1989 Sunbird SPL 150, standing water in ski storage compartment

[buddy107]

I have a 1989 Sunbird SPL 150 bowrider. The ski compartment always have standing water (about a couple inches deep), I think the rain water from the whole boat just drain into it. so I drained it with a shop vac, and take some pictures. There's a yellow stick that goes to the bottom of the vertical wall at the end of the compartment. I tried to turn it or push/pull, it doesn't move. There's also some drill holes on the opposite side, I think the standing water line is just under those holes, which suggest it drained through them. But since the holes are high, it doesn't drain completely. What can I do to fix the situation? Does the yellow stick connect to a drain? If so, how do I make it work again? Should I drill another hold lower on the left hand side? Has been reading a lot in the forum, always enjoyed the threads. thanks.

 

[hugh g]

I'm not sure what that line is but it if's a drain it's useless. By the looks of your pic it appears that you'll be replacing your floor soon because the bottom side doesn't look good. I see bare wood which is an invitation to rot.

 

[Nashville]

I have a 1989 Sunbird SPL 150 bowrider. The ski compartment always have standing water (about a couple inches deep), I think the rain water from the whole boat just drain into it. so I drained it with a shop vac, and take some pictures. There's a yellow stick that goes to the bottom of the vertical wall at the end of the compartment. I tried to turn it or push/pull, it doesn't move. There's also some drill holes on the opposite side, I think the standing water line is just under those holes, which suggest it drained through them. But since the holes are high, it doesn't drain completely. What can I do to fix the situation? Does the yellow stick connect to a drain? If so, how do I make it work again? Should I drill another hold lower on the left hand side? Has been reading a lot in the forum, always enjoyed the threads. thanks.


View attachment 344612

Not sure given the break, but the “stick looks like a lot like a fiberglass driveway marker used in the snowy north. Perhaps someone was trying to clear the drain, and it got lodged/stuck. No comment on floor or condition of fiberglass.

 

[buddy107]

I'm not sure what that line is but it if's a drain it's useless. By the looks of your pic it appears that you'll be replacing your floor soon because the bottom side doesn't look good. I see bare wood which is an invitation to rot.

uh-oh. This is my first boat that I got last summer so I don't have much experience. Does the floor supposed to be coated on the under side? I jumped on the floor over the boat when I bot it, no soft spot. Though the end is where the battery and oil tank is so I can't jump on. Hopefully it'll last a couple more years so I can get my money's worth back.

 

[buddy107]

Not sure given the break, but the “stick looks like a lot like a fiberglass driveway marker used in the snowy north. Perhaps someone was trying to clear the drain, and it got lodged/stuck. No comment on floor or condition of fiberglass.

So it's safe for me to try pulling it out as hard I can, right? I am just not sure if this is some build in lever to turn on/off the drain cause it is almost impossible to access it from either side of the drain. if it is just some hack previous owner try to do, then I can pull it out and see if it'll drain better.

 

[Nashville]

So it's safe for me to try pulling it out as hard I can, right? I am just not sure if this is some build in lever to turn on/off the drain cause it is almost impossible to access it from either side of the drain. if it is just some hack previous owner try to do, then I can pull it out and see if it'll drain better.

I don’t know. You’ll have to decide by how it looks in person, feels, etc. I’d sure try to get a close up (picture) of the area with the break to see if it’s something important like electrical, hydraulic, etc. Said differently, is it sheathed? Based on the picture that was posted, it looks like a fiberglass driveway marker to me. Whether it is or isn’t has to be determined by you. Keep in mind, all of us are remote.

 

[Scott Danforth]

keep in mind, your boat is a lat 90's OMC brand boat that had less than stellar build quality back then. the fact that the boat lasted 33 years is amazing. I would expect with that level of mildew, etc. that the standing water is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[buddy107]

I don’t know. You’ll have to decide by how it looks in person, feels, etc. I’d sure try to get a close up (picture) of the area with the break to see if it’s something important like electrical, hydraulic, etc. Said differently, is it sheathed? Based on the picture that was posted, it looks like a fiberglass driveway marker to me. Whether it is or isn’t has to be determined by you. Keep in mind, all of us are remote.

Thank you, appreciate the info (which I forgot to say earlier). I failed to mention that this is an outboard so I can see everything is above the floor at the rear end of the boat, i.e. unlikely something important behind the vertical wall. I opened the littlie access bay just under the outboard and can see the bilge area that is tiny. I don't think I can get to the drain from the bilge side. I was hoping that someone would have a similar boat but I understand I am at my own risk to try to fix it. May just leave it alone and try to enjoy the small boat while I can.

 

[Jimwhall]

You might want to have someone ( a surveyor?) just check it out to make sure everything is safe on that hull. I'm not sure what happens to a boat with bad stringers in rough waves but I'm sure nothing good.

If it's safe but has alot of not super risky rot, well then just enjoy it for what it is and keep it as dry as you can from here on out. Maybe put a few away every month to get another boat....

Agree on the pole likely being a driveway marker. Sometimes people do weird things. My biggest question is if that is really a drain or someone was trying to poke a whole back there to drain water into the bilge.

 

[buddy107]

You might want to have someone ( a surveyor?) just check it out to make sure everything is safe on that hull. I'm not sure what happens to a boat with bad stringers in rough waves but I'm sure nothing good.

If it's safe but has alot of not super risky rot, well then just enjoy it for what it is and keep it as dry as you can from here on out. Maybe put a few away every month to get another boat....

Agree on the pole likely being a driveway marker. Sometimes people do weird things. My biggest question is if that is really a drain or someone was trying to poke a whole back there to drain water into the bilge.

The boat is only used on a small lake. Will keep what you said in mind, surely not going to venture out now .

That sounds like a reasonable guess though you wouldn't think there's no drain at all, that sounds kind of dumb even for a novice like me!!

 

[Jimwhall]

The boat is only used on a small lake. Will keep what you said in mind, surely not going to venture out now .

That sounds like a reasonable guess though you wouldn't think there's no drain at all, that sounds kind of dumb even for a novice like me!!

Well, yes. But....

I'm not the most experienced guy; but it does seem that the boating industry lagged behind the auto industry in terms of build quality and design for some time in the hulls and internals. The wiring on some of the older boats that I worked on looked like it was the stereo wiring done by me in my teens.

 

[buddy107]

Well, yes. But....

I'm not the most experienced guy; but it does seem that the boating industry lagged behind the auto industry in terms of build quality and design for some time in the hulls and internals. The wiring on some of the older boats that I worked on looked like it was the stereo wiring done by me in my teens.

I brought the boat to a marine shop for unrelated reason. Mentioned it to the guy. He concurs with what everyone said in the post. He used a vise to grab it and hammered (pulled) the marker out with a lot of force. Now it drains well.

 

[Nashville]

I brought the boat to a marine shop for unrelated reason. Mentioned it to the guy. He concurs with what everyone said in the post. He used a vise to grab it and hammered (pulled) the marker out with a lot of force. Now it drains well.

The crazy things people do. Lord knows why. Perhaps a small “sauna/hot tub” for the squirrels. A county song comes to mind, people are crazy.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Are those nails protruding down from the deck on the right side of the picture? I'm wondering of someone did a half-a$$ed re-deck over a rotted deck. Given the look of the stringers and bulkheads, I fear you have some bad wood under that fiberglass.

 

[The John]

looks like it could have been a VHF antenna.

 

[hugh g]

Are those nails protruding down from the deck on the right side of the picture? I'm wondering of someone did a half-a$$ed re-deck over a rotted deck. Given the look of the stringers and bulkheads, I fear you have some bad wood under that fiberglass.

Looks like someone tried to nail the floor into the stringer & their aim was off just a bit off. Lol

 

[Scott Danforth]

Are those nails protruding down from the deck on the right side of the picture? I'm wondering of someone did a half-a$$ed re-deck over a rotted deck. Given the look of the stringers and bulkheads, I fear you have some bad wood under that fiberglass.

nah, that is the original staples they were using when they shot the deck back in 1988/1989.