Water in bilge

G

GaryO

New Member
May 2, 2021
18
Boat Info
1995 Sea Ray 270 Sundancer
Engines
454 mercruiser Bravo 2 outdrive
Recently purchased 1998 330 sundancer.. first boat with twin v drives..I’m getting a few gallons of water in my bilge each week.. should I be concerned? Thanks
 
I don't know whether you have immediate concern or not.

Over time a normally dry bilge makes it much easier to see a problem earlier. If you keep it dry, then once you see any water you can start the investigation to find the source. Hopefully before it becomes a more significant issue.
 
With dripless shaft seals you really shouldn't have any water. Check those first. Then if not there, look at your fresh water system for leaks. If not there, look for rain water leaks. Good luck.
 
A couple of gallons a week is a lot. Why isn't your bilge pump keeping up with this? You need to pump out as much as you can and then use a wet-dry shop vac to get the rest out. From there you need to start looking for where the water is coming from. Do you know if the water comes in when the engines are running or when just sitting in the slip or are you in an open slip and could it be rain water?

In any case you need to check around all through hull fittings such as engine raw water fittings including the genny if you have one. Also look at intakes for air conditioning water pumps and you need to check all related hoses and clamps on all fittings. Next you have shaft seals and then the rudder shaft packing as well. Next look at the head and holding tank. And don't forget the shower sump. Once you have the bilge dry a good way to check is to wipe each area with a dry paper towel. This will not be easy as the 330 with v-drives is not an easy bilge to work in so you may need to devise a pole with a clamp on the end to hold the paper towel to reach some of the through hull fittings. This won't be easy but the effort is worth it. A wet bilge becomes a stinky bilge over time and could create other issues.

Good luck and let us know what you find and how you did it. The info could be helpful to others.
Shawn
 
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I would just add that patience in tracing water is key. In my experience it probably isn’t one source, and it can take time to finally get a dry bilge. It’s awesome once you finally get there though, any new sources of leaks are so easily identified and the engine room stays super clean.
 
Strecker25 said:
I would just add that patience in tracing water is key. In my experience it probably isn’t one source, and it can take time to finally get a dry bilge. It’s awesome once you finally get there though, any new sources of leaks are so easily identified and the engine room stays super clean.
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Agreed. Ideally, there should be no water. Took me two seasons to figure out where it was coming from and two haul outs to fix the problem. I still get freshwater in the bilge when it rains and need to sort that out, but since I'm in SoCal, it's only an issue once in a while. No more saltwater, which is nice!
 
My ‘95 330 had no overboard discharge thru hull for the water heater, the pressure valve would just leak into the bilge when the tank was heating and increasing pressure. Just a thought.
 
Strecker25 said:
I would just add that patience in tracing water is key. In my experience it probably isn’t one source, and it can take time to finally get a dry bilge. It’s awesome once you finally get there though, any new sources of leaks are so easily identified and the engine room stays super clean.
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5 leaks over 20 years. Still have one or two that are puttin me at wits end.
 
Thanks for all the responses.. boat is in freshwater.. takes on water while sitting in the slip with nothing running..no a/c, no water system, no toilet, no water heater, etc... must be shaft seals or rudders I'm guessing... on the bilge pumps... the one to the far rear is hooked to switch only.. it is in the lowest position in the bilge..should I change it to pump automatic so it keeps the bilge pumped out? thanks again
 
GaryO said:
Thanks for all the responses.. boat is in freshwater.. takes on water while sitting in the slip with nothing running..no a/c, no water system, no toilet, no water heater, etc... must be shaft seals or rudders I'm guessing... on the bilge pumps... the one to the far rear is hooked to switch only.. it is in the lowest position in the bilge..should I change it to pump automatic so it keeps the bilge pumped out? thanks again
Click to expand...
If you keep your boat in the water your pumps should have an auto option.
 
FootballFan said:
Don't forget you could be getting rain water from somewhere.
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It is in a covered dock and has the cockpit cover on it when we are not using the boat...also, just had a month of no rain at all and still taking on water... thanks for the response though
 
GaryO said:
Thanks for all the responses.. boat is in freshwater.. takes on water while sitting in the slip with nothing running..no a/c, no water system, no toilet, no water heater, etc... must be shaft seals or rudders I'm guessing... on the bilge pumps... the one to the far rear is hooked to switch only.. it is in the lowest position in the bilge..should I change it to pump automatic so it keeps the bilge pumped out? thanks again
Click to expand...
I believe that both are on automatic switches. The higher one kicks in and has an alarm wired on it, but both are normally automatic pumps,
 
If you're turning off the freshwater pump switch when you leave the boat for an extended period and you're still seeing water you can pretty much rule out the freshwater system unless it's a crack in the tank. You can also empty the fresh water tank the next time you leave the boat for an extended period. Shop-Vac dry out the bilge and then see what it looks like next time you show up.

I owned the 1995 version of your boat, I would start with the shaft seals as well if your freshwater system is not the source.
 
next time before you leave the boat, lay some diapers below the shaft seal area. Water might run back down the shaft before dropping, so have them further back than forward.

Just a process of eliminating one source at a time.
 
i've had the Garboard drain let water in when it was slipped. Next time your boat is out of the water you may want to remove and reseal it with tape or dope. Just a thought.
 
Thanks again for all the helpful tips...I'm get started on them this weekend
 
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