For some time, I've had mystery water in my bilge.
Some of it ended up being rainwater, and I've solved all the places where it was coming in.
Now, while sitting at the dock, a dry bilge stays dry.
But underway.... not so much. Motoring, I get about a gallon an hour of sea-water in the bilge. Sailing, sometimes more.
It bugs me.
I've done sort of the mental checklist, and it looks like this
-- Keel bolts? No, I suspect they'd be leaking at rest, too, and they're not
-- thru-hulls in head? No, no sign of water around the thru-hulls or hoses
-- thru-hulls in galley? No, again, no sign of water around the thru-hulls or hoses
-- engine plumbing? No sign that any pumps, hoses or fittings are leaking
-- rudder gland? dripless? Nope. Nothing significant (maybe a few drops of cast-off from the dripless, but no "drip")
-- other holes in the boat? O_O
...so, what's that leave? the #32-III has 6 thru-hulls in the "counter" under the transom. One for each scupper in the aft corners of the cockpit, one for the electric-bilge-pump discharge, one for the manual bilge-pump discharge, one for the propane-locker vent, and one for exhaust.
So the checklist goes
-- exhaust? No, sign of water around the thru-hull or anywhere along the hose run
-- scuppers? No sign of water around the thru-hull, and if water was coming in it would show up in the cockpit, not the bilge
-- propane tank? No sign of water around the thru-hull, and, again, if it was coming in it would show up in the tank locker, not the bilge
...so that leaves the pump discharges. Electric bilge-pump hose has a vent loop. Manual bilge-pump hose does not.
So, I'm wondering... is it possible that when the boat is underway and/or heeled, the water under the counter rises to the point where it can make its way into the manual bilge-pump discharge, through the hose, backwards through the manual bilge pump, and down into the bilge?
It would explain why it is *only* happening under way. I think.
Anyone else have this problem?
Good ideas for a fix? or even a test to see if that's really what's happening?
and...what else am I missing?
Bruce
Some of it ended up being rainwater, and I've solved all the places where it was coming in.
Now, while sitting at the dock, a dry bilge stays dry.
But underway.... not so much. Motoring, I get about a gallon an hour of sea-water in the bilge. Sailing, sometimes more.
It bugs me.
I've done sort of the mental checklist, and it looks like this
-- Keel bolts? No, I suspect they'd be leaking at rest, too, and they're not
-- thru-hulls in head? No, no sign of water around the thru-hulls or hoses
-- thru-hulls in galley? No, again, no sign of water around the thru-hulls or hoses
-- engine plumbing? No sign that any pumps, hoses or fittings are leaking
-- rudder gland? dripless? Nope. Nothing significant (maybe a few drops of cast-off from the dripless, but no "drip")
-- other holes in the boat? O_O
...so, what's that leave? the #32-III has 6 thru-hulls in the "counter" under the transom. One for each scupper in the aft corners of the cockpit, one for the electric-bilge-pump discharge, one for the manual bilge-pump discharge, one for the propane-locker vent, and one for exhaust.
So the checklist goes
-- exhaust? No, sign of water around the thru-hull or anywhere along the hose run
-- scuppers? No sign of water around the thru-hull, and if water was coming in it would show up in the cockpit, not the bilge
-- propane tank? No sign of water around the thru-hull, and, again, if it was coming in it would show up in the tank locker, not the bilge
...so that leaves the pump discharges. Electric bilge-pump hose has a vent loop. Manual bilge-pump hose does not.
So, I'm wondering... is it possible that when the boat is underway and/or heeled, the water under the counter rises to the point where it can make its way into the manual bilge-pump discharge, through the hose, backwards through the manual bilge pump, and down into the bilge?
It would explain why it is *only* happening under way. I think.
Anyone else have this problem?
Good ideas for a fix? or even a test to see if that's really what's happening?
and...what else am I missing?
Bruce