Seperate buoyancy tanks

[Darren Aussie]

Hi,
I have a 2007 Searay 205 sport. I had a small crack in the port side of the boat just forward of the fuel filling pipe at the water line. In that area is there a seperate buoyancy tank that doesn't drain into bilges? My boat now lists over to port slightly!!!
Thanks
Darren

 

[BillK2632]

On those boats (my 185 is the same way) there is a liner that basically creates the cockpit and engine room. The center between the two stringers the liner goes to the bottom of the hull - that's where the ski locker, fuel tank are and that open area extends to the transom underneath the engine. Each side - outside of the stringers is sealed and filled with foam. The liner sits on the top of the stringers and creates the cockpit floor and the storage decks on each side of the engine. The area you are talking about is the shelf on each side of the engine is where the batteries are. So yes, if there was a crack or hole through the hull below the waterline in that area it would allow water into the sealed foamed area and it would be trapped, there are no drains leading back into the center of bilge. There is rarely a problem with these small SeaRays - there is almost no wood in them at all, except the transom - but when there is and you need access to that area (outboard of the engine) the process is to cut a hole for access and then replace the hole with an inspection plate.

So there was a crack in the hull there? How did that happen? And you are sure water leaked in? The hull on these boats is solid fiberglass and pretty thick - they are beefy little boats, so curious how it got a crack that went through the hull and not just the gelcoat.

Another option to at least know if there is water trapped in there is to drill a small hole in the bottom of the boat under that area - see of water drips out. I that might sound crazy, but a small 1/4" hole can easily be patched on the bottom like that. I might consider doing that before cutting holes in the liner/deck.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Thank you for saving my fingers, Bill!

In other words...ditto to everything that Bill said. Post a picture of this crack. It would have to be pretty substantial to allow water in. You said it was "small"... which sounds more like a simple gelcoat crack from hitting something or a stress crack... both would NOT allow water into the hull.

 

[Darren Aussie]

Thanks for the advice. When I got the boat the cracks existed. Its around the transverse frame (in front of the engine bay) on the after port side. I was told the boat landed heavily on the wharf. Your correct they are minor cracks in the fibreglass. I did get them bogged up to prevent water ingress.
I'm only assuming water has got in as the boat is listing over to port (slightly but enough to notice) when in the water and when up on plane it is even more noticeable so I'm trying to work out what's causing it.

 

[Strecker25]

It doesn’t take much to list a small boat. Start by looking at your load and where things are stored, what side the batteries are on, etc.

Your fuel tank will be on the centerline so that’s not a concern, does it have a small freshwater tank? Holding tank or porta potty?

as an example - our 290 with a 10’ beam will list a small amount when the freshwater tank is below 1/2 so it really doesn’t take much

 

[Lazy Daze]

So this isn't really a "new" thing... it could always have sat that way in the water? As mentioned, it doesn't take much for a small boat to list a bit one way or the other. Check on things in the boat and where they are stored.

Your battery is on the port side - that could do it. Two batteries?

While on plane... that could be due to not trimming the drive properly. Trimmed down too far for a given speed will cause listing as too much hull is in the water.