Water in fwd Bilge

Capt Tooch

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hi guys

I have some water in my fwd bilge, was just wondering if this is something to worry about and also how do i get it out. Bilge works fine and kicks right on when i lift the switch
 

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DennisG01

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Capt Tooch said:
hi guys

I have some water in my fwd bilge, was just wondering if this is something to worry about and also how do i get it out. Bilge works fine and kicks right on when i lift the switch

A pump can't evacuate all the water - they never do. But they do get most of the water out. It's not uncommon for them to leave an inch-ish of water in there, depending on the shape of the bilge and location of the pump. Use a sponge or a shop-vac.

Whether this is an issue or not depends on how the water got there. Can't help you with that - you'll have to figure that one out. We don't know what boat you have, but some boats are more prone to getting water in the forward bilge, depending on design and the circumstances the boat is operating in and/or rainwater/leaks.
 

DennisG01

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If you're not sure how it got there...

-- If you're in salt water, great. That can help. Taste the water.
-- Inspect it, dry it out completely. Monitor it.
-- If rainwater, simulate rain with a hose around the forward deck and check the area. If yes, narrow down the leak point.
-- I don't know the Sailfish very well, but a common place for cabin leaks is the anchor locker when the locker drains get plugged. Look for cracks in the anchor locker floor/walls.

There's more and I'm sure others can give you other things to look at - especially those with Sailfish's, themselves.
 

grady33

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I had a 2000 sailfish and there is a pvc pipe that goes from front to rear and they sometimes get clogged. I had to use a small pvc pipe fed through the plug to clear mine out. Not saying that is the problem but most water should drain to stern while on plane.

I had a 2006 33 Express and there is usually a little water in my forward bildge area. I usually run the pumps while on a plane and it gets rid of most of it.
 

Harpoon

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Your boat probably sits a little bow-down at the dock, many do. I sometimes turn my rear bilge on while slowly coming up on plane and pump as much from the boat as possible. Store it over the winter (if applicable) with the bow up and drain plug removed.
 

freddy063

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my boat allays haves some water in the front bilge, but during the winter after i cover it i pump it out and make sure i put antifreeze in the switch and forward pump. Freezing could break some things down there.I gave up on trying to find out how it gets in there , Some come in the back seals over the back deck, some comes in from the sides rub rail, some from who knows, as long as it rain water and not coming in from the water below, I wouldn't worries about it to much.