water in cuddy cabin storage compartments

diver · **Posted:** Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:01 pm

I have a 2002 205 Sundowner. Experiencing water (about the colour of coca cola) in the small storage compartments below the port and starboard cushions in the cuddy cabin. I have dryed the compartments twice however still getting water (same colour) in the port side. Almost as if coming from another area in the hull where water has been trapped for some time. Boat is not stored in the water. Also getting clean water in the bilge but assuming simply rain water and some from rough water boating. Other than the water issue, love the boat. Anyone having the same issue.

Ken

Obie · **Posted:** Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:36 pm

I had the same problem. The water is likely coming from the anchor locker. The seal between the hull and the back plate of the anchor locker leaked in my boat which allowed water to enter the center storage compartment and then leak into the adjacent storage compartments. The problem can be solved by running a heavy caulking bead of a marine sealant such as 3M5200 around the entire joint with the hull. By the way, the anchor locker on the 255 does not fully drain because the drain holes are too high.

diver · **Posted:** Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:58 pm

I will check that out. Thanks for the quick response.

firecadet613 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:10 pm

Obie, where exactly is the joint you speak of where you put the caulk?

Swansea · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2008 12:52 pm

I had same problem - I discovered about a litre of water in the front storage compartment - same solution, just caulk where the locker joins the hull, and problem solved

klpjr77 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:04 am

I have an 02 245 Sundowner, same problem, are you saying cock from inside the anchor locker or from under the front compartent from the inside of the cuddy? Don't know which is more accessible?

plmskier · **Joined:** Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:43 pm **Posts:** 18

I need to do this on my new boat. Can anyone tell me what is easier to caulk. From inside the anchor locoker or by removing the cabin bow wall to access the back of the anchor locker?

NiagaraChillin · **Posted:** Thu Jul 11, 2013 4:40 pm

Welcome! I gather since you posted in this thread you have a Sundowner? Introduce yourself, what kinda SD do ya have? Where ya boat at?

Oh, and caulk the inside the anchor locker, make sure its nice and dry first. While your in there poke something thru the drain hole at the bottom, these sometimes get gunked up.

plmskier · **Joined:** Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:43 pm **Posts:** 18

LOL Sorry! I'm Paul from Vermont and boat on Lake Champlain! I have a 2005 225 sundowner w/ 5.0 270hp volvo sx drive.

I looked in the anchor locker and it is completely sealed from what I can see, no cracks or crevesas for water so it's unclear. The two drain holes are open and I see day light coming in from inside the anchor locker. I am at a loss. Water only fills up the port side seat compartment. Unless there is a fine crack I am not seeing in the anchor locker...I will pull out all of the line and fill with water hose and see if anything comes in the seat compartment...

NiagaraChillin · **Posted:** Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:39 am

plmskier wrote:

Unless there is a fine crack I am not seeing in the anchor locker

Yep, thats usually what happens. The reason you want don't want to caulk from the cabin side is that water can get trapped in the bulkhead fiberglass/wood and potentially start to rot. Caulking from the locker side stops water from seeping in.

mttpalmer · **Posted:** Mon Jul 15, 2013 3:27 pm

Paul,

I'm a fellow Sundowner owner on Champlain! I had the same issue and discovered it was due to storing the boat slightly bow down. If you have the factory cover, it allows rain to enter the boat through the engine hatch hinge and side storage lockers. That water then hits the ledge inside the bilge on the port side (where your water tank sits, at least mine does). If the boat isn't slightly bow-up, the water that hits this ledge will run to the front of the boat on the port side, along the bench in the cuddy, and fill up the storage compartments stern to bow. It can eventually run all the way to the front compartment and around to the starboard side compartments if you get enough water, which could easily have happened this summer.

I posted about this last year: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=9951&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Since my boat is stored on a rack, I had them adjust the rails to angle the bow up a little more - problem solved. I also replaced my spent factory cover on a custom job that covers up the entry points for water around the engine hatch and lockers.

Raft61 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 16, 2013 5:39 am

Hi Paul,

I too had the same problem with my 2005 Sundowner. It's due to a very similar problem mttpalmer mentions above.

In my case I found that the problem was due to the short drain hoses from the "wet-locker" (the locker on the transom above the engine compartment). The port side drain hose drains water straight onto the port side shelf (where the water-tank and battery is). The hose is very short and can just be seen sticking out past the engine soundproofing under the engine cover when the engine cover is raised.

If the boat is slightly Bow-down the water on this port-side shelf flows forward along the shelf, under the cockpit seats/floor, onto the cabin seat, through the carpet and into the port side underseat locker.

Even if/when the boat is stored Bow-up, the water will still collect at the stern of the shelf until the Bow is lowered (usually when hitching trailer onto vehicle or put into the water) at which time the water then runs forward. I sometimes would leave home with dry under-seat locker in the cabin only to find water in it when I got to the boat ramp.

I found the problem one day when I used a hose to clean out the wet-locker and ended up with a bucket full of water in the underseat storage locker in the cabin.

My fix was to run longer drain hose from the locker right down into the bilge so that water never drained directly onto the port-side shelf (Note: while there are drains on both sides of the wet-locker, the starboard side drain drops water directly into the bilge anyway due to it's location). Just have to cable tie the hose into place so that it doesn't cause any problem when the engine hatch is raised/lowered. I don't know why these hoses weren't made longer in the first place.

Haven't had water in the cabin underseat storage compartment since.

Good luck - Ric

plmskier · **Joined:** Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:43 pm **Posts:** 18

Hi Mttpalmer! Thanks for the info. I'm in Shelburne Bay! Where do you boat?

Raft61, Since you added the port side drain hose to the engine hatch locker, have you had any water in your cuddy? Do you have a picture of the hose setup? How did you hook the hose into the drain? Is is just pressure fitted?

I took my anchor and line out and honestly I don't see any way the water is going through. I pulled the drain holes and filled the locker with a hose and waited for the water and I didn't see anything. So maybe it is the engine hatch storage drains??

I agree, this is a nice boat and all but the people who designed it were careless. NEVER drain any water into the boat. And the anchor drains, what a joke, way to high.

Paul

Raft61 · **Posted:** Sun Jul 28, 2013 4:25 am

Hi plmskier,

Haven't had any water in the cabin when I hose out the wet-locker anymore. Hose seems to have fixed that.

The hose is press-fit. I used some 8mm PVC tubing (no ide what that is in US size), and ran it into the bilge. Used cable-ties to keep it in place and to alow the engine hatch to open and close fully. Pics attached:

Press-fit connector (I used 8mm PVC tubing)

PVC tubing cable-tied so it drains into the bilge (but allows hatch to open/close)

However I have found that the engine hatch gutter on the port side also drains onto the shelf instead of into the bilge (can see where the gutter drains off in the pictures below). If I run water along the gap of the port side engine hatch the gutter fills and empties onto that same shelf. I plan to run a small piece of square conduit from under the hatch gutter drain on that port side and direct the run-off into the bilge too. That should fix all the leaks. I'll post some photo's once it's done.

Pic showing where PVC tube runs. Note: Can also see the engine hatch gutter and how it also drains onto the same shelf at that port stern side...

Cheers - Ric

plmskier · **Joined:** Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:43 pm **Posts:** 18

Looks nice. I'll have to check to see if I have that fitting. I'm sure I can figure something out. I was also thinking what if I were to run a small bead of caulking on the shelf on the front side of the water tank (closest to the seating) so that if any water trys to go that way it is blocked and directed into the bildge? Thoughts?

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water in cuddy cabin storage compartments

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