www.iFourWinns.com

I have a 1999 Sundowner 205. I bought it used about a year ago. The floor carpet in the cuddy seems to get wet quite easily and stay wet. I do keep the boat outside during the summer months with a mooring cover on it, which I just recently waterproofed hoping that would help. I'm guessing the water is from rain water entering the boat and not some type of transfer from the bilge area. I've had to shop vac the carpet several times just to dry it out. Is this a common problem that I have to live with or is there a drain somewhere that could be blocked? Any advice would be great.

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Phil

1999 Vista 258 5.7 GSi, SX outdrive
2001 GMC Sierra 2500HD

The hatch on my 2004 245 was not well fitted and let in water; not enough to get the carpet wet though , just enough to get mildew on the roof lining seams. What others have reported is that the seam between the anchor locker and cuddy was the source of water getting in.

Graham

I've not had the cuddy carpet wet before. Do you have the in-floor cooler/ski locker? Mine has a plug that drains into the bilge. I think I saw a hole at the rear floor of the cuddy that I assumed drained into the same area.

I had to seal the anchor locker to cuddy seams. My under seat storage area would get wet after the rain.

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Terry
Current: 07 Crownline 255 CCR cuddy - 350 Mag MPI/B3 "Casi Cielo"

Previous:97 245 Sundowner 5.7GI/SX

Tow vehicle: 1986 GMC 2500 Camper Special 454/TH400

Common thing if you do not angle up the bow while on the trailer. I mean way up! Also, areas that can leak, but will be easily tested are the hatch seal above the cuddy and the anchor locker. Run a hose and see if they are both sealed up. If so, I bet it is the angle of the trailer. My carpet always seemed to get wet before I cranked up the jack.

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Gary & Diane
1996 Sundowner 245
Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

I don't have any under floor storage or cooler. I back my trailer up the driveway so the rear of the boat is naturally higher so I'll try really cranking up the bow end. I just cleaned out the anchor locker and the drain hole was not working well until after I cleaned it out so it's possible that could have been a source. I'll check to see if the seams are sealed well.

Is there a drain hole or something that allows water to flow from behind the port-a-potti to the cuddy floor carpet when the bow is low?

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Phil

1999 Vista 258 5.7 GSi, SX outdrive
2001 GMC Sierra 2500HD

I believe there are weep holes in the underside compartment on the port side, and I think I remember one under the 'stair'.

I will tell you that if you are pointing downhill when you back your trailer in, that is probably the culprit right there. The striping on the four winns makes you think they are bow-up, but if you look at your keel, or in my signature picture, your actually hull is bow-down when on the trailer. I had to block the jack, and crank up almost all the way to stop the wet carpet issue.

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Gary & Diane
1996 Sundowner 245
Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

I agree with 'glspro' above, I had the same issue with mine, water runs down the cover and finishes in the bilge, stern slightly higher than the bow and water seeps very gradually into the cabin carpet. I filled my bilge with water from a hose and dropped the bow and it took about half an hour before it gegan to get wet from a pinprick hole on the starboard side under the step/toilet area.

Clem

Last week I cleaned & dried the cuddy carpet with the bow up higher. I can clearly see the drain hole behind the port-a-potti that is taking the water from the rear to the front of the boat when the bow is lower. Friday I towed the boat to the lake and the carpet had wet spots again even before I put it in the water after I thought I had everything dried out. Today I towed it home and backed it in to its usual spot (with the bow lower). As soon as I got in the boat to clean it out, I noticed the was a puddle on the cuddy floor again. Not only that, the storage area under the port side cuddy seating area had over a gallon of dark colored water in it. This area was completely dry Thursday night. Now I'm really puzzled as the bottom of the storage area appears to be several inches higher than the cuddy floor! Where is this water coming from? We ran through a few rain drops on Friday, barely enough to feel it so I don't think rain water is the problem. There was dew on the boat this morning but that wouldn't seem to be enough to explain my problem and the dew quickly dried when the sun rose higher anyway.

Any tips on where to look next for the source of the water will be greatly appreciated.

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Phil

1999 Vista 258 5.7 GSi, SX outdrive
2001 GMC Sierra 2500HD

I only have one place in my yard where I can crank the bow up high enough to get the water to drain out. Otherwise my carpet is always wet. Not sure about the seat storage though. Be sure the drain holes in the carpet are clear as well. Mine get leaves in them and plug up. One leaf will do it too.

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1989 205 Sundowner
5.0 HO OMC Cobra

I too have a wet cuddy problem, but mine seems to be a plugged drain at cuddy entrance. Ive tried snaking, high pressure water, air , no luck any suggestions
Thanking you
Paul

I don't get carpet in boats. It gets wet no matter what you do, and if you have an older boat with a 'glass over plywood deck, it causes rot. Worst is the stapled in carpet, the carpet holds moisture, the staples wick the moisture right into the wood. I'd say toss the carpet, prep the sole in there and paint it with non-skid paint. Try to find the source of water, whether it is a leak in the hatch, anchor locker, or any holes that are through bolted for cleats, rails, even the windshield, etc. But throw out that carpet, no place in a boat in my opinion, from repairing a rotted deck in my 88.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Hansesp did you ever figure out where the water was coming from ? I think I have the same problem. When we got the boat, the carpet was wet, didn't think much of it, shop vac'd it dry. Took it to dealer for the good going over, and when it came back, guess what, carpet wet again. Cranked up the angle and pulled drain plug and water slowly came out for about an hour. While I can't see where it is coming into the cuddy area, I can see where it is draining into the bilge when it is tilted. Can I silicone this are once dry ??

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1994 235 Sundowner w/351 Ford

Can you silicone these weep holes so the water doesn't run, or would that create other problems ??

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1994 235 Sundowner w/351 Ford

The main part of the problem, is I can't see any damage. I'm sure there is a small hole where the bilge wall meets the hull " V " , I just don't know if this is supposed to be there or not. If not, it is so small that it could be siliconed since repair would entail trying to work with the engine in the way.

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1994 235 Sundowner w/351 Ford

Hi hansesp,

Did you ever figure out where the water was coming from?

I also suffer from wet carpet on the cuddy floor (port side near the step) as well as wet carpet under the port side seating cushions near the cabin door. I too noticed that unless I jack the bow all the way up, water tends to run in to the cuddy cabin. Jacking up the boat helped, but as soon as I hitch it up to the car water tends to run back in (floor is usually wet by the time I get to the boat ramp and sometimes there's be more water back in the underseat locker).

It was driving me crazy.

Once after washing the boat while still on the car's towball (bow slightly down), the carpet was soaking wet when I finished and I ended up with about a gallon of clean fresh water in the under seat storage area. I'm certain it's not bilge water seeping back into the cabin. When I washed the boat I did not let any water into the cockpit area, so the source of the water wasn't from there. I checked the cabin hatch - no leaks. I checked the anchor locker - also no leaks.

The best I can figure is that because the boat is made from two fibreglass mouldings... One is the bottom "hull" mould (including engine/bilge areas, the cuddy cabin area with underseat storage areas, and the gas tank area (under the cockpit). This moulding has a raised "false floor" section on the port side throughout the cockpit area.

The secound fibreglass mould is the top structure (with decks, gunwales, cockpit and instrument areas). This moulding has it's own integrated fibreglass floor for the cockpit area which rests on top of the raised floor section of the hull moulding. Because of this there is a slight gap between the cockpit floor of the top structure mould and the raised section of the hull moulding around the gass tank (only on the port side - because the starboard side has an underdeck storage area).

The two seperate floors (and the gap between them) can be seen when you look in the icebox storage area and is also noticible at the bottom of the portside bulkhead of the cuddy cabin (under the doorway).

My theory is that when washing the boat (or during rain without a boat cover on), water gets inbetween the upper and lower fiberglass structures (haven't worked out where from yet - but I'm guessing through the chrome/rubber mouldings that run around the entire perimeter of the boat covering the join between the upper and lower fibreglass sections) and gets into this "false floor" area on the port side. If the bow is low this water then runs forward and comes out onto the port side cabin seat where it can then either run into the under seat storage locker or onto the cabiin floor. If the bow is high the water simply runs back into the bilge.

This doesnt happen on the starboard side because of the underfloor lockers... That area is already lower than the cabin seat/floor.

Apologies this was so long winded (as it's only a theory) but I plan to check it out. Anyway, I don't think the problem I'm seeing is just bilge water heading forward - I was seeing up to a gallon of clean fresh water in the storage locker after washing the boat.

Ric

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2005 Sundowner 205

5.0L MPI Mercruiser, Bravo1, 3 blade Mirage SS prop