Help me someone.....

H

Helpless

New Member
Apr 7, 2009
9
Please anyone someone,

I am at a loss.. I have a 2007 Sea Ray Sundancer. The boat has NEVER listed. Every year it is pullled out and blocked and wrapped. I have abt a 500 lb listing issue on starboard side. Everything has been checked including diesel tanks, fuel bunk tank, no leaks no water in stringers or fuel bunk tank. Sea Ray is involved. There is not weight distribution issue with personal articles. The 3-4" listing to starboard side is nuts...,..Someone help.... The boat has never done this. and after 2 years i find it very strange that after launch it is listing..Searay is shaking their heads as well as marinemax..Water tanks full, diesel tanks full & waste tank empty.. no cracks in hull or spidering. No conditions have changed except haul out and storage n launch. Someone help before I rip all my hair out of my head..
 
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What 2007 Sundancer do you have?


Welcome to the forum.

Sorry to hear about your issue.

Their must be an issue that has been overlooked.

After reading thru the above, assuming all mentioned items have been checked, I’d be looking for concealed trapped water. 62 gallons of water would do it.
 
Just a thought.

I was doing some work to my 320 and opened the access panels under the helm seat to run some wires and found that it was trapping water. The access pannels are visible when you lift the engine hatch. I have 3 on my boat. I estimate that there was about 5 to 10 gallons of water inside the seat base, but it could easily hold a few hundred gallons and I wouldn't have known it.

I'm not sure how to fix it. My first thought was to drill a hole and let it drain but it would be draining on top of my batteries. Right now the water is still in there until I figure out a long term solution. When you find your problem, be be sure to share it here..
 
My first reaction when I read this thread earlier was that it was some kind of trapped water issue.

Vince, How about doing a sink drain through hull in reverse? Bore a hole in the compartment the same diameter as the sink through hull. Install it with the flush side in the compartment (don't forget caulking etc.). Now attach the same plastic flex hose used for the sink drain long enough to get to some point lower in the bilge that avoids draining on anything.

Henry
 
Helpless - please post the details of your boat. 2007 Sundancer does not give anyone a clue how to help you. :thumbsup:
 
Helpless said:
Please anyone someone,

I am at a loss.. I have a 2007 Sea Ray Sundancer. The boat has NEVER listed. Every year it is pulled out and blocked and wrapped. I have abt a 500 lb listing issue on starboard side. Everything has been checked including diesel tanks, fuel bunk tank, no leaks no water in stringers or fuel bunk tank. Sea Ray is involved. There is not weight distribution issue with personal articles. The 3-4" listing to starboard side is nuts...,..Someone help.... The boat has never done this. and after 2 years i find it very strange that after launch it is listing..Searay is shaking their heads as well as marinemax..Water tanks full, diesel tanks full & waste tank empty.. no cracks in hull or spidering. No conditions have changed except haul out and storage n launch. Someone help before I rip all my hair out of my head..
Click to expand...

Either there is water trapped or the hull is warped from sitting on a bad rack system. If you find a section with significant water trapped, install a bilge pump in that area. For the warp....get a survey done and get a good lawyer.:huh:
 
Henry Boyd said:
Vince, How about doing a sink drain through hull in reverse? Bore a hole in the compartment the same diameter as the sink through hull. Install it with the flush side in the compartment (don't forget caulking etc.). Now attach the same plastic flex hose used for the sink drain long enough to get to some point lower in the bilge that avoids draining on anything.

Henry
Click to expand...

Henry,
That is close to what I was thinking; a sink drain with a hose down to the bilge. The water appears to have collected when the boat got washed. There isn't that much water, but now I know that water sprayed on the seat doesn't drain. It's on my to do list, but it's not that urgent.
 
ok guys drilled 3 holes no water trapped. all areas dry. fuel bunk dry, inside all dry stringer dry.. its a 2007 400 Sundancer. I agree it is abt 75 gallons of water somewhere... but w cameras for imaging.. no water found in stringers, bunk, water tanks ok... Inside all floor compartments dry..checked and drilled dont want to drill to much. A frame of a 07 sundancer is glass. cant twist.
Helpless said:
Please anyone someone,

I am at a loss.. I have a 2007 Sea Ray Sundancer. The boat has NEVER listed. Every year it is pullled out and blocked and wrapped. I have abt a 500 lb listing issue on starboard side. Everything has been checked including diesel tanks, fuel bunk tank, no leaks no water in stringers or fuel bunk tank. Sea Ray is involved. There is not weight distribution issue with personal articles. The 3-4" listing to starboard side is nuts...,..Someone help.... The boat has never done this. and after 2 years i find it very strange that after launch it is listing..Searay is shaking their heads as well as marinemax..Water tanks full, diesel tanks full & waste tank empty.. no cracks in hull or spidering. No conditions have changed except haul out and storage n launch. Someone help before I rip all my hair out of my head..
Click to expand...
 
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Helpless said:
ok guys drilled 3 holes no water trapped. all areas dry. fuel bunk dry, inside all dry stringer dry.. its a 2007 400 Sundancer. I agree it is abt 75 gallons of water somewhere... but w cameras for imaging.. no water found in stringers, bunk, water tanks ok... Inside all floor compartments dry..checked and drilled dont want to drill to much. A frame of a 07 sundancer is glass. cant twist.
Click to expand...

Get a marine survey, the guy WILL find water if's trapped somewhere. You may need it anyways to have a professional opinion should there be need for major work and a the lawyer.
 
My suggestion was to open the access panel on the starboard bench seat an look inside for water. It has nothing to to with the sink on the port side. My seat collected water which leaked through and around the cushions. The seat base on my boat doesn't have a drain. Just a thought..
 
I am clear on that. Three surveyors are at a loss as well. I would hire a marine architect however this is the first time the boat has ever done this. Working with sea ray as well as Marinemax. However they arent the brightest bulbs in the bunch...I have a friend who brought his camera down today and got it into the hull stringer and every hole drilled under bunk tank. when we put 500 lbs of people on port side mid ship, it helped however didnt bring it up to where it should be. Tomorrow she is going back in water. and if it is worse than im gonna rip someones head off their neck!!!! I am going to check under help seats.. great idea..
 
Okay her eis a SWAG,

Since no hiddent water has been found, and we know we are heavy to port, we now must assume that it is hidden. This is wild, but water weighs more than fuel, about 20% more. Is it possible that water has displaced fuel in your port tank?

Was your fuel stolen during lay up and relaced with water?
 
Helpless said:
when we put 500 lbs of people on port side mid ship, it helped however didnt bring it up to where it should be. Tomorrow she is going back in water.
Click to expand...
How did this added 500 lbs help if the boat is out of the water?
Now I admit that I have 0.0 experience in a boat this big, so...Is it possible it was dropped? The hull is collapsed in a spot, but still be watertight? But the collapse is only visable with the force of the water against it?
I've seen big stuff get dropped. Damage is not always easy to spot.
I bet Gary would know. He may be a wise a$$ But seems really smart with this stuff.
 
Here is another WAG. Is anything from the other side missing?
 
Boat has full tanks on both side. We ran boat out and even topped off diesel tanks. boat wasnt dropped. Hull was inspected. The issue is finding the water before I can pump it out. Gonna check under helm seat. no water anywhere. on a 400 sport yacht there arent many sealed compartments. Going to splash her again at 9am today, so lets see if listing is any worse. All weight distribution same. nothing changed. stay tuned. Will let everyone know later what she does.
 
ok... so again no water.. Im thinking twisted a smidgen. has come up about 1". The surveyor seems to think that the issue. there is nothing else we can check. so the million dollar question is why can't Sea Ray come clean and admit that it is possible. Im gonna let the boat sit for 2 weeks and see what it does. If it resolves itself that we will all know...the answer to that million dollar question...Thank you all for the helpful suggestions..
It's five o'clock somewhere..Anchors Away!!!:smt043
 
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A boat’s hull will change shape slightly every time it is splashed after being on the hard for several months. I am told this is why engine alignment should be done in the water and after the hull has settled on its preferred shape.

With regard to it being twisted or racked, I would think that taking measurements should be able to confirm this.
 
I have been banging my head against a wall for 2 weeks. At least i feel better that its not water intrusion.
 
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