Deck drain ports located at waterline...water coming into the cockpit

[FREEDOM!!!]

Noticed something yesterday that slightly concerns me. The aft drain ports sit right at the waterline. I had a few friends on the boat yesterday and noticed that water was coming up through the drain and pooling in the cockpit. You could watch the water go up and down in the cabin with the waves. Is this normal? You can see here how low the ports are.

 

[Hookup1]

Do you mean cockpit or cabin? I get a little water in my cockpit.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

Do you mean cockpit or cabin? I get a little water in my cockpit.

Yes. Cockpit. Where the drains are. Water comes back up through the drain.

 

[Hookup1]

Common problem. Especially if fuel tanks are full. Get skinnier friends of have them stay up front!

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

Common problem. Especially if fuel tanks are full. Get skinnier friends of have them stay up front!

Ok, I feel better. The tank is very full. I'm still in that "first Grady" phase where everything is like "is that normal"?

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

Here's my old boat. You can see how much higher the drain port is.

 

[Hookup1]

It’s all a function of where the manufacturer sets the deck.

 

[Fishtales]

Not a good design if you ask me. Not sure why they wouldn't have put them a little higher knowing the larger OBs people are putting on the boats. All you need is a slight pitch.
You have some options:
- If the lines are accessible, have one way check valves put in the lines,
- Replace the thru hulls with the ones with balls in them that mitigate reverse flow.
- Check the flaps and maybe see if they can be fitted better to mitigate flow in.

On a lot of GWs the lines are near impossible to get at. Not good when the boat is older as a breached line allows water right into the bilge.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

Not a good design if you ask me. Not sure why they wouldn't have put them a little higher knowing the larger OBs people are putting on the boats. All you need is a slight pitch.
You have some options:
- If the lines are accessible, have one way check valves put in the lines,
- Replace the thru hulls with the ones with balls in them that mitigate reverse flow.
- Check the flaps and maybe see if they can be fitted better to mitigate flow in.

On a lot of GWs the lines are near impossible to get at. Not good when the boat is older as a breached line allows water right into the bilge.

I just checked the flaps. All 4 were pushed inside. Had to pull them back out. I think that was the problem. thanks for the tip.

 

[Flot]

I don't think you should be having this issue with a brand new "top tier" boat. I'd compare with some other new 235 owners and see where theirs end up.

Even on my 20 year old 330, the drains are a couple inches above the waterline - and good thing, too, because after 15-20 years, the hoses start to rot and you'd end up with water pouring into your bilge.

Now, maybe you had 800 lbs of guests on board, and it isn't a super critical problem, BUT.. I'd be unhappy. And as you noted your "cheaper" boat didn't have this issue.

From your photo, if your boat was kept in the water, you'd have barnacles growing INSIDE your hoses. I'd escalate this to your dealer and grady corporate and see what they have to say. Seems like a pretty big oversight for a brand new boat, unless you have a lot of extra weight in the boat you forgot to mention? Was your boat listing to starboard (like, did you have 200 lbs of ice on board?) in that photo?

It may be a characteristic of that particular hull, but that doesn't make it okay.

Compare to photos here, where even with the normal-size-adult captain, the thru hulls appear to be an inch or so higher - although I found a couple more where bottom paint was drawn right through the middle of the thru-hulls, like yours: https://sportfishtrader.com/boat/2020-grady-white-23-235-freedom-dual-console-for-sale/

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I had something similar off the back of my 228 Seafarer when I first bought it almost 2 years ago now. The rubber scupper flappers were "loose" and bending to where they were letting water flow back inside the cockpit area. I went to my local GW dealer and bought 3 rubber scupper flappers, I think they were like $10 a piece, installed those and haven't had the issue since. I plan on spending the $30 or so each year to swap them out for new ones so that I don't have a potential issue while my boat is out on a mooring buoy all summer.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

I don't think you should be having this issue with a brand new "top tier" boat. I'd compare with some other new 235 owners and see where theirs end up.

Even on my 20 year old 330, the drains are a couple inches above the waterline - and good thing, too, because after 15-20 years, the hoses start to rot and you'd end up with water pouring into your bilge.

Now, maybe you had 800 lbs of guests on board, and it isn't a super critical problem, BUT.. I'd be unhappy. And as you noted your "cheaper" boat didn't have this issue.

From your photo, if your boat was kept in the water, you'd have barnacles growing INSIDE your hoses. I'd escalate this to your dealer and grady corporate and see what they have to say. Seems like a pretty big oversight for a brand new boat, unless you have a lot of extra weight in the boat you forgot to mention? Was your boat listing to starboard (like, did you have 200 lbs of ice on board?) in that photo?

It may be a characteristic of that particular hull, but that doesn't make it okay.

Compare to photos here, where even with the normal-size-adult captain, the thru hulls appear to be an inch or so higher - although I found a couple more where bottom paint was drawn right through the middle of the thru-hulls, like yours: https://sportfishtrader.com/boat/2020-grady-white-23-235-freedom-dual-console-for-sale/

I don't think it's a defect. Looking at pictures of other 235s the ports are in the exact same location as mine. It could be a matter of just having a completely full gas tank and 20 gallon fresh water tank causing it to sit lower. I have looked at dozens of pictures and it seems that some look an inch or two above the water line and some look right on it or slightly below. Really a mixed bag. Out of the water they look to all be about an inch or so above the paint line. I'm going to keep an eye on it for a while. See what it looks like with half a tank of gas. I did discover that the port flaps had been pushed in which is likely why water was coming back into the cockpit. So that problem has been solved. But it is an interesting point you bring up that if I kept this in the water barnacles would probably start to grow in the hoses.

 

[DennisG01]

In a way, since your floor in the Grady is lower than your Sea Fox, the Grady has a lower COG so it has better handling "through the cones"

That's really all it comes down to - height of the floor vs waterline. Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with your boat!

I paint the inside of my scupper tubes - I just slop it in there with a rolled up paper towel.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

In a way, since your floor in the Grady is lower than your Sea Fox, the Grady has a lower COG so it has better handling "through the cones"

That's really all it comes down to - height of the floor vs waterline. Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with your boat!

I paint the inside of my scupper tubes - I just slop it in there with a rolled up paper towel.

Indeed, the handling of the Grady is far superior to the SeaFox. Night and day difference.

The boat lives on a lift so not much worry about long-term water intrusion through the ports.

 

[DennisG01]

The boat lives on a lift so not much worry about long-term water intrusion through the ports.

You won't have any issues with growth inside the tubes, then.

 

[Dark n’ Stormy]

Hello, just thought I’d share my solution on my 208 as after upgrading to a F225 and larger kicker my cockpit will start filling with two guys on the back deck fishing.. not sure if these marelon ball values would fit in a freedom but they work amazing for me. Only thing is you have to be damn sure to open them again after use so you don’t risk filling your boat with rainwater

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I'm sure luckydude will be along at some point to mention what he installed in his boat, but I believe it was a one way check or flapper valve? That way, you can have the water run out of the boat but not have it come back in, which would be nice, and you don't have to remember to turn the handle back into the open position every time. If I were to go about changing up my boat, something like what he did would be what I'd likely do as well.

 

[Dark n’ Stormy]

I'm sure luckydude will be along at some point to mention what he installed in his boat, but I believe it was a one way check or flapper valve? That way, you can have the water run out of the boat but not have it come back in, which would be nice, and you don't have to remember to turn the handle back into the open position every time. If I were to go about changing up my boat, something like what he did would be what I'd likely do as well.

I looked into a check value and I think that’s the best option especially for boats on trailers and floats, my boat lives in the ocean right now so I didn’t want muscles and barnacles growing on a check valve and plugging things up, either way it worth either upgrade to keep a dry deck while fishing

 

[PNW_Drifter]

I'm currently trying to solve the same issue with ping pong ball scruppers.

Design flaw. Physics and gravity are pretty predictiable. Other boats I've had never did this and have more freeboard. The Seafarer needs a higher deck and higher gunnels.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I looked into a check value and I think that’s the best option especially for boats on trailers and floats, my boat lives in the ocean right now so I didn’t want muscles and barnacles growing on a check valve and plugging things up, either way it worth either upgrade to keep a dry deck while fishing

I kept my boat in the water on a mooring buoy all last summer from basically early July to late September and I only had a few barnacles and other junk around the outside of the scuppers. Some brand new rubber scupper flappers kept the water from coming in and I didn't have any issues throughout the entire 3 months or so last year. I think lucky installed his halfway up underneath where the rear seats are so that he could gain access to them more easily and he hasn't had any issues with water intrusion.