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While vacuuming out the bilge in the engine compartment, I noticed that water would enter the bilge from the drain holes in the two inboard stringers. This seems odd. At first I thought it was water draining from the top side of the stringers but those drains don't connect to the drains I'm asking about.

Anybody have any ideas?

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2006 348 Vista
"some days you're the bug and some days you're the windshield"

Is it AC condensate?

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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

No. i think the AC drains into the mid cabin sump on my boat. Plus, I hadn't been running the AC.

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2006 348 Vista
"some days you're the bug and some days you're the windshield"

I'm not familiar with the layout of the bilge in a 348, but I spent hours looking for a leak in my 248. It was the fresh water tank. Mine leaks around the top where the sensor goes in.

One suggestion I got here, that I will now pass on is to put down some litmus paper (newspaper will work too). That will at least show a general path of the leak.

Craig C.

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2003 Vista 248, VP 5.0 GXi-C, DP

Take a look at your windows. It took me a while to figure this out but I was getting water leaking from the window frame and arch that would run down and behind the port bench seat. From there it ended up on top of the gas tank and then into the side pockets of the bilge. Check both port and starboard.



A few touches of caulk greatly reduced this issue.

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Jnizi

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

If it's both sides, I would suggest your rubrail. Take a look at it and see if there are any spots that are pulled slightly away from the boat. You may even see black spots on top of the rubrail, indicative of mold growing behind there. You can also look from the engine room out towards the side and see if you see any bright spots from the hull/deck joint. Have someone run their hand over the bright spot and you'll see it will get dark. My boat is a 2004 and I ran a bead of "Life Seal" (I'm pretty sure that's what it was called) around the entire boat on top of the rubrail. It has rained pretty hard the last few days, but I haven't been back to the boat yet. I am fairly confident that it will work. I'll let you know. Also, look for balck streaks coming down the hull sides on the inside of the engine compartment.

Good piont, I have also heard of the engine vents causing it too.

Can you better describe the drain holes? Where are they? The 348's engine room bilge has three main parts and and then a couple of other small ones further up/out. The two main bilges under the engines drain into the center one via some drains, commonly called limber holes. They're typically located up toward the bulkhead, just about directly under the sea strainers.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Those are the ones I am referring to. As I vacuumed the center bilge, water ran out of the limber holes into the center bilge. I don't know where this water flowing out of there would come from. As far as I can tell, the drains on the outside of the stringer don't flow through the limber holes.

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2006 348 Vista
"some days you're the bug and some days you're the windshield"

Is the water draining from the other side of the stringer and just through the limber holes, or does it appear that the water is draining from inside the stringer itself? If it is the later, then you have a serious problem that could indicate the potential for stringer or transom rot.


If it is the former, then the limber holes are just doing what they are designed to do, and you just need to find the source of the water as suggested in previous replies.

In my old 278 I had water intrusion in the transom that found its way to the main stringers. The limber holes are supposed to be well sealed, but that is not always the case. If you have any doubt, I would recommend a professional hull survey.

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Martin
04 268 Vista - Knot Again
08 Boston Whaler 130 Sport - Double Good
Previous Boat:
97 278 Vista - Buoy Howdy