Water under changing station.

[Henry]

Hi all,

I just got my first boat for a month now, it's new under warranty, but don't have time to bring to dealer yet.
Every time we pull the boat out of water after couple fishing, the changing station under the center console has about 5 gal of water in there.
Anyone has this issue? I have no idea how it leaked in there.
(Sport model. Tampa bay area)

Thanks all.

 

[Scottintexas]

Glad to have you on board! Unfortunately I believe that's a problem others have also seen, here is a thread about drains but you might do another search if this doesn't answer your question,
https://jetboaters.net/threads/fsh-drain-tests-and-where-the-water-goes.8764/

 

[highanddryinco]

Yep...it happens to all of us.
Lots of places for it to come in. The biggest thing that seemed to have stopped mine was to pull out the (junk IMHO) plastic factory bilge drains and replace them with some nice bronze garboard drains. That seems to have kept me nice and dry. (@Billy Marlin had a nice thread with photos a while back if you want to search it.)

That said, the Division of Wildlife made me go through decontamination last week while up at one of the mountain lakes. (concerns of Zebra mussels and other stuff) They flush everything out with hot water (120-140 degrees) including the bilge. The decontamination area was not sloped rearward much and guess where a lot of that hot bilge water went...right into the storage area.

My next step:
Pull both of those storage area plugs and silicone them in. From the factory, they're just screwed in to the lower deck and quite poorly done at that with no sealant. Bilge water runs right around the mounting flange even with the o-ringed drain plugs in. There doesn't seem to be any way to keep the bilge totally dry in these boats so don't kill yourself trying to make it happen. Trying to keep the bilge water from entering that storage area is probably your best bet. Good luck and have fun.

 

[Henry]

Thanks guys.
I am glad that I you have some work around to remedy the problem.
I noticed that the storage area plugs didn't have any o-rings or silicone. Look like silicon it is a must fix first.
I will try to some of your suggestions then let you all know how it turned out.

Thanks.

 

[Billy Marlin]

The silicon they used on this boat for the plugs is pure junk!!! I almost had a major disaster when my starboard side hull drain plug did not seal all the way and the boat was slowly filling with water in my boat slip. Thankfully I was down there the next week to catch it. Like @highanddryinco said check out my posts earlier in this forum it should only be a page back. I show my install of brass garboard plugs which I have been 100% happy with along with all my upgrades.

https://jetboaters.net/media/users/billy-marlin.3562/albums

If it rains really hard and the boat is outside you will most definitely get water in the console area but I made sure to limit as much as I could. I have the front seat pedestal so I put a rubber stopper in that hole since it led directly down to the changing area. When you are in the water make sure you have the 3 interior plugs closed. The 2 in the changing area and the 1 in the motor compartment right by the bilge pump. Also make sure your bilge pump did not pop off the screen base its supposed to sit on. That is how I ended up with a bunch of water in my boat the motor compartment would have to get up 2 to 3 inches before my bilge would suck it out because it was laying down on its side.

Please call and complain to Yamaha about the water I feel not enough people complain to them so they have done nothing to resolve the issue. What bothers me is I have not had anyone from Yamaha contact me about the issue they just tell me to talk to my dealer.

I use plastic bins in my storage compartment so I don't have to look at the floor anymore since it always has water in it. ONce you have water the ONLY way to get it out is put the boat on an incline and pull all the plugs. On the water the front storage area sits lower than the pump even with my 2nd bilge install in the rear of the boat in the bottom of the hull it will not pump all the water out of the boat.

 

[Henry]

I just called Yamaha to check to see any recall or if they are aware of the issue.
They said they didn't aware of the issue and so far no recall whatsoever about the boat.

The rep asked me if I want to file a complain so that the specialist/engineer will keep an eye on the issue and find the solution for it. So I filed a complain.
In the meantime, I don't attempt to fix the issue myself yet. I need to bring it to the dealer so they can take a look....

I think each of us should call them and file a complain so it has enough complain so they can come up with a fix (as Billy suggested) .
Thanks all again.
Have a great day guys!!!

Boat Contact Us

Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
1270 Chastain Road
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Sales, marketing and distribution of Boats.

Customer Relations
(800) 962-7926

 

[Billy Marlin]

That is very disappointing as they ARE aware of the issue but it sounds like they continue to act like it does not exist. I know of 4 people that have contacted them about the issue and I have contacted them twice once for water in the storage compartment and I had water in my rear compartments after heavy rains. I have had other people say how great Yamaha is to deal with but my experience has been nothing but negative.

I keep everything I own in plastic bins that I don't want wet and put my bumpers in the rear compartments along with other stuff that can get wet. One of the members on here went so far as building a wood floor to put under the console so he could still step down in it.

 

[Henry]

Just a quick update.
Brought the boat to dealer to check out, they can't find how it leaked.
They suspected it leaked in from the livewell, so they locked the water line going into livewell to see if it fix the issue.....But after a few hours on the water, water leaked in there again.
So, I have to bring it back to the dealer again later today so they can further check it out.
Man, it's so inconvenience to bring it back/forth to the dealer for the same issue.

 

[Billy Marlin]

Did you have any rain during that time? I have found that rain can come in via the holes where the rod tips go into the front area, seat post pedestal if you have one, cooler drain line, anchor drain line, lids on front compartment not tightened so they lock the rubber seals down, trolling motor wiring not sealed if you have one, and last thing the console gauges. I caulked the out side of all the items on my console then went underneath and caulked the holes drilled for electronics, cup holder, and radio antenna.

When you have water show up in the front console do you have water in the motor compartment? My boat has been on the water for 2 months but is in a covered slip and staying pretty dry. I think my issues have always been rain finding its way in the bottom area. Also check your rear compartments when you notice water underneath I have found water will follow the cooler drain line to the rear by my batteries.

 

[Henry]

Hi Billy,
After months and several attempts to fix from dealer, it's still leaked. They wasted so much of my time.
Finally i found this video to fix. I post it here hopefully it helps someone else.

 

[highanddryinco]

@Henry, take a look toward the end of this thread...more photos of the problem there as well. @OUT ON THE REEF got us all pointed in the right direction.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/fsh-drain-tests-and-where-the-water-goes.8764/

 

[OUT ON THE REEF]

Thanks im glad it help alot of owner like you

 

[Grover70]

I was just about to post that video too. What I did was slightly different than the video. I bought some small plastic tubing at the local ACE that fits like a sleeve inside of the drain hole, about an inch or so long. Placed it in the drain and sealed it in there. It's cut so it's flush inside of the anchor storage area. Then I sealed the interior of the anchor side of the plug with marine sealant.

 

[highanddryinco]

No reason that shouldn't work. Good job.
I'd recommend for anyone going this route, put the most emphasis on getting that good seal on the inside. Even if you have to leave the tube stick inside a bit. The drain hole isn't at the very bottom of the locker anyway so if the tube sticks inside a little so you can get more sealant around it, all the better. It might only mean an extra 1/8" of standing water in the bottom.

 

[highanddryinco]

Rethinking this...I may have to back track my previous statement.
Given Yamaha's lack of quality control in the sealing department...pull off everything you can find that has a mounting flange on it and re-seal it.

 

[Grover70]

That's the way I look at things too. Find the weakest link...human laziness.

 

[OUT ON THE REEF]

I was just about to post that video too. What I did was slightly different than the video. I bought some small plastic tubing at the local ACE that fits like a sleeve inside of the drain hole, about an inch or so long. Placed it in the drain and sealed it in there. It's cut so it's flush inside of the anchor storage area. Then I sealed the interior of the anchor side of the plug with marine sealant.

that is a great idea please post a picture of the finish product wen you get the chance , thanks for sharing

 

[Grover70]

This is the finished product...doesn't look pretty under the harsh light but from a distance of two feet, you can't even tell!


Here

 

[Atlas135]

And this eliminates/cuts down on the water in the boat? This is in the anchor locker?

 

[Grover70]

Yes, in the anchor locker through the outermost portion of the drain plug. It closes off the portion of the hull that was exposed by the shortness of the plug not reaching all the way through to the locker. There is no way for the water to get between the plug and the hull. Water can only pass through the tube now.