www.iFourWinns.com

Some time ago, some Vista owners were saying that they keep finding water. Not knowing were it was coming from.

I tracked mine (at least I thought) down to the shower sump pump box. I was thinking that the box was cracked, due to there was just no other place. When I removed the 4 screws, water came out of one of them. You could say, that floor is more like a pan or liner. There is a space between that & the hull. The water seams like it can not get back the engine compartment. Maybe a stringer is too high trapping the water?? I have not taken the mid-cabin apart to see, yet!

If anyone knows more on this, please speak up.

I may have been one of those owners. On my boat, water consistently builds up in the trough below the sump pump pan. I have no idea where it comes from. I have a similar issue in the engine compartment.

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

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

My seacocks and strainers are in my forward bilge. I was getting water in there at the start of this season (to the tune of 3" in 4 days) Turned out to be the hose from the valve to the strainer, it was getting thin where the clamps attach it to the valve/barb fitting. New hose = dry forward bilge!
Just one more place to check.

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1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD

I have no A.C. and sea strainer there. I have sealed off areas around the helm were I had water leaking into the fuse box. Later I am going to take apart the mid cabin bed.

It is most likely the sump box overflowing. Almost everyone with this boat has had this problem. particulalry the galley sink when flusing food products/etc from plates ends up gunking up filter screen/pump/ and float switch.

We eliminated by having sink drain directly overboard thru a new thru hull. cheap if you can get someone to fit in the tight space. then also pour some bleach down shower drain periodically.

The top of the sum box is not sealed and will leak like crazy if the water level rises high enough. then this water sits in this forward space and eventually stinks. underway when bow is high the water will drain back to fwd bilge pump. you can turn on pump then and drain.

your A/C condensate goes into this box, so if it's clogged and not working right then it will overflow. There are several other POSTS on this subject as well as many others that have done what I did in direct overboard drain.

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2006 348 Vista
"Cruisin Home"
Hampton NH

All my sinks go right over board. Sump box is not overflowing, that I would have found right away. I have watched it while my wife takes a shower. The Atwood boxes do have a seal on the top, is it leak proof, "NO". I am thinking that it is water from the engine compartment, going over a stringer and can't get back.

I think you're absolutely correct. We rarely if ever use our shower, our anchor locker is sealed tight, and the galley and head sink discharge directly overboard. On the 258 at least, this has to be water getting forward from the aft of the boat, then getting trapped. I'm getting ready to install a forward bilge pump that will discharge to the same line as the shower sump (with a backflow preventer). I plan to post some pics here sometime soon. That's the only way I can think to solve this apparent design flaw.

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2006 Vista 258
2007 Yukon Denali

I have done that, more as a precaution!! As I mentioned, what the sump pump is mounted too as a pan or liner. There is water below that pan.

How bout from your anchor locker? Is it coming more after rain?

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2006 348 Vista
"Cruisin Home"
Hampton NH

Can you hook up a hose to a bilge pump to empty out the space between the liner and the hull? What happens over the winter when the water freezes and expands?

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

No it is not from the anchor locker.

I took the quarter berth apart. When lifted the center board of the bed, I exposed the gas tank. The tank is in its own, finished liner/box if you will. So you can NOT see a thing with out taking the tank out. I went to the engine compartment, just before the tank, you can see the V hull, about 2" of it. The engine compartment, is finished with a liner. So that V is taken out!! The pumps sit on that, making it higher than than the inner surface on the V-hull, a low point.

In the winter, I have aways raised the bow and leave the plug out. I must have drained it, with out knowing.