Water in bilge

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edwardz71

Cadet
Joined
Apr 28, 2013
Messages
14
1986 Hydra-sports x270 getting about 2 gallons of water in bilge after around 3 hours fishing, Is this normal for a boat this age or something I need to worry about? It has a 1978 mercury 1150 on it and runs about 45 mph. I'm new to bass boats and the forum.



Thanks Edward
 
spoilsofwar

spoilsofwar

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jun 29, 2011
Messages
1,124
Re: Water in bilge

Its not normal for a fiberglass boat of any age.. Its leaking water somewhere. Could be a livewell, thru-hull fitting, the cap to hull union, or elsewhere. The thing with leaks is, they never get any better with time. So 2 gallons in 3 hours now could stay that way indefinitely, or could be 20 gallons in 3 hours later. I'd isolate the source of the water and go from there.
 
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UncleWillie

Captain
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Oct 18, 2011
Messages
3,995
Re: Water in bilge

There should Be Zero water in the bilge, unless there is a valid reason for the water in the bilge.

Splash, Spray, Spills, etc. are valid Reasons.
Water appearing without a reason need to be resolved, not ignored!
 
BonairII

BonairII

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Jun 7, 2011
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2,727
Re: Water in bilge

Is the boat new to you? Or have you owned it for awhile?
 
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edwardz71

Cadet
Joined
Apr 28, 2013
Messages
14
Re: Water in bilge

Boat is new to me, got it in April, been on lake probably 5 times.
 
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Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
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May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: Water in bilge

one major source for low freeboard boats is under the splash rail; seal it with silicone and see what happens.
 
metriccrescentwrench

metriccrescentwrench

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Oct 22, 2007
Messages
2,598
Re: Water in bilge

Home Cookin' said:
one major source for low freeboard boats is under the splash rail; seal it with silicone and see what happens.
Click to expand...

Very true, continuous spray and splashing on the underside of the rubrail can let water work it's way in if the rubrail isn't sealed. Instead of silicone (which always seems to come loose after a year or two) I'd suggest PL polyurethane door/window caulk. You can get it in either black or white, and it will last forever.
 
BonairII

BonairII

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2,727
Re: Water in bilge

edwardz71 said:
Boat is new to me, got it in April, been on lake probably 5 times.
Click to expand...

I asked because I was wondering if the leak is new....or it's possibly the PO has had the problem for awhile.

Def going to be a good idea to thoroughly inspect the transom for rot......and/or have the boat weighed to find out if it's waterlogged.

Ived got some major leakage now myself, but my boat's aluminum.....so water aint gonna hurt it.
 
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edwardz71

Cadet
Joined
Apr 28, 2013
Messages
14
Re: Water in bilge

Thanks guys I will seal the splash guard. from looking underneath the splash rail, it definitely needs to be resealed.
 
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edwardz71

Cadet
Joined
Apr 28, 2013
Messages
14
Re: Water in bilge

I did some exploring in the yard with the boat today, I sealed the splash rail up around the boat, I then filled the boat with water to check for any cracks or leaks in the hull, and thank God there were none. I filled the bilge up till it was coming up the sides of the batteries so I can feel pretty safe saying the hull is tight. The water had to be coming in from the splash rails or the quick stops and running in the back around the top of transom. I hope to put it on lake tomorrow and see what happens.
 
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