2025 R27 saltwater accumulating in aft bilge

[CaptSJD]

What would cause salt water to accumulate in the aft bilge. My bilge pump has been intermittent. I vacuumed all the water out and the boat sits in the marina and I accumulate 3 -4 inches of slat water in about 24 hours . If you take the intermittent bilge pump out of the equation, is that normal to have salt water start filling aft bilge up? I don’t see anything leaking. Where do you think it would come from?

 

[Pandion]

Three-to-four inches of saltwater in 24 hours is definitely not normal and would indicate a potentially serious leak. Our '21 R27OB does not take on any water while sitting in its slip.

There are not many penetrations below the waterline our our boats, so that narrows down the suspect areas that could allow water in if you're in a protected marina. I'd start with the raw water intake system for the washdown pump, head, and heat pump. We don't have AC on our boat so I'm not very familiar with that system, but it would be the first thing I checked if you run it while you're moored.

 

[KKRCRACE]

On my C242 I had a small water leak that took me a few years to find. It turned out to be a crack in the bow thruster tube on the bottom side where it was glassed to the hull.
Ken
Sunny Daze
C242

 

[serendipity]

Salt water in the bilge is not normal unless you’re perhaps doing a lot of trap hauling or using the wash down pump to clean the cockpit. On our 2023 R27 there are only 3 below the waterline thru-hull fittings: port wash down seacock, A/C seacock, and Gsrboard plug.

After you have vacuumed dry and closed the seacock, can you see any drips or leaks? When the seacock are open is there any leaking at the sea strainers? Is there a loose hose clamp on any of the hoses?

While the possibility of a crack in the thruster tube, or other major issue is possible, eliminating the simple issues may be easier and quicker.

A final question, and it may be redundant, but are you sure the water in the bilge is salt and not fresh? When we wash our cockpit down we often get 3/4 of a bucket of water in the aft bilge.

 

[gregc]

Just checking in here. 4 inches of water in a bilge at the dock is... not a good sign.

 

[cliffm]

I'm still highly suspicious of the hot water heater. On our 5th boat now, but had water heater issues on three of them.