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I boat mostly on Lake st clair in MI, 27 years old and first time boat owner but experienced boater... PICS to come everyone! Also just signed up on here today so nice to meet everyone. so anyways here's my problem lol


my 1998 Sundowner 205 was getting dirty water in the port side cabin under seat. In the very front of these compartments are hole a little larger then a golf ball, so I placed a rope down there and when I pulled it out the rope was wet. So there is water in my hull towards the bow but no water is draining to the back. Ive never had water in the bilge area. The anchor locker looks good and I cant find anywhere that the water would be getting in. Also how do I go about getting the water out. Besides that hole in the seat cabinet there is no way that I know of accessing the hull. I even took the from bow wall off where the speakers are and its just a wood wall. I need to start with getting the water out. Shouldn't the water be traveling to the bilge if there is that much in the front? also the boat is in immaculate condition and always stored inside on rack storage.

please help

Welcome! Im liking all the Sundowner owners that have been joining lately. We have to catch up to the Horizon and Vista guys ya know....

Your problem is most likely water seeping in from the anchor locker. The anchor locker will "look" ok, but that is because all the water is in your cabin and the crack(s) in the seam will be too small to see. It was a common problem in boats of the 90's vintage. The easiest way to fix it is to caulk the seam area on the inside of the anchor locker. To get the water out of the cabin compartment, you could pump it out with a small pump and hose like you can get at any auto parts store, or a hand operated bilge pump.

Now there is a chance that the water could be getting in from the port side cabin porthole. Is there any dampness or water stains on the sides of the cabin?

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

There is never any water inside the cabin except for in the spots mentioned. Carpet is never wet neither are the cushions. Only a little water in the under seat storage and like I said when I run a rope down the hole in there the rope gets wet. Shouldn't that water be running back and draining out on its own? I'm gonna try and syphon the water out tomorrow with a hose through the hole I put the rope in but in assuming I'm not going to be able to access enough of the water that's down there. It will be hard to get a hose down to the lowest point where the water might be.

There should be a drainhole in the forward most bulkhead under the deck, right behind the steps where the portapotty is stowed. When you try to pump the water out, crank your trailer jack all the way down (putting the bow low to ground). This might make any water go forward and be easier to get at.

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Ill give that a try but there's never been water near that drain and the water level is higher then it. Is it possible that the hull in the front of the boat is section off blocking the water in?

Could be, or there could be a drainhole in that v-berth area that is plugged with crud, preventing the water from draining all the way back to bilge too. I have been lucky to never have any water in that area, so I haven't really poked and prodded around too much in there to see.

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Be sure to use 3m 5200 Marine sealant to caulk around the back of the anchor locker. This stuff is nearly impossible to remove and will seal the leak permanently. Home Depot tub and tile sealer will not do the job. I had the same problem and lightly sanded around the area I wanted to reseal and never had a leak since. My 2006 boat was delivered with water in the under seat compartments so the anchor locker was messed up at the factory.

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2006 Sundowner 255, 5.7 GXi, 320 hp
"Simply Irresistible"

Update....

So I was looking at the front tow hook eye and saw there was slight erosion around the sides. Sealed all that up, syphoned the water out of the hole with a hose I could get down there. Haven't seen water since. I think problem is solved.

Hmmm, interesting...I guess technically that is a "hole" in the bow (the boweye bolts), and if it was leaking, the water would end up where your was. Good catch, will file that away for places to look if I get water in my cuddy. Glad it worked for ya!!

Oh, where's the pics of your boat??

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Hope you got to the bottom of the water leak, quite fun to read the updates. Welcome to the forum