www.iFourWinns.com

Just purchased a 2004 328 Vista and been working on bringing it upto "standard" for the past four months.
I could make a laundry list of things I have done, but my primary puzzling items were dealing with water in the bilge.

First was a cracked A/C seacock which I switched in the water (that was fun)
Second was a, IMO, poorly designed mini-sump setup which had the prior owner's year or two of food growing in the sump box.
Third was a dripping starboard water pump - which I just had replaced....


Since I switched out the A/C Seacock, my forward bilge area has stayed dry.
Yesterday I was cleaning up the water spilled from the water pump replacment and I found a fairly large amount of water in my forward bilge.

It has been my impression that aft bilge is separated from the forward bilge (where the after cabin begins).
Is this true?

(if it is, then I need to look for leak sources in the forward area, if it isn't then I can write off the water in the forward area as left overs from aft).

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When all is said and done, more was said than done...

TxVista has the same issue with his 328. Apparently, the forward and aft bilge ARE NOT sealed from each other and he has the same issues. You may want to send him a PM to discuss if he doesnt come along shortly. I know he is pretty busy lately.

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

Thats right. My forward bilge and aft bilge are not sealed. My A/C condensate drains into the aft bilge, and then makes it way back up the forward bilge.

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

I was just finding you on the members page! LOL

So you say your A/C drains into the aft.
I think I have a different setup, but it may still answer the question.

How full does your aft get before if starts showing up in the forward?

That is about the only complaint I have, I which the bildge pumps were mounted so they would come on sooner.
Oh well...

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When all is said and done, more was said than done...

My 338 AC drains to the shower sump. Although passage is limited between the forward and aft liners, there are passages where water can travel. We actually find rain water making it forward from the engine compartment forward.

Also, we found a leak in the forward anchor locker that was running under the fresh water tank, through the forward foot locker and then making it to the bilge. It is amazing the pathways where water can travel through the stringers. It can make you crazy.

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Jnizi

2007 Vista 338 "Better Yet"
Previously:
2007 Vista 258 " Just Right"
2005 Horizon 230

My A/C drains into the mid cabin bilge area. If I remove the access cover to the mid cabin bilge I see the A/C drain line runs to the back end of the mid cabin bilge. Right where this A/C drain line ends I see a a drainage hole which I believe runs into the engine bilge.

I think the water level in the engine bilge would need to get above 5 inches deep before the engine bilge would come on automatically.

I like to keep our bilges as dry as possible so I will manually turn on the engine bilge from the helm when I take our boat up onto plane so the water will naturally pool to the rear of the engine bilge area (with bow high) and I can pump out as much as possible.

Mike.

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Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

I was pretty positive that my a/c drained in the cabin bilge area also. But a couple of weeks ago I followed the hose behind the grey water tank and it goes through the bulkhead towards the engine compartment. I can't see or reach the part of the bulkhead in the engine compartment, so I'm going to uses some compresse air to determine 100% where I'd ends up.

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

FW drained condensate into the bilge area on early model years and then changed to the sump in later years. A friend has a 2000 model that drained into the bilge (later converted to sump drainage) and our 2003 came from the factory draining to the sump. I suppose that FW realized draining water in the bilge was not a great idea

The forward and aft bilges will transfer water to one another and from my experience it takes a lot of water in the aft bilge before water ends up forward... probably 5 inches like mentioned earlier.

Oh, yeah, I agree the aft bilge pump leaves waay too much water once it's removed all it can... not a great design. I use a shop vac to suck out all excess water when draining water from engines, etc.

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2014 Vista V435
2011 Glastron GT180
2013 Sea Doo RXT-260

I of course have a 298, but my AC condenstate drains into the sump pump, thankfully.

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4