New to me 222 Fisherman

pursuit2

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Hello - I own a 46C Viking but have thought a lot about how much I miss getting out on my own and on quick trips. Love the Viking, but it's a commitment making a trip. Picked up a 1999 GW 222 Fisherman out in Hampton Bays NY a couple of weeks ago. Boat is very clean and has a 2005 225 Yamaha 4 stroke. Also has the auxiliary fuel tank which I believe is 56 gallons.

2 questions I have so far that hopefully I can get some help with:

  • I notice when I am in the rear of the boat, the scupper on the side I am standing seems to go a little below the water line and let some sea water in. I also noticed the automatic bilge pump go off at least 3 times in the 2 hours I was puttering around. Is that normal for this model?

  • Also, I found the fuel tank valve to switch from main to auxiliary and vice versa, but there is also a switch on the dashboard that says "Main/AUX" as well. Does that switch do anything?
1719533762213.jpg

Thanks
Rob
 

Mustang65fbk

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Welcome aboard. In regards to the scuppers letting in water as well as the bilge pump going off... when I first bought my boat, a 2004 Grady White 228 Seafarer back in October of 2021, it would let water in as well when standing back there. Up on a plane it was no issue, but myself or my uncle standing back there and you'd get a small pool of water as we're both around 275 lbs or so. Simply replacing the rubber scupper flappers was all that I needed to do to remedy that situation as the rubber can get brittle, twisted or not seal completely, which allows the water to come in when extra weight is back there. You can get them locally from your local GW dealer, or there are a multitude of locations online you can get them. These are the ones from the local GW dealership at almost $10 a piece, which is quite a joke. You can get them for less online, or different brands like Gemlux or others sell them for a fraction of the price. I'm wondering if the bilge pump going off was because there was some water still in the boat that wasn't completely drained out all the way? Lots of boats have small nooks or crannies to where they won't drain 100% completely when on the trailer unless the boat is completely vertical. I'm betting that when you accelerated or got up on a plane, and then conversely slowed down or came to a stop, it likely freed up some of the water or it hit high enough on the bilge to pump it out. In regards to your second question... I'm not positive but my guess would be that the valve is what actually switches the tanks from the primary to the auxiliary tank, and then the switch at the dash switches the gauge or sending unit/sensor to show the correct level of fuel for each tank? I admittedly don't know very much about it as my boat just has the standard 92 gallon main fuel tank without having an auxiliary tank. But that would be my guess, and I'm sure someone will come along to confirm or deny that.


 
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pursuit2

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Welcome aboard. In regards to the scuppers letting in water as well as the bilge pump going off... when I first bought my boat, a 2004 Grady White 228 Seafarer back in October of 2021, it would let water in as well when standing back there. Up on a plane it was no issue, but myself or my uncle standing back there and you'd get a small pool of water as we're both around 275 lbs or so. Simply replacing the rubber scupper flappers was all that I needed to do to remedy that situation as the rubber can get brittle, twisted or not seal completely, which allows the water to come in when extra weight is back there. You can get them locally from your local GW dealer, or there are a multitude of locations online you can get them. These are the ones from the local GW dealership at almost $10 a piece, which is quite a joke. You can get them for less online, or different brands like Gemlux or others sell them for a fraction of the price. I'm wondering if the bilge pump going off was because there was some water still in the boat that wasn't completely drained out all the way? Lots of boats have small nooks or crannies to where they won't drain 100% completely when on the trailer unless the boat is completely vertical. I'm betting that when you accelerated or got up on a plane, and then conversely slowed down or came to a stop, it likely freed up some of the water or it hit high enough on the bilge to pump it out. In regards to your second question... I'm not positive but my guess would be that the valve is what actually switches the tanks from the primary to the auxiliary tank, and then the switch at the dash switches the gauge or sending unit/sensor to show the correct level of fuel for each tank? I admittedly don't know very much about it as my boat just has the standard 92 gallon main fuel tank without having an auxiliary tank. But that would be my guess, and I'm sure someone will come along to confirm or deny that.


Thank you for the reply and solid information. I don't trailer, so I likely won't address the scuppers until I haul for the Winter, but that's good intel and the links are very helpful. I'm pretty familiar with Bilge pumps and their associated issues. The auto one on this boat (like most others) leaves an inch or two in the bilge no matter what you do. I've learned to live with that on several boats. My plan is to keep an eye on the auto pump when I am not actually on board the boat and see if it continues to go off, meaning I am making water one way or the other. I refilled the main tank after the long run back from the Hamptons and an additional trip. I don't like the idea of fuel sitting in either tank for an extended time, so I will soon transfer to the AUX tank and see if your theory on the Panel Switch is correct and report back. Thanks again!
 

seasick

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Good luck with the boat!
The info on the helm tank switch is correct; It selects which tank signal connects to the fuel gauge.
That boat was originally 2 stoke powered I believe and the added weight of the 4S motor will cause the rear to sit lower a bit.
Old scupper valves cat let in water when they either stick open a bit of fail to close The scupper flapper valves however will not completely seal and you may always get a bit of water with the lower scuppers. That said, in reverse, you may get a lot of water if the flaps don't seal. When you look for replacements be aware that some Grady scuppers use a not so easy to find size and you may be forced to buy the expensive OEM parts.
1/16 of an inch difference in diameter can have a big effect on how they work.
You can but a multi size kit form manufacturers like TH Marine. I think there are three sizes and if you get lucky, one or even 2 may be good replacements.

The bilge pump cycling is a concern in my opinion . Those hulls are usually pretty dry overall and since the water may be coming in when operating the boat as opposed to over periods of time at the slip during rainy weather, I might see if I could inspect the scupper fittings and scupper tubes/hoses, thrus and the like.
I would look at all the thru hulls and seacocks as best I could for signs of water leaks.

The design of yours and many other Grady hulls allows water to pool mid section over time and for certain cases, that pooled water may run aft and trigger the pump. The angle required to do that is steep though and 'normal' angle changes while getting on plane often are not steep enough to get the mid ship water to run aft. Of course it is possible that there is some sort of water intrusion more forward that is causing the mid bilge to fill and eventually flow aft.
Two cycles in three minutes is not normal to me.
 
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Mustang65fbk

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I imagine, though I'm not 100% positive, that the scupper flappers on your boat are likely the same as on mine. I just got some the other day and confirmed with the local GW dealer before doing so, that the proper size for my boat is a 1.5" scupper flapper. A quick call to your local GW dealership would solve that issue rather quickly, and with you having a dock on both sides of the boat... you might even be able to replace the scupper flappers like there.
 

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On my 208 hull, there are two scuppers for the deck and two for the motor well. The flappers for the 4 are not the same diameter. I don't remember which is what but one set is 1/16 inch different. I think the deck scuppers are the smaller size and if you use the same size as the motor well, the flapper looks fine but wont open'.
That's why you should take the old one to the store for comparison
 

igblack87

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Good luck with the boat!
The info on the helm tank switch is correct; It selects which tank signal connects to the fuel gauge.
That boat was originally 2 stoke powered I believe and the added weight of the 4S motor will cause the rear to sit lower a bit.
Old scupper valves cat let in water when they either stick open a bit of fail to close The scupper flapper valves however will not completely seal and you may always get a bit of water with the lower scuppers. That said, in reverse, you may get a lot of water if the flaps don't seal. When you look for replacements be aware that some Grady scuppers use a not so easy to find size and you may be forced to buy the expensive OEM parts.
1/16 of an inch difference in diameter can have a big effect on how they work.
You can but a multi size kit form manufacturers like TH Marine. I think there are three sizes and if you get lucky, one or even 2 may be good replacements.

The bilge pump cycling is a concern in my opinion . Those hulls are usually pretty dry overall and since the water may be coming in when operating the boat as opposed to over periods of time at the slip during rainy weather, I might see if I could inspect the scupper fittings and scupper tubes/hoses, thrus and the like.
I would look at all the thru hulls and seacocks as best I could for signs of water leaks.

The design of yours and many other Grady hulls allows water to pool mid section over time and for certain cases, that pooled water may run aft and trigger the pump. The angle required to do that is steep though and 'normal' angle changes while getting on plane often are not steep enough to get the mid ship water to run aft. Of course it is possible that there is some sort of water intrusion more forward that is causing the mid bilge to fill and eventually flow aft.
Two cycles in three minutes is not normal to me.
To add...

I have a 2006 222 that had all the caulking around the transom pry outs get sun bleached and dry out. Try taking a hose at the dock and washing the deck down, look at the pry outs (gasket & caulking)...that could be an easy fix to your problem.

Great boat though, good luck with her!