Water in Cabin

Lipidman · Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 2:18 pm Post subject: Water in Cabin

I am the proud new owner of Thisaway (2006 22’ Cruiser). Battery left on 2. Both bilge pumps on Auto. When we have a downpour (3.4”/hr.) by the time I get to the boat (at the dock)the water in the cockpit is lower than the floorboards but there is 3” of water in the cabin. What am I doing wrong?

Swee Pea · Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 3:41 pm Post subject: Water

Check your bilge pump hose that pumps water out from mid boat. These cheap plastic crappy hoses get cracks and when you think your pump is pumping water out of the boat, the bilge is pumping it in. Happened to me. Bought a reinforced hose at the hardware store. Problem solved. Also, make sure your bilge pump float is working properly. Had to replace mine twice, electronic float bad but manual worked. Junk!

Good place to start anyway.

John
Swee Pea

thataway · Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 3:55 pm Post subject:

I didn't have that problem--so something may have changed. When you say 3" of water in the cabin--do you mean in the sump which is under the cabin step? If so, this is where the water is supposed to go, and be pumped out. If it is not pumping out, I would suspect that the automatic switch has failed, or something caught under it. That sump is connected to the area under the removable floor boards. There is a hole under the removable floorboards--which allows the water at the low point, when boat is on the trailer or in the water to drain into the sump. The aft bilge pump is only going to be active when the boat is underway. I added that pump when I bought the boat about 2011.

If it was in the cabin floor--the only time I found some water on the galley counter and had run a few drops onto the floor, was a leak around the aft hand rail on the starboard side of the cabin aft bulkhead. That was repaired and sealed several years ago--and no leak. Another possibility is the water tank or its hose system had a leak. To have that much water on the floor, the door or a window would have to be open--or come from the cockpit..

For 3" of water to be in the main cabin floor--there would have to be failure of the sump walls under the step going into the cabin, or delimitation of the tabbing holding the cabin aft bulkhead to the cabin floor. Both of these were intact when I sold the boat about 15 months ago.

Lipidman · Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 5:03 pm Post subject: Thanks

Thanks, I’ll follow up on all your suggestions. The water was all the way up to the bow. Complete with floating PotiPotty!

Swee Pea · Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 8:26 pm Post subject: Water

Yep. Exactly what I had. Float switch or cracked hose. Unnerving.

John
Swee Pea

gstraub · Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 1:35 pm Post subject:

I have had a less severe but similar problem. Water appears to be seeping into the cabin from the little compartment where the bilge pump is. I have fiberglassed all three sides around the bilge pump area and I am still getting water seeping in. I am about at my wits end!

thataway · Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 4:49 pm Post subject:

Gerhard, have you put food dye into the water--and put it in the sump?
That way you often can find a dye trail. Another more sophisticated way is to use a fluorescent dye, and UV flashlight after dark.--this can even find smaller traces.

I have heard of some folks pressurizing the cabin of RV or boat--using a vacuum, so the pressure is about 1 PSI--and then using soap bubbles to see where the air is leaking out. Problem with the C Dory is that there are some bigholes--anchor locker, and the area under the gunnels on both sides of the after bulkhead.

kaelc · Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 7:02 pm Post subject: Re: Water in Cabin

gstraub · Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2019 8:11 am Post subject:

"Gerhard, have you put food dye into the water--and put it in the sump? "

I have not done that yet, but I was thinking of it. I just didn't want to stain anything, but maybe that isn't a problem. It looks like it is just coming in under that board, but I just don't see how that is possible anymore with the fiberglass. Guess I'll go rummage around the kitchen!

thataway · Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2019 12:27 pm Post subject:

First Draft · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 9:48 am Post subject:

ssobol · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 10:03 am Post subject:

In my boat, the outlet for the pump is higher than the pump itself. There is a check valve, but any water in the outlet house below the valve will flow back into the sump when the pump cuts off.

thataway · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 1:23 pm Post subject:

Thisaway had a check valve which was removed. At that time, (2011) I replaced the tubing--but it could detiorrate in the 8 years. Check valves are double edged swords. They tend to keep the water from back flowing (some times), but also may be obstruction to outflow....

Lipidman · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 2:03 pm Post subject:

Hose is fine. I’m pretty sure it’s the float valve.

Swee Pea · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 2:54 pm Post subject: Water

I had to replace a Rule 1100 bilge pump twice due to a bad electronic float valve. Junk. Would rather have a separate float; easy to diagnose and cheaper to replace just the float.

John
Swee Pea