[Standing Room Only]

I have a 1976 18' SeaCraft -- and it has the same issue. When I first bought the boat, I spoke with an old dealer. Seems the early 18' had a deck that was about 2-3" below the waterline. So -- ANY water coming in through the rear well will have a tendency to get on the deck. Now, this is more than inconvenient because you can start getting water in the bilge a whole lot faster than you want.

Before my restore, I got rid of the splashwell cover and put a permanent Lexan splashboard, with a hinged part about 15" up from the bottom to allow for motor tilt. I sealed this so no water could come in. Then, I put drain holes and plugs so if needed, I could go on plane and get some drain going . If it was real bad, just swing the hinge down and let the water spill out the back. We called this the 'aquarium' because offshore, it pretty much stayed filled with water. I also had a 2000 gph bilge pump. The bilge access should be PERMANENTLY sealed with a lexan fitting sitting in Silicone or 3M 4000.

Now, on the redo, I've put in an ABI hatch to seal access to the bilge, but allow easier access than unscrewing a bunch of screws. I'll send you a picture if you want. I now have a 3700 GPH rule and a 1500 rule for backup. On the 18', good pumps are mandatory. I'm putting up the same 'aquarium', but using starboard this time. I hate water on my feet, and those little drains wouldn't do any more than what I have done to help drain.

In case you haven't already fixed -- the stern boxes should also be sealed in some fashion. I use a cam latch/lexan/gasket material. Had the boat 2 weeks and almost sank it because the lower lip of those boxes is EXACTLY at the waterline lever -- so, water coming in got straight in the bilge. Also be sure to seal the engine well's control cable entry point. This also almost sank my boat after I first got it.

Don't mean to scare you -- the boat is AWESOME - better riding than the 20' (in my opinion)...but, they acquired a reputation as 'Sink Craft' because of some of the issues I've pointed out. You can fix these easily, as I and others have.