.h. minimum, which if you're lucky will actually pump half of that.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

Two feet of water in the boat is not a bilge pump issue. Your boat is sinking!!!
Although bilge pumps are crucial, you need to first focus on water coming in; if you can't fix that, forget the bilge pump, junk the boat.
It is not a little drip in a through hull here.
Remember the hurricane thread and the weight of 2 feet of water?

 

[Cofresea the Pirate]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

my mistake on the amount of water...it was about 3 inches in both locations...

 

[cr2k]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

Which is it 2 feet or 3 inches? Big difference there.

 

[Cofresea the Pirate]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

It was 3 inches and not 2 feet of water. I agree, big difference...

 

[Cofresea the Pirate]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

Turned out one of the problems was that the boot that covers the shift cable was torn apart. Something the mechanic we took it to did not catch Got it fixed as well as a few other things. Taking it out tomorrow...crossing fingers.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

You took your boat out on the ocean & you don't know the ins & outs of your bilge pump? That is a recipe for disaster. I don't know what you have for a pump, but I hope it's not one of those chintzy 500 g.p.h. pumps that are stock on most trailer boats. Considering that you use your boat on the ocean, you need the biggest bilge pump that u can fit in your engine compartment. 1500 g.p.h. minimum, which if you're lucky will actually pump half of that.

I disagree. He needs TWO of them!

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

Considering that you use your boat on the ocean, you need the biggest bilge pump that u can fit in your engine compartment. 1500 g.p.h. minimum, which if you're lucky will actually pump half of that.

Does a boat sink faster in the ocean ?

2 feet of water in the cuddy cabin and about 1 foot of water in the enigne compartment. Any ideas on what might be

Sounds like your cuddy is the lower than the engine compartment and there should be a blige pump in there as well.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

Considering that you use your boat on the ocean, you need the biggest bilge pump that u can fit in your engine compartment. 1500 g.p.h. minimum, which if you're lucky will actually pump half of that.

Does a boat sink faster in the ocean ?

No, but taking on water is often more of a problem (think bigger waves, the Great Lakes notwithstanding), and help may be farther away.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

We know what you meant, I was just being fecitious lolo.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

Well, ya never can tell! Some may have taken your question as indicating there is no need for an effective "dewatering" system.

"lolo" ?

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

No, but taking on water is often more of a problem (think bigger waves, the Great Lakes notwithstanding), and help may be farther away.

And it don't take long for a trailer boat to fill up with water. One of those rinky dink 500 g.p.h. pumps are about as much use as a straw hat in a blizzard. But they do make a good paper weight. BoatUS did a story a few years ago on bilge pumps & really took boat manufacturers to task for putting that crap in their boats.

 

[grego]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

Have never done this! people say that if you find a lot of water inside hull, to pull the drain plug and throttle up to full power. when you get close to shore replace drain plug and trailer your boat. This makes sense to me!! water will be pulled from hull and give you a chance to save sinking boat.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Water in engine compartment and cuddy cabin

Have never done this! people say that if you find a lot of water inside hull, to pull the drain plug and throttle up to full power. when you get close to shore replace drain plug and trailer your boat. This makes sense to me!! water will be pulled from hull and give you a chance to save sinking boat.

may be hard to do in an inboard but if you can reach it- I have done it plenty with out boards.