JFB wrote:
Boat is out of water for winter. Getting shrink wrapped today.
Was there this morning to shop vac whatever water was left lurking in the bilge areas (FWD and REAR) as boat isn't angled enough to my liking to empty out of the drain plug at rear.
In the forward bilge area (under forward sitee or bed, I had replaced the bilge pump during the summer while the boat was in the water. Had to fit a new pump and float. Not all screws fit in the older screw holes.
Today, While I was using the shop vac in that FWD bilge compartment, I noticed one of the screw holes (without a screw in it) near the float was pushing (gushing slowly) out water, not fast, but enough for me to see water coming from there. I plugged the shop vac on the hole for 10-15 minutes or until water wasn't gushing out anymore and I wasn't sucking any more water out of there. I must've pulled out a few gallons...
Now I'm worried, because winter is coming (and Jon Snow isn't at the North Wall) and I fear there is still water trapped in there. But I don't know "where" that water is or how to get it out. I poured a gallon of antifreeze in the forward bilge hoping it will alleviate freezing problems if there is still water in there.
Is there a compartment underneath the forward bilge where the pump is? Why is there water coming out of the screw hole? Are the FWD and REAR bilge areas connected somehow as water should flow between the two in order to empty if one pump fails?
I want to plug the extra screw holes with the appropriate marine silicone (which I have), but I wouldn't want to do it while there is still water in there as I would trap it, and that would be worse.
insight please?
I'm a little confused by this quantity and location of water.
Gotta love this time of year! My 358 is getting hauled on Thursday, but she will be indoor cold storage - no shrink wrap for me!
I'm assuming your referring to the forward bilge pump, which is under the aft cabin - not the forward berth (only should have the water tank and fresh water pump up there). The way the 318/338/358 is constructed (I had a 318 for 5 years and experienced the same phenomenon you did), is there is the "outer hull" and the "inner liner". When water gets between the two - it's literally trapped in there. It can make it in there by the drain plug (look close, there is a gap around it on the engine room side) or near the waste tank (if the sealant around those PVC pipes the waste hoses go through fails). Water gets in between the two hulls and is trapped, unless you shop vac it out or it drains out the back.
I resealed that bilge pump last year when I bought my 358 and no water came bubbling up. Over the past few months, I've been fighting with an air locking shower sump, causing water to overflow and get down in there. The shop vac on for 10-15 minutes did a great job removing any water that made its way down there.
Once I'm set on stands in the barn, I spend a few hours wiping everything down, shop vac'ing up any residual water and leaving bounce sheets in the cabin. Then it's time to start the winter projects before it gets too cold and I have to wait until spring!
Login
FAQ
Search
