Water in the belly of the boat

Jack H

New Member
Aug 9, 2022
3
Boat Info
2000 Sea Ray Sundancer 310
Engines
Mercruiser 350 Horizon
I have a 2000 Sea Ray 310 Sundancer. The water tank is located in the aft cabin under the cushions. I discovered a fitting on top of the tank has been leaking when filling & the water has run from the top of the tank into the belly. The repair was quick, simple. However, I now have some water trapped between the floor & hull. the water is trapped against the cabin side of the wall to the bilge. I was surprised to learn there's no drainage from the belly of the boat to the bilge. I'm considering putting a 4" access hatch in the aft cabin floor (there appears to be a cavity between the floor & hull). Has anyone else had to remove water from the belly of the boat?
 
Sea Ray PURPOSEFULLY separates the forward bilge (belly) from the engine bilge. Unless you'd prefer that fumes from the engine bilge find their way into the cabin? Also, you could get nasty engine bilge water flowing forward and stinking things up.

If you had a bunch of people on the bow, could you get the water to run forward to your shower sump area?

Is there enough space to stick a tube down between the tank and aft wall and then suck it out? What about just shoving a towel down and letting it absorb some water, pull it out and ring it out, then repeat?
 
Sea Ray PURPOSEFULLY separates the forward bilge (belly) from the engine bilge. Unless you'd prefer that fumes from the engine bilge find their way into the cabin? Also, you could get nasty engine bilge water flowing forward and stinking things up.

If you had a bunch of people on the bow, could you get the water to run forward to your shower sump area?

Is there enough space to stick a tube down between the tank and aft wall and then suck it out? What about just shoving a towel down and letting it absorb some water, pull it out and ring it out, then repeat?

Agree about the fumes however most boat have a tunnel that runs from the bow to the bilge. A drain plug on the bilge side of the wall would solve that issue. Poor design in my opinion. The tank is tight to the wall however that'll be what I explore next. I'm hoping maybe a thin tube attached to the shop vac hose.
 
Go read my stuff. On a 370, the "belly" bilge is finished, has a bilge pump, the grey water sump pump, and is the center under floor storage area. The engine room bilge stops at the bulkhead between it and the mid cabin. Under the mid cabin floor, and up to the "belly" bilge is unfinished, to the keel voids, that are flanked by the main stringers of the vessel. Some are foam filled, but some that were "supposed to be" by the engineering drawings, are not. Water finds its way to that space. You have no access to it, unless you bring a saw to the fight.
Bottom line, if the water is there, it will come back. If it sits for years, you get a garden of spores and bad things.
 
Repair to source of leak was quick, easy so not expecting water to continue into belly. Just a matter of removing the water that leaked there now.
 

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