www.iFourWinns.com

i have a 1985 sundowner 225 that is in great shape, but it seems to hold rain water by the ton that the bilge doesn't get to and the water stays in there until I get it on the ramp and pull the plug. Since I keep it docked and stored at the marina, I downshifted vehicle size and have to get a buddy to pull it out for a few minutes. This leads to two questions.
1). Why won't the bilge get all the water out, where does the water go?
2). Any ideas on how to either keep the water from getting in there or get it out while it is still docked.?

The bilge gets most water out, and when I look in the engine compartment, there's very little. It takes the water a while to build up to the point of affecting performance, couple months if there were some really good storms, half a year if it stays pretty much dry.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

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you can use my toilet, but you're pumping it out when we get back.

maybe the bilge inlet isnt low enough in the bilge, and thus doesnt completely drain it all.

boat covers do a great job in keeping water out

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I had a similar problem with my 1988 205 last season. Heavy rains early in the season got into the forward bilge, and even draining it on a trailer didn't 100% solve the problem.

At least on my 205, it seems that a level boat does not allow any water that gets in under the cockpit floor or under the cabin to naturally flow back to the bilge under the engine (where it can be pumped out). I had a perpetually wet cabin floor all last summer -- I could never manage to get all the water out. The drain hole from the forward bilges is only around 3/4-inch diameter, and is not at the very bottom.

This year, even though we've had a lot of rain (and we're still waiting for Summer to actually arrive) up where I live (northern New England), religious use of the boat cover and keeping the boat trailer well elevated in the front have given me a dry floor and a dry bilge.

I know you can't elevate the boat (though I found that getting out there and playing around with quick acceleration, quick stops and fast runs will help push some of the water back), but use of a boat cover might really help a lot.

David C

Bilges aren't designedt to be dry. That's an old wives tale. If you trailer than removing the plug is the best you can do and letting the remainder dry up. If you slip the boat, a touch of water will most likely present. As long as you don't have a leak an the pump cycles, that's about the best you can do.

A little water in normal.

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Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"