Adventure 20 access to middle bilge

[marki55e]

I have a 1995 Adventure 20. The water in the middle part of the boat was not draining back towards the bilge. Next to the drain in the cabin floor we cut an access hole and installed a deck plate. There is always water under the cabin floor. Usually one to two inches of water. Using a pump we were able to manually pump out over 10 gallons of water. Some times there are only a few gallons but it is always wet. When running the boat with the bow higher water goes to the bilge and gets pumped out.

Aside from the water we have a different problem. There is a drain tube that goes from the cabin area back to the bilge. Figuring it was plugged we ran a snake down the tube. Somewhere about the back of the helm the snake came out of the tub and twisted on itself. Now the snake is stuck in the pipe. I have tried about everything but it is not going to come out. Moving it around we can hear it on the port side about where the fish box is. It sounds like a hollow area.

I am not able to access this area. The access hole in front of the fishbox only goes to the fishbox drain. The access hole under the port side helm does not go down. The front gas tank access hole only opens to the top of the tank. There is a storage box in the base of the seats but it does not look like an insert. Even if I was to cut a hole in the bottom of the box I do not know if it would be open to the bottom.

Does anyone know how to get down to this area or have some suggestions?

 

[seasick]

I have a later model 208 but I think the hull is the same. My boat always collects water in the mid to forward bilge area. That water only drains aft when the bow is significantly higher than the stern such as when launching at a ramp or when stored on the trailer and I raise the tongue about a foot. This issue has always been present and I stopped thinking about it years ago. I suspect that water gets into the anchor locker from the rain or from wet rode after retrieving the anchor. On the hull, the water in the anchor locker drains into the bilge. There is a drain tube that runs under the tank compartment and opens into the fresh water tank area. From there it drains into the aft bilge.
I don't know what tube you snaked on the port side. I don't have one there. Rigging tube is on the starboard side. On the port there is just the inner fiberglass mold and the outer hull. I suspect your snake got jammed in the crevice near the water line. The snake may be struck there forever. You may be able to see something by looking from inside the oil tank locker

 

[DennisG01]

Like Seasick mentioned, with many Grady's, the "forward" bilge is slightly lower than the main, aft bilge due to the hull design. It's very normal for a small amount of water to collect there - aside from rain from the anchor locker, it could even be "aft" bilge water that runs forward as you're boucing along.

I "suspect" that your snake got caught up in the fuel tank "coffin" area. Does your boat have a large, removable center floor section? If so, unscsrew it for better access to this coffin area.

 

[marki55e]

Thanks for your replies. The snake went down the middle tube. It just sounds like when it got stuck it turned to the port side.
Does anyone have a layout or picture of what it looks like under the deck in the hull?

 

[seasick]

If you went down the middle in the somewhat small diameter drain tube, you probably passed under the gas tank and its aft bulkhead and got stuck somewhere in the fresh water tank area. There should be a panel over that that right in front of the motor well dam. You have to remove the caulk and 6 or 8 screws. Pry up the lid keeping an eye out for various rubber shims. Note what ship goes where for later reassembly. If you are lucky, you may see your snake. You may be able to free it up. If you see it but can't free it up, you will have to pull the water tank. and to do that you may need to disconnect the fuel line.
Also Dennis is correct stating that aft bilge water can flow forward just from slowing down and may not drain aft. I would call the hull a dry bilge aft and a 'who wudda thunk' wet bilge forward.

 

[DennisG01]

You gotta just pull the panel off. It's not like "knowing" what's under there is going to help... you still need to get in there to un-jamb it, you know? Less talkin' 'bout it and more action!

 

[Paul_A]

marki55e when I replaced the fuel tank 2 years ago in my 1993 208 I removed that large deck hatch and then the tank. Just forward of the fuel tank is the bulkhead that makes up the rear of that empty space you are talking about.

I cut a 6" hole in the rear of that bulkhead to see the size of that dead space and clear the drain. There was debris that made it in there over the years, likely from the anchor locker, partially blocking the drain.

I plugged the hole I cut with a deckplate and for now have decided not to mess with that space because it's small, maybe around 2'x2' by 18" deep so small storage at best.

I don't know where your snake is hung up but I do know I hated water in the bow and that dead space so I epoxied in a false floor in the anchor locker to keep rainwater and debris from making it into the bilge.

I'm guessing those tubes you're describing are the drain tubes Grady installed to route bilge water through the bulkheads. No reason for a snake to get bound up, just put some gloves on and give it a good pull.

 

[Paul_A]

Pic of the tank going in. Can barely make out the hole for the deck plate I installed in that bulkhead. No water tank in mine so no bulkhead directly behind fuel tank.

 

[Paul_A]

Old tank coming out. Hopefully yours doesn't look like this...

 

[seasick]

Looking at the picture of Paul_A's deck, i see that my deck is different and perhaps so is Mark's. My 208 does not have a deck panel over the gas tank. To remove the tank, you have to cut the deck. The tank is poly, not aluminum and I guess Grady figured that it would never need to re replaced. That may be..
Aft of where the tank is mounted is a space for a fresh water tank. That has a screwed/caulked lid as I mentioned.
I don't see a space in Pauls's deck for a water tank. If the OP's deck looks like Pauls and not like mine, then my suggestions wouldn't apply

 

[Paul_A]

My recollection is Grady went to poly in the 208 in 1998 or 1999 but I wouldn't bet much money on it.

Hopefully the OP clues us in as to what his has.

 

[Sdfish]

My 1999 208 has a poly tank.

 

[seasick]

My 1999 208 has a poly tank.

Does it have a deck lid panel that can be removed to remove the tank?
I noticed that at some point in time that panel was eliminated but was reintroduced in newer model years up to present year. I don't know when those changes were made

 

[enfish]

My recollection is Grady went to poly in the 208 in 1998 or 1999 but I wouldn't bet much money on it.

Hopefully the OP clues us in as to what his has.

1998 would be correct. My 1995 hull was replaced in 1998 under warranty. It went back to Grady with a deck hatch and aluminum tank. It came back with a solid deck, poly tank, and a bow pulpit. So I may have the only 1995 hull with sealed in poly tank.

 

[trapper]

Mine is a 2006 208 sealed (no access) with a poly tank.

 

[Sdfish]

Seasick - no deck panel, solid deck with no access.

 

[Holokai]

2005 - poly tank, no access panel (only the small one above the freshwater tank).

There are two rigging tubes on the stbd aide and one on the port. The model year owners manual usually has diagram as that show the rigging tube layout. It should be available on the Grady website or through customer service.

 

[steveditt]

My recollection is Grady went to poly in the 208 in 1998 or 1999 but I wouldn't bet much money on it.

Hopefully the OP clues us in as to what his has.

98 Poly