Yamaha 2019 AR210 - Water coming up through storage locker drain plug

[HangOutdoors]

I just bought a 2021 AR210 and have noticed water in the anchor locker. I was told the drain is always supposed to be open. Was your issue resolved ?

You need to install the SS Anchor locker drain and seal around it or another type of drain that goes all the way through. Search the forums here for SS Anchor Locker Drain. Many, Many people have done this.

 

[RobbieO]

You need to install the SS Anchor locker drain and seal around it or another type of drain that goes all the way through. Search the forums here for SS Anchor Locker Drain. Many, Many people have done this.

And it takes less than 30 minutes….

 

[cwporter323]

You need to install the SS Anchor locker drain and seal around it or another type of drain that goes all the way through. Search the forums here for SS Anchor Locker Drain. Many, Many people have done this.

Thanks!

 

[cwporter323]

You need to install the SS Anchor locker drain and seal around it or another type of drain that goes all the way through. Search the forums here for SS Anchor Locker Drain. Many, Many people have done this.

 

[cwporter323]

Shoot...I meant ski locker not anchor locker.

 

[MajorBummer210]

Is your bildge switch turned on? I have a 2017 AR210. I have left my bildge switch on since the day I bought the boat. My model will auto pump when activated only if switch is turned on…I believe.

 

[cwporter323]

Is your bildge switch turned on? I have a 2017 AR210. I have left my bildge switch on since the day I bought the boat. My model will auto pump when activated only if switch is turned on…I believe.

Thanks. I don’t recall, but next time I’m on it, I’ll check and will report back.

 

[mrcleanr6]

With the switch off the pump should be on auto and when you turn it on then that makes the pump run. Your switch should not be on all the time.

 

[MajorBummer210]

With the switch off the pump should be on auto and when you turn it on then that makes the pump run. Your switch should not be on all the time.

Not the way my 2017 works

 

[mrcleanr6]

Yamaha has been know to switch things up from year to year so i wouldnt count anything out but generally what you describe is not a typical setup

 

[Mcaro012]

So my dealer and Yamaha believe the water is coming in from the anchor locker drain. They believe water was filling the anchor locker enough (I don't buy it, never more than a little water in there at anytime). The fix was to install a stainless diverter over (that's what I am calling it, sorry) over the drain port to not allow the water to enter the locker. The dealer actually flooded the all hulls (boat on trailer) to find any possible leaks. No leaks. I am using the boat daily for the next four days and will monitor. Fingers crossed.

Did you find a solution? This happens to me too. No leaks but when I'm anchor in the water, I see water coming into those storage compartments. My bilge pump turns on when I'm anchored in the water.

 

[adrianp89]

Did you find a solution? This happens to me too. No leaks but when I'm anchor in the water, I see water coming into those storage compartments. My bilge pump turns on when I'm anchored in the water.

Replace the anchor locker plug with a stainless steel through hull piece. Common issue on these boats, lots us just fix it our selves. Some of these dealers are doing it the wrong way and screwing holes in your boat.

 

[drewkaree]

There's several items in this year-old thread. @jjblough never responded back to let us know what happened after his 4 days on the water, and from his description of the problem along with the dealer's "solution", I'm going to guess that they fixed it with a clamshell fitting over the anchor locker.

I do not know if the OP visually observed water coming up into the ski locker, or if it was simply noticed the next morning. All solutions were assumed to be anchor locker drain fitting, and we have no way of knowing. I can tell you that I have observed this personally, same boat, and anyone with water in their ski locker can do a similar check - it'll look just like this:

That's my personal boat. The anchor locker MAY be the issue, but filling the ski locker while simply sitting at the dock overnight would NOT be the cause of that, initially. The anchor locker drain fitting usually manifests itself while in motion. Much like ALL of the issues of water getting into our boats, DO NOT ASSUME QUALITY ASSEMBLY BY YAMAHA!

The issue leading to the problem of water entering my ski locker was simple: NO sealant whatsoever on the bottom of the ski locker drain fitting. A hole was drilled to accommodate the drain plug, two holes were drilled to screw the fitting in, and that's all they did. The assembler also ran one screw in deep enough to damage the fitting - I have pics around here elsewhere to show this. So a combination of nothing sealing around the fitting and a damaged fitting before it was ever put in the water will allow water to simply bubble up, in, and around the fitting to fill up the ski locker while at rest overnight.

OTHER issues exist to allow water into the bilge in the first place, but this secondary issue is easily addressed with a screwdriver and some sealant, as long as a new ski locker drain fitting isn't deemed necessary.

Check your hull and your engine compartment and rear bilge area. The hull for holes and the engine compartment and bilge for any water (like from a hose that came off). That much water means you have either a leak in a cooling line (or one is off) or a major hole somewhere.

You did have the bilge plug in, right?

Was the water rushing up warm or cold?

I know this is a year+ old, but the way the design is, when there's finally enough water to trip the bilge, there is indeed a ton of water, I'd guess 15-30 gallons. When at rest, it'll level out, and if there's any weight in the bow, that'd get you the filling of the ski locker. It seems that it drains out of there around the fitting a lot slower than it comes in, but as long as the bilge is working, it only fills enough to make the ski locker wet, and freak you out when it's finally noticed, as the OP and myself experienced. Most I ever had in there was maybe 2", which seems like a lot, but opening up the plug and taking it for a ride emptied out all but the last bit that wouldn't wash over the fitting and down the hole. Takes forever for it to drain out too, and it'll never stay dry until the fitting is addressed, either with sealant or a new fitting + sealant, as well as the initial reason the boat has water coming in.

We don't use the ski locker anymore for anything that should stay reasonably dry, even after fixing it. It can get filled from below, and above, if the gutter and weatherstripping are insufficient.

 

[drewkaree]

So my dealer and Yamaha believe the water is coming in from the anchor locker drain.

This comment is so enlightening. "YAMAHA" believes water is coming in from the anchor locker drain, and yet they still persist with this crap idea, AND with not ensuring that a proper fitting is used or sealed up! Way to go Yamaha!

There's evidence from multiple folks on this forum that this issue persists, even in newer boats, so if that actually WAS a Yamaha response, why the eff has this not been addressed by them as of this very date? Seems like the yearly increases in price should be getting you some better quality control, but at the very least, the several hundred dollars increase SHOULD cover the $20 fitting that addresses the idiotic solution they've been going with - a plastic press-in fitting that some "tech" keeps cutting too dang short.

 

[RobbieO]

There's several items in this year-old thread. @jjblough never responded back to let us know what happened after his 4 days on the water, and from his description of the problem along with the dealer's "solution", I'm going to guess that they fixed it with a clamshell fitting over the anchor locker.

I do not know if the OP visually observed water coming up into the ski locker, or if it was simply noticed the next morning. All solutions were assumed to be anchor locker drain fitting, and we have no way of knowing. I can tell you that I have observed this personally, same boat, and anyone with water in their ski locker can do a similar check - it'll look just like this:

That's my personal boat. The anchor locker MAY be the issue, but filling the ski locker while simply sitting at the dock overnight would NOT be the cause of that, initially. The anchor locker drain fitting usually manifests itself while in motion. Much like ALL of the issues of water getting into our boats, DO NOT ASSUME QUALITY ASSEMBLY BY YAMAHA!

The issue leading to the problem of water entering my ski locker was simple: NO sealant whatsoever on the bottom of the ski locker drain fitting. A hole was drilled to accommodate the drain plug, two holes were drilled to screw the fitting in, and that's all they did. The assembler also ran one screw in deep enough to damage the fitting - I have pics around here elsewhere to show this. So a combination of nothing sealing around the fitting and a damaged fitting before it was ever put in the water will allow water to simply bubble up, in, and around the fitting to fill up the ski locker while at rest overnight.

OTHER issues exist to allow water into the bilge in the first place, but this secondary issue is easily addressed with a screwdriver and some sealant, as long as a new ski locker drain fitting isn't deemed necessary.



I know this is a year+ old, but the way the design is, when there's finally enough water to trip the bilge, there is indeed a ton of water, I'd guess 15-30 gallons. When at rest, it'll level out, and if there's any weight in the bow, that'd get you the filling of the ski locker. It seems that it drains out of there around the fitting a lot slower than it comes in, but as long as the bilge is working, it only fills enough to make the ski locker wet, and freak you out when it's finally noticed, as the OP and myself experienced. Most I ever had in there was maybe 2", which seems like a lot, but opening up the plug and taking it for a ride emptied out all but the last bit that wouldn't wash over the fitting and down the hole. Takes forever for it to drain out too, and it'll never stay dry until the fitting is addressed, either with sealant or a new fitting + sealant, as well as the initial reason the boat has water coming in.

We don't use the ski locker anymore for anything that should stay reasonably dry, even after fixing it. It can get filled from below, and above, if the gutter and weatherstripping are insufficient.

I was trying to test my bilge pump and found water was getting into my ski locker even with the plug in. Come to find out, that plug doesn't have an o-ring and will not stop water from getting in or out. It's useless.

 

[drewkaree]

I was trying to test my bilge pump and found water was getting into my ski locker even with the plug in. Come to find out, that plug doesn't have an o-ring and will not stop water from getting in or out. It's useless.

Well, someone REALLY screwed you over, or added/replaced the fitting they are/were typically using. The plug should have been exactly like the transom drain plug, black plastic with a red rubber o-ring.

I thought I remembered a new boat with a metal fitting (brass?) posted about this, was that you?

 

[Croker]

I've got the same issue. A temporary solution to drain the area is to park the boat up on a 10-15 degree angle and pull the internal bungs and let it sit and drain. We just park it up on our steep beach and leave it there for most the day. It allows us to get so much more water out that we hardly knew was there.

 

[RobbieO]

Well, someone REALLY screwed you over, or added/replaced the fitting they are/were typically using. The plug should have been exactly like the transom drain plug, black plastic with a red rubber o-ring.

I thought I remembered a new boat with a metal fitting (brass?) posted about this, was that you?

I'm going to change it out. I ordered extra drain plugs and they came with the flange. I'm going to check the ones in the engine compartment as well.
Can't test the bilge pump unless I fill the bilge while on a 45 degree upgrade. Thanks Yamaha

 

[drewkaree]

I'm going to change it out. I ordered extra drain plugs and they came with the flange. I'm going to check the ones in the engine compartment as well.
Can't test the bilge pump unless I fill the bilge while on a 45 degree upgrade. Thanks Yamaha

https://jetboaters.net/threads/almost-sunk-my-boat.29054/page-4#post-475274

This is how mine looked on the underside of the fitting. I'm tempted to have the neighbor give me a hand and fiberglass that hole completely shut, and drill a new hole at the bottom of the vertical side wall to allow any rain to escape before it fills up the compartment.

I already need to take a sponge and clean up in there, so it's not any extra hassle than what I go through now

 

[adrianp89]

https://jetboaters.net/threads/almost-sunk-my-boat.29054/page-4#post-475274

This is how mine looked on the underside of the fitting. I'm tempted to have the neighbor give me a hand and fiberglass that hole completely shut, and drill a new hole at the bottom of the vertical side wall to allow any rain to escape before it fills up the compartment.

I already need to take a sponge and clean up in there, so it's not any extra hassle than what I go through now

Sounds like a bad idea. Clean up the area, use some 4200 and put it back in. It's probably backing up from the anchor locker.