How much water in the blge is "normal"?

aldo · #1 01-10-2009, 09:27 AM

I've had my 23 inboard for many years and always have water in the bilge. The last owner told me he had that also, and my marina friend told me to expect that on an inboard with such a deep V. After reading Bitsamonkeys story I hope I haven't been getting too used to it.
Anyway, when I'm running the bilge pump goes off every half hour or so for a few minutes. At the dock I can expect it to go off at least once a day.
I'm looking to find out if this is normal or how to tell where the water is coming from. The shaft drips about one drop per minute as expected and I can't see water coming from any other location. I can see the inlet hose and fittings, the transducer, the plug, the shaft, and the rudder. I could not see the muffler without taking the floor out.
I have checked every visible opening after completely drying out the bilge with a wet vacuum, and still see no aparant signs of water coming in. 24 hours later I will be able to pump out at least another 5 gallons.
One suggestion was to fill the bilge with water from the inside when she's on land and check the bottom but I'm not too keen on that idea. The engine is low in the bilge.
Any thought from the experts would be appreciated!
Am I being paranoid?

Jon G · #2 01-11-2009, 12:05 AM

Fred, that sounds like you may be getting a little to much water in there, granted its an inboard but five gallons a day is a bit much on a 23 foot boat with a single shaft. I would try to track it down even if you have to fill it from the inside as best you can. I have an outboard so I am used to a DRY bilge, any water would be to much for me but given that its an inboard water in the bilge is a fact of life, how much I am just not sure about. You should at least track down how its getting in there, if its anywhere other than your shaft its un acceptable and needs to be stopped. Does the rudder have adjustable packing? Good luck Jon.

seafari25 · #3 01-11-2009, 12:37 AM

Fred,

I was going to suggest around the rudder as well. The Seafari(I\O) doesn't get any water in the bilge unless I put it there but my old wooden lobster boat has been leaking pretty good around the rudder. My pump runs every half hour at the wharf and more when I'm running but of course, it's an old wooden boat and if it wasn't leaking, I'd get worried

Doesn't sound like you have a major problem, sounds like you'd have a better chance of finding the leak while running though.

Blue197320 · #4 01-11-2009, 12:54 AM

i have a leak in my boat. well 1 for sure i know where it is but its above the water line so its not a big deal. my other one i think is coming from the livewell thru hull. there is some water in the bilge at the end of the day but i usually will just bump the pump to "on" for a few seconds and look to see if water is coming out. if nothing i turn it off and put it back to auto.

aldo · #5 01-11-2009, 11:37 AM

Thanks for the input guys. I forgot to mention that I do have access to the rudder and it is dry. Any thoughts on how to track down the leak?

htillman · #6 01-11-2009, 01:05 PM

I would look in the area the bilge pump is located and see if over time, someone had drilled through the bottom of the boat when they installed a replacement bilge pump. This happened to a friend of mine, he noticed the drip whenever he put his boat in his boat slings.

Gary Hill · #7 01-11-2009, 01:16 PM

Fred, I also have a inboard and also get water in the bilge when running. I keep thinking about the muffler also, redid some work on it (muffler) when I repowered a couple years ago. I haven't looked under it when running, but did not feel any dampness, was thinking about a inspection mirror to also look. Ken (FELLOW SHIP) has sealed his hatches with a TACO brand weatherstrip. I don't ever remembering when I didn't have some water in the bilge.

aldo · #8 01-11-2009, 08:43 PM

Thank you both for the feed back. The bilge pumps are both on brackets hung from stringers so there's no chance of being through the hull.

Also, thanks Gary, as I was anxious to hear from some inboard guys. I also did some muffler work and mine appears as dry as could be, at least as far as I can see. Maybe it is just an inherent thing with the inboards. There were so few made and so few around I would love to hear from the others who have them.

finestkind · #9 01-12-2009, 03:18 AM

I'm no expert at all but I'd have to say from experience make sure your battery doesn't die if she's on a moring!!!! You'll end up going down on a nice relaxing day to go fishing and have one heck of a problem on your hands wrecking your nice relaxing day!! Good Luck!!

MasterBaiter · #10 01-12-2009, 02:03 PM

I have had my inboard for only a few months. I can tell you I don't get near the water you do. My bilge pump goes every two or three days. In my limited experience with my 23, if you seem to get more water when running check the stuffing box when running maybe the torque (whatever the force is called) from the prop is flexing the shaft enough to allow water by. In my boat I have to plug the scuppers when underway to keep water out. If yours is the same way maybe its draining through the deck seam. Try plugging the scuppers from the bottom on your next trip to rule out all scupper possibilities.

Just a few thoughts.