Water (Lots) under Ski locker storage

[WildCatFan54]

Was doing some house cleaning on the boat this morning. Last weekend was the first time since buying the MY19 242 Limited SE last fall that anyone other than my wife and I had been on the boat at the same time. We had 4 adults and 3 Grandchildren on the boat at some times , when not in the lake swimming. That , coupled with the fact that I have read EVERY anchor locker drain thread on this forum , but not got around to sealing the crappy drain plug on inside of anchor locker yet , had me prepared for more water onboard. It's just where I found it that has me confused ?? The boat sits on a lift , elevated , and covered when not in use. I have never put a level on the lift , but to the eye seems very close to level. I first opened the main drain plug. Outside below clean out plugs in bilge of boat. NOTHING. I had vacuumed this area and cleaned out the Yamaha factory hardware (screws , washers , etc.) when I first purchased the boat so I know it not to be blocked. I then moved to the engine compartment. Both plugs (pic 1) were closed over the weekend while boat was in use. No water anywhere in engine compartment or under bilge pump. So far so good ! I'm ecstatic. Then I move to the in floor storage compartment. Plug is in BUT contents are wet. I usually keep fenders , noodles , and other items not damaged by water in there so no big deal. Maybe a pint/quart of water total in the sealed locker. I vacuum it up and dry it with towels. As I open the plug , water starts shooting up like a water fountain. I grab my 3 gal. Ryobi wet vac and put the nozzle over hole. In about 2 minutes the tank is full and I dump and start again. I get about 2 more gallons. So between 4-5 gallons from under the ski locker ? Whats down there ? A trough . a tube . or just a void area of the hull ? I thought everything drained to the rear bilge ? How many other collection areas do these boats have that we haven't found yet ? YES , I did seal around the anchor locker drain with 5200 after cleaning up the in floor locker.

 

[zipper]

The area below the ski locker drain is the deepest part of the hull and unless the hull has a pitch to aft, you can have water there and nothing from the bilge plug or bilge pump if the pitch is not steep enough. Best way to get it out on the water is to have the bilge pump on a get the bow to a higher angle like just before you get on plane causing the water to flow aft. Look over and see if it is pumping. Other than that put the boat on a trailer and jack up high on a block of wood.

Edit: I have used a tube taped to a shop vac and had a similar experience. https://jetboaters.net/threads/water-in-ski-locker-drain.11968/#post-205620

 

[WildCatFan54]

Thanks @zipper ! I had planned for the wet vac to come home with me (roundtrip) ? Think it now has a new home on the boat. Thats a great thread you linked. You explained the issue a lot better than I did !

 

[BDOne]

I fed a scope into the ski locker drain on my 240 to try to see what my options were to get a bilge pump pickup down there. It appears that the bottom edges of the ski locker are bonded to the bottom of the hull except at the back of the locker. Likewise, the bottom edges of the fuel tank compartment are bonded to the hull along both sides and back. This forms a cavity below these compartments that can only drain at the rear through a hole in a stringer into the engine bay, or near its front at the ski locker drain.

When the boat is sitting level, the area under the ski locker is the lowest point of this cavity (and the whole boat), so any water in the engine bay that couldn't be evacuated by the stock bilge pump will head toward your ski locker as soon as that drain is opened.

An additional factor contributing to the wet ski locker (at least on my boat) is the fact that the hatch gutter on the ski locker is not level when the boat is floating. Any water on the deck forward of the ski locker hatch drains to this gutter, pools up at the front of the gutter, and overflows into the locker (instead of draining out of the deck scupper as it should). Also, it seems that any water that gets under the front seats or dash will drain to the ski locker.

I've come to the conclusion that these boats were designed with the expectation that, at the end of the day (or weekend), the boat will be put on the trailer and the transom drain plug opened before a long drive up a very steep hill.

I haven't figured out a good way to get a pump pickup into that part of the bilge yet. But if any of my ideas pan out, I'll make a post about it.

PS: I was going to attach the video from the scope, but it's close to 800 MB.

 

[WildCatFan54]

@BDOne , Great info , thanks !

 

[Pro Build]

This is how I get all the water out.

 

[WildCatFan54]

I'm starting to understand what's involved in removing all the water !! May be looking for a Toro dealer soon ? lol

 

[Drexx3]

I ended up removing all of the drain plugs inside the boat. The one in the ski locker and the two in the engine compartment forward. The manual says to leave them in when under way and I read a thread on here where folks argued (peacefully) the reasons to/not to leave them in.
I ultimately decided not to leave them in. I feel I’ve had less water retention inside the boat since doing so. YMMV

 

[Mainah]

I too keep my boat on a lift. My mooring cover is 4 years old at this point and after a very heavy rain some water does make it in. I have found that leaving all three internal plugs open all the time works best to stymie water retention. I added a direct to battery backup float type bilge with dedicated outlet as one of my first mods and test it every time I open the engine hatch. This ensures that if too much water gets in from rain and makes it to the back of the boat that it gets pumped out. I have found that running on plane sends all of the water to the back of the boat and the bilges remove most of it. I guess this means I am in the internal plug open camp (aside from trips like Bimini which require other considerations beyond rain).

On the back up bilge I know some members have installed them back by the transom plug which will remove the most water. This area also gets the most junk which could foul the pump. This is why I choose the floor between the engines. Perhaps a bit more water but safer to ensure operation of the backup pump and easier to test regularly by lifting the small encased float tab with my finger. My extreme case backups are my surf bag pump and my three impeller ballast pumps.

 

[Drexx3]

My factory bilge pump is right between the engines currently. I plan on installing a new one down by the drain plug and have designed a bracket that will attach to the 4 bolt posts near the plug. The current bilge pump position is very high and somewhat forward of where I’d like it. I believe in a post I read by @swatski I had a photo showing it’s approximate location when viewed from the side. I felt it was pretty accurate and when you see it that way you realize just how much water is in the boat at that point and just how much is still there even when it is done pumping.

 

[gwevers]

This is how I get all the water out.

GREAT photo ! I have the same boat (mine is 2019). Also SAME PROBLEM water in deck storage locker.

 

[BDOne]

I finally got around to figuring out how to post the "bilge scope" video I mentioned above.

It's not the best quality, but if you are curious about what the uncharted nether-regions of the AR240 bilge look like you might find the video interesting.
Apologies in advance for the disorienting camera rotations, and the mesmerizing mirrored snow-globe effect. (The camera was underwater at that point.)

As I discovered, the only way in or out of there is through the ski-locker drain or through the stringer drain at the front of the engine bay.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Hah, a boat Colonoscopy!!

 

[WildCatFan54]

I think there is a "polyp " on that colon ?? Thanks for the video.

 

[TreeRX]

I finally got around to figuring out how to post the "bilge scope" video I mentioned above.

It's not the best quality, but if you are curious about what the uncharted nether-regions of the AR240 bilge look like you might find the video interesting.
Apologies in advance for the disorienting camera rotations, and the mesmerizing mirrored snow-globe effect. (The camera was underwater at that point.)

As I discovered, the only way in or out of there is through the ski-locker drain or through the stringer drain at the front of the engine bay.

How much space would you say is between the bottom of the ski locker, and the hull of the boat? I wet slip my boat and always have water below the ski locker...Considering cutting a hole through the bottom of the ski locker near the drain plug, and installing a bilge pump in there.

 

[zipper]

How much space would you say is between the bottom of the ski locker, and the hull of the boat? I wet slip my boat and always have water below the ski locker...Considering cutting a hole through the bottom of the ski locker near the drain plug, and installing a bilge pump in there.

There can be gallons. Some people remove it with a shop vac or oil extractor. If you are on a wet slip, you can get most of it with the bilge pump. Take the boat out and accelerate to a speed just before you get on plane, when the bow is at it's highest. The water forward will flow aft and the bilge pump will pick it up and discharge overboard. You will still leave a little down there and if you are concerned, use the shop vac and a small dia. tube taped to it. My $.02 do not cut a hole. That requires another hole for the discharge hose.

 

[TreeRX]

There can be gallons. Some people remove it with a shop vac or oil extractor. If you are on a wet slip, you can get most of it with the bilge pump. Take the boat out and accelerate to a speed just before you get on plane, when the bow is at it's highest. The water forward will flow aft and the bilge pump will pick it up and discharge overboard. You will still leave a little down there and if you are concerned, use the shop vac and a small dia. tube taped to it. My $.02 do not cut a hole. That requires another hole for the discharge hose.

Thanks for the reply. I know the space below the ski locker has a lot of volume, given how much water it holds. I meant to ask what the measurement is, between the bottom of the ski locker floor, and the bottom of the true hull.
I can get most of the water out just by standing on the corner of the swim platform while docked, and letting the stock bilge pump run. Allowing the bilge pump to run while "plowing" water just before getting on plane seems to get almost all of the water out. My issue is that I want to prevent a lot of water from accumulating under the ski locker while my boat is just docked and floating in a slip.
I am fully aware of needing to drill for addition things like routing the discharge house and through hull. This is essentially what I'm thinking, but for the ski locker: https://jetboaters.net/threads/2nd-bilge-pump.18386/#post-376726

 

[zipper]

Thanks for the reply. I know the space below the ski locker has a lot of volume, given how much water it holds. I meant to ask what the measurement is, between the bottom of the ski locker floor, and the bottom of the true hull.
I can get most of the water out just by standing on the corner of the swim platform while docked, and letting the stock bilge pump run. Allowing the bilge pump to run while "plowing" water just before getting on plane seems to get almost all of the water out. My issue is that I want to prevent a lot of water from accumulating under the ski locker while my boat is just docked and floating in a slip.
I am fully aware of needing to drill for addition things like routing the discharge house and through hull. This is essentially what I'm thinking, but for the ski locker: https://jetboaters.net/threads/2nd-bilge-pump.18386/#post-376726

The hull under the ski locker i the deepest part of the hull, and may have water in that area when there is none aft. Most people add a second bilge pump in the real bilge near the transom. Access gained be removing the clean out plug tray, like 20 screws. You will see the bottom of the bilge. A few years ago I had an issue with deck water flowing forward, not aft collecting in the bow, forward of the ski locker hatch. Carpet was always wet. I had to put about 350# of water ballast to make the water run aft to the deck scupper drain. PITA, but it worked. I know a different issue, most of us live with a little water down there, until we pull the boat out of the water.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/rain-water-pools-at-front-of-bow-floor-while-on-the-water.14264/#post-246353

 

[BDOne]

How much space would you say is between the bottom of the ski locker, and the hull of the boat? I wet slip my boat and always have water below the ski locker...Considering cutting a hole through the bottom of the ski locker near the drain plug, and installing a bilge pump in there.

I believe it is only 2 or 3 inches deep there. The only way to get to it would be to cut a hole in the ski locker floor. I couldn't find a pump that would fit entirely in that space.

Your best bet might be to install a bilge pump pickup in there with the pump mounted somewhere else. But you still have to route a hose to it. If you wanted it to be automatic, you'd also have to get a float switch in there somehow.

My thought was to remove the locker drain hardware completely and make a pickup out of PVC pipe that can be mounted in the locker drain hole. It can't be too tight a fit though, as the locker still needs to drain. The hose can be routed to a pump mounted in the helm compartment. (The drain hose from the helm cupholder follows the same route.) One detail I haven't worked out yet is how to protect the pickup assembly in the ski locker from wakeboards and skis that will fall or slide into it. The other problem that needs solving is how to rig a float switch in there so it will run when I am not there. The final solution may end up with another hole drilled somewhere in the locker floor for the float switch.

 

[mrcleanr6]

I finally got around to figuring out how to post the "bilge scope" video I mentioned above.

It's not the best quality, but if you are curious about what the uncharted nether-regions of the AR240 bilge look like you might find the video interesting.
Apologies in advance for the disorienting camera rotations, and the mesmerizing mirrored snow-globe effect. (The camera was underwater at that point.)

As I discovered, the only way in or out of there is through the ski-locker drain or through the stringer drain at the front of the engine bay.

that looks like a colonoscopy video lmao!!