Is this normal 03 282

[A&J Outdoors]

So that is just a "false floor" in the storage area, correct?

Are there any drains?

I suspect it's a very simple false floor and not sealed in any way so water that gets in there will pass right through cracks around the edge and into the bilge? Pour some water in there and see what happens.

I see the waterline you're talking about - that could have been from a plug in the bilge drain system at some point or even the boat stored with the bow down and water was allowed to collect.

Options... replumb the drains to the forward bilge... replumb the drains directly through the false floor.

Looking at it, it appears a forward corner and an aft corner of the box is tapered and not sealed. That must be how it drains to the bilge below it. I'll put some water in there today and see.

 

[mleads310]

Sorry just reading up on this. Correct. The gray water goes to a small box under the hatch at the bottom of the stairs where it is then pumped out. The small box inside the hatch at the bottom of the stairs has a float switch type pump. keep in mind I would take it out once in a while and flush it because it does get gunked up and could get stuck open which has happened to me twice. The blackwater is separate and is held in a black water tank behind the access panel in the mid-birth area.

 

[mleads310]

Regarding that box, you could always just drill a quarter inch hole in each corner and play it safe and then it would drain safely until the bilge.

 

[A&J Outdoors]

Ok so from the pictures below you can clearly see the floor drains do drain into that box, then in two of the corners of the box (one fore and one aft) you can see that they are not sealed. So while you could use it for storage, it is not dry storage. What ever I put there will be in a sealed container.

 

[mleads310]

It's highly unlikely those drains lead directly into that box, at least not directly. Those drains on the floor are forward the box and much lower of a grade than the box itself. The only thing I can think of is that your forward bilge is filling up with so much water that it's seeping into the box when forward bilge water level raises high enough. To be honest my forward bilge never raised to that level but if it did I absolutely could see it filling the box of the water once it got high enough.

 

[igblack87]

What did the survey say about that?

 

[mleads310]

Here's a quick sketch. Just let me know if you understand what I'm trying to say. It's just a rough sketch.

 

[mleads310]

I'm just spitballing here but The thing is, if you're forward bilge is filling up with enough water to reach the corners or the seams of that box. That means that the drains that lead from the forward bilge to the aft bilge are clogged. That forward bilge should never reach a water level high enough without it draining to the rear bilge before reaching a critical level.

 

[A&J Outdoors]

What did the survey say about that?

Nothing other than noting the water marks.

 

[A&J Outdoors]

Here's a quick sketch. Just let me know if you understand what I'm trying to say. It's just a rough sketch.View attachment 29456

Good drawing skills . but it is incorrect. The box goes forward under the floor drains. Look at my picture above, with my finder in the drain, picture taken from in the box.. I have a video of the area if pictures are not good enough. The addition below, (red) shows where the box actually goes forward under those drains.

 

[A&J Outdoors]

I'm just spitballing here but The thing is, if you're forward bilge is filling up with enough water to reach the corners or the seams of that box. That means that the drains that lead from the forward bilge to the aft bilge are clogged. That forward bilge should never reach a water level high enough without it draining to the rear bilge before reaching a critical level.

Yes the water does freely go from fore to aft. We filled the aft bilge to test the float switch and the water went to the forward bilge.
I have not had water in that box ever, but it was just interesting to me how Grady designed that.

 

[wahoo33417]

Maybe you could fit some tubing into those drain holes and route that tubing into the bilge, even if it meant boring some holes in the storage compartment? Hopefully the tubing could be made to hug the sides of the storage box so it wouldn't be in the way and wouldn't get crushed.

A drawback is that tubing inserted into the drains obviously would be of much smaller inside diameter than the drains and would drain more slowly. Not so good in an emergency. Maybe there is a way to 4200 a section of pvc on the underside of the drain to allow for greater diameter tubing.

Not knowing the layout of your year Sailfish, I'm just throwing ideas out there. I wish I had a storage box under my mid-berth!

 

[Peterb21]

Thanks I guess it was meant that way, but without the ac options, if they would have those rains go into the bilge, it would make a great storage spot. Here are some pictures for those that don't understand what I was asking about.
View attachment 29432View attachment 29437View attachment 29438

I have factory air conditioning on my '03 282 and also factory inverter. My inverter and battery are in the box you are describing. Water should not be getting into that box I don't think. There is a drain area that runs from the forward bilge the the aft bilge.

 

[mleads310]

I always failed art class lol. Wow ok that's interesting tho. On my 2001 sailfish the box stops at the lip before the drains. I am too surprised why Grady would do this. Regardless at least you were able to investigate and learn a little bit more about what's going on under that area. Now it comes down to the best way to make the situation better. Me personally, I would run pvc tube from the floor drain straight thru the box and out the bottom, so that way the water bypasses the box entirely and goes straight to the bilge.

 

[Peterb21]

I have factory air conditioning on my '03 282 and also factory inverter. My inverter and battery are in the box you are describing. Water should not be getting into that box I don't think. There is a drain area that runs from the forward bilge the the aft bilge.

 

[Fishtales]

It's designed that way. Why, cause it was cheap and quick. Either add scuppers with elbows and run hoses or live with it. Many manufacturers drain some things directly into the bilge.

 

[Late Again Grady]

Your forward bilge shouldn't let the water build up enough to cover the false floor/shelf. I have that same shelf which is where the holding tank for the head resides.