Check your live well overflow 226 208 and others

[Summertop511]

Keep getting water all along the port side under the decks and port seat. Found the plastic 90 into the livewell drain on my 226 wasn’t threaded in tight nor and thread sealant. Paired with a low thru hull results in every rock in a wave dribbled water into boat. Had fun getting that out today.
The main thing tho is the overflow to keep fresh water in livewell wasn’t sealed or anything. Pouring water out the back. Basically pumping water right into boat. Moral of my story check your livewell plastic drains and livewell over flow.
It’s all saltwater that goes into your bilge and rots the gas tank too.

 

[Sdfish]

Good advice. I had some water in there and it came through the pry up hatches. I keep my live well valve closed unless I am using it. I check those spaces periodically.

 

[Bloodweiser]

I just rebuilt mine and added a shurflow fill valve on top and made the bottom fill a drain and teed it to the bottom drain with an additional ball valve online to the drain. Works well

 

[Summertop511]

Good advice. I had some water in there and it came through the pry up hatches. I keep my live well valve closed unless I am using it. I check those spaces periodically.

Same but the drain goes right to the thru hull on the side of the boat about above an inch above water line. Rocking back and forth water goes in thru hull and leaks out the 90° Elbow drain under box. There is no shut offs to the thru hull drains

 

[Sdfish]

Yep - agree Summer. I also changed my hoses in those areas, the elbows and other fittings were fine when I did. Even after I did that, I found moisture - it was coming thru those pry up hatches the best I could tell when washing the boat. 2 trips out and so far dry. Lets hope it stays that way.

What gets me is that I always have a little water in my bilge, I'm guessing from it settling in the lower part of the boat and flowing back when under way. Drives me crazy!

 

[Bloodweiser]

Yep - agree Summer. I also changed my hoses in those areas, the elbows and other fittings were fine when I did. Even after I did that, I found moisture - it was coming thru those pry up hatches the best I could tell when washing the boat. 2 trips out and so far dry. Lets hope it stays that way.

What gets me is that I always have a little water in my bilge, I'm guessing from it settling in the lower part of the boat and flowing back when under way. Drives me crazy!

I spray my fuel tanks with fresh water when I return, most of it drains out on the ride home, but im sure as well some settles and takes time to swish to the bilge. maybe thats what is going here for you??

 

[Sdfish]

I spray my fuel tanks with fresh water when I return, most of it drains out on the ride home, but im sure as well some settles and takes time to swish to the bilge. maybe thats what is going here for you??

Yes - I am pretty sure that the water accumulates as I wash the boat. I just can't get steep enough os an angle to fully drain on the way home.

 

[Summertop511]

Going to replace this, this weekend. Yeah after fishing this passed weekend my whole port side under the deck was soaked. Tracked it back to the leaking pretty good.

 

[Bloodweiser]

Both hoses? That one on the bottom looks like the culprit. Change drain fitting too? New hoses and clamps.. Set

 

[Joez]

When I replaced my thru hulls there this spring I was shocked at how loose everything was for those fittings. Granted my Seafarer is a '93, but still, the hose clamps were all just finger tight. Didn't even need a screwdriver to remove them

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Both hoses? That one on the bottom looks like the culprit. Change drain fitting too? New hoses and clamps.. Set

There is evidence in the picture the top hose is leaking down and on top of the lower hose. Also, maybe double up on the hose clamps? Fittings above the waterline are not required to have seacock shut off valves. At a minimum if you put new fittings in , just replace the hoses too and double up on the clamps. I use a nut driver to tighten my hose clamps. It's significantly better than using a screw driver.

 

[baytripper89]

Not sure if this thread is right place for me to post this but let me give it a try. I have an '89 Overnighter. I've posted in the past about an issue I've had for a while where the bilge pump kicks in when I have a heavier load on the boat. We'll be at anchor and it will periodically kick on – pump out some water and then stop. Has driven me crazy for a couple of years. 2 years ago I ended up with water in the cabin when my auto-bilge failed to kick on. (pump issue has since been resolved) Doesn't happen when I have a lighter load. I've gotten some suggestions here (like checking hoses that drain cockpit to scuppers). I've looked into this and some other possibilities – still no clear answer. Some have mentioned checking out the through-hull fittings for cracks etc. Sounds like many suggest replacing old plastic ones with new stainless steel as a good idea in general. Some have said to check live wells. There is one on each side – I never use – only fish occasionally -and as far as I know they are not in working condition. I've seen suggestions about shutting them off / closing them . Not sure how I would even do that on mine. Following up on suggestion I saw – I sprayed water into starboard side and saw it drain out through-hull. Then I plugged it up to see if it would leak - didn't. Tried same thing on port side but no water came out the through-hull. Assume this water found its way into bilge. My question – is there chance seawater is getting in through that port side through-hull and getting into bilge? Is it worth shooting water in from garden hose to see what happens?

I guess I could start new thread with this but some of what I saw you discussing seemed related to my questions. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Summertop511]

Way I found what was leaking is plug the thru hull on the side and fill the livewells. That way it fills the piping and you can see if it’s sealed. When boat is rocking in waves the side thru hulls go under water leaking water into bilge. Even if it’s a drip, over the course or eight hours I bet would fill a five gallon bucket. Plus it’s salt water. Got all my fitting water tight. On my port side fish box I had to use my cell phone to video if it was leaking because you can’t see the threaded 90.

 

[Tribal Chuk]

I’m having the same issue. I was noticing water in the bilge when I pull the plug. I dumped a few buckets of water into the livewell and cooler (port side), stuck my hand under there from the round pull out hatch on port lower gunnel and could feel the water dripping right out. How did you get under there to fix? I can’t figure out how to even get access to even see it never mind get a screw driver or anything in there

 

[Summertop511]

I’m having the same issue. I was noticing water in the bilge when I pull the plug. I dumped a few buckets of water into the livewell and cooler (port side), stuck my hand under there from the round pull out hatch on port lower gunnel and could feel the water dripping right out. How did you get under there to fix? I can’t figure out how to even get access to even see it never mind get a screw driver or anything in there

It’s a two person job. Need a step bit.
Stick a scraper or something in the drain in the box and unthread the drain out. There is two tabs inside the drain for the scraper to press against to thread out.
Once that’s out take the hose clamp off the hose that goes to the T and pull the hose and 90 out.
Now the hole where the drain once was u take the step but and reem the hole so the drain slides easily thru. Have other person hold the hose with 90 on end under it by the end of hose cuz u can reach that far and thread the drain inside the box into it making a very tight better then factory seal.
My hull is very very dry now

I would also recommend looking at the sink drain. Mine was broken right behind sink. Had to order the drain from factory. $8

 

[Tribal Chuk]

Awesome! Thank You

 

[Summertop511]

Awesome! Thank You

Ya kno, I think I used a hole saw to open the hole in the box. My step bit was too small

but all right and no leaks. Pita but didn’t have to cut any access hole.