Water in starboard compartment just forward of helm

[Gumbeaux]

Another topic that was discussed and supposedly solved on the other boards...

I get water in the compartment just forward of the helm pretty soon after launching the boat. Water pools just inside the door. Enough to really soak the carpet noticeably.

Theories:

1-Water comes in through the anchor locker drain hole and makes it way back to this spot.
This seems plausible, as the anchor locker drain exits the hole very close to the waterline, however, it seems that water would have to splash up and over a divider between the anchor locker and the space under the forward starboard the seats for this to be the cause. Some people have reported they found a small hole at the bottom of the anchor locker and sealed this up to prevent the problem. I did not find any such hole. Still a mystery.
Next step is to plug the anchor locker drain and verify this is the source.

2-More significant gap where bottom and top of hull is joined?
Have not found any evidence this is the case.

3-Water coming in from cupholders.
I do not think people are that wet when hovering over cupholders on the boat. Seems like there is too much water for this to be the cause. Plus, there is no such water under port side forward seats.

4-Water somehow backing up from another drain source to this spot.
Based on drawings and knowledge of the drain system, I cannot see how this is the case.

Any other ideas?

 

[txav8r]

Did the advent of gps based data on the helm eliminate the pitot tube speed completely? If so, disregard the following, but some boats with the pitot tube to the speedo in the helm blew the small hose off the back of the speedo and it would wet the helm pretty good.

 

[Julian]

These leaks have typically been a result of:

1. Anchor locker drain not connected/leaking. This is a leak between the locker itself and the external fitting. Simplist way to diagnose this is to stick a cork in your anchor locker drain from the outside. If no more water....you have your problem.
2. Pitot tube for speedo blown off (only applicable to models with pitot based speedo's) - diagnosis...is your speedo working? If not check the tube.
3. Rub rail leak (but this requires that you hit a wave that reaches your rub rail to have happen) Diagnosis - harder - take a hose and spray at rub rail from below while someone is inside looking for leaks
4. Cooler drain leak (for those models with coolers under their starboard forward seats--like mine). This is either a leak in the the drain or pipe, or the same as #1 where it is a leak at the external fitting on the hull.

 

[txav8r]

The anchor locker drain thing may not be the drain per se. It may be delimitation or a crack in the anchor locker liner...or it may be filling completely and spilling over the edge of the anchor locker liner towards the back and running back to the helm compartment. I remember reading that long no wake mode stretches combined with 4 or more folks in the bow, pushes the anchor locker drain down into the water. Depending on speed, that can force water into the anchor locker and fill it. That is most plausible I think.

 

[Julian]

@txav8r Correct! That would be #5!

 

[ToddW850]

I'd hate to do this, but one way to try and narrow it down would be to pull up your carpet in that storage compartment and then put her in the water. Hopefully you will be able to see where the water is dripping or running in from on the fiberglass, versus the carpet.

 

[Gumbeaux]

Quick update:

Suspected that water was coming in anchor locker drain hole. I plugged the anchor locker drain from the inside with a wine stopper during our first outing of the year. No water in the forward helm. I am amazed the anchor locker drain appears to have filled up that much in previous trips without us noticing. Maybe there is some hole I have not found down in the bottom, but nonetheless it appears plugging that drain did the trick.

 

[Chewiem16]

Finally remember to get into the boat diluting a downpour. It’s coming from there the bow and main covers meet. It’s just enough where it drips through and down, around the helm door and right underneath that area. Also noticed around the gps antenna it’s coming slowing through there!