Re: Scupper valve ?
Hi there,
Any one have any knowledge with scupper valves?
I have an 85 Sport Craft 205 OSFF with a 4cyl. stern drive, and the scupper valves seem to be at the water line and let small amount of water in, enough to power the bilge pump every 15 min.
Any input would be greatly appreciated!
I have a similar boat, an '84 Sportcraft 222 OSFF, and a neighbor of mine also has a 222, but his is an '86. It seems this boat sits low in the stern naturally. The actual waterline near the transom is about 2" above the top of the waterline stripe they put on at the factory. However, neither of ours is low enough to have water coming in through the scuppers during normal operation. You can sort of make out the shadow of my scupper, and the distance from the water (stain) in this pic;
As you can see, there is a decent distance, about 3" or so. Based on what you're saying, I think you have a problem with something else, which is causing your stern to sit low enough to allow water intrusion. See if you can access any flotation foam (good luck, I can't in mine without cutting something open), and make sure your livewells are empty. Check everything you can think of for water retention.
How does the water coming into cockpit drains get into the bilge?
That's a good question. Assuming the design of his boat is the same as mine, either he is taking on lots of water, or their is something missing/removed around the doghouse that would allow for the water to access the bilge. On mine, there is a 1"+/- wood (teak?) trim piece around the engine compartment that acts as a dam.
If your bilge pump is coming on every 15 minutes, I'd also check the bellows, and check the hull as a precaution.