water in hull

[Zundels]

Under the cockpit of the R25, starboard aft corner, there is a small (18" by 6") dip in the hull against the stern wall that collects water (and any thing else that drains in there from the fish coming aboard) and does not drain out to the bilge. Crawling down into the corner, I see a small hole (drain?) that is blocked on the lower end with something that feels like a screw so the water does not drain. Have been using a hand pump to get most of the water out. Can't be a good idea to have this water trapped in the hull over a long period of time.

Any one else have this water catch and thoughts on how to get this area to drain on its' own?

Thanks, Don

 

[Lobo]

That's a very interesting situation and question. I'm trying to envision just where the water is and how you find it. Do you open the starboard cockpit locker or do you go through the aft wooden doors and down into the hull through the access panel? How much water and how often are you pumping out? Is it fresh (rain?) or salt (leak?). I'd like to follow through on my boat.

Dave

 

[Zundels]

Fresh water from the cockpit deck, NOT salt water. To get access to this lower area, open the starboard cockpit locker and look to the very back stern wall, look past the space under the locker door. In my 2009 R25 the locker space, going aft, falls down into this depression where the water is held. This area is higher near the starboard wall and deepens toward the center, so any cockpit water that gets down into the starboard cockpit locker ends up in this lower section. If we are fishing it is not pleasant water. Based on the angle and my pump I can not get all the water out. I usually need to pump it out after each trip on the water and good washing of the cockpit deck.

Do you see the same lower area that could be collecting moisture?

 

[Barry Cohen]

Another reason I will not allow fishing on my vessel!!! :lol: :twisted:

 

[baz]

Don:

Yes I also had this problem. I also had to hand pump it out as it was making much of my gear in that locker very wet and soggy. I say "had" because at the Bremerton GTG earlier this month I brought this issue to Andrew Custis's attention and had it resolved. Andrew also indicated there was a seep hole/drain as you've mentioned and he was kind enough to explore that for me.

I posted this in the 2010 PNW Rendezvous - Sep 10-12, 2010 thread and here's what I said about this issue.

Thanks to Andrew for helping me understand why my starboard cockpit locker was filling up with water. Apparently a seep hole was plugged up (likely an oversight during factory assembly) and with the help of a wire coat hanger from Nita (Nellie Too) Andrew was able to unplug the seep hole -- and now locker is high and dry...... Watching Andrew laying flat on the cockpit floor with his head almost out of sight in the rear portion of the locker and using eyes in his finger tips to find the seep hole and unplugging it was quite a sight -- and was an activity I would be incapable of doing with a bad pinched Sciatica affecting my left leg.

So, use a long piece of wire (unfolded wire hanger for example) to unblock the seep hole.

The seep hole is designed to get rid of any water build up in the area you've described. The water is routed to the engine bay bilge and from there the bilge pump takes care of it. You will also note that the drain hole in fish bait tank (the one that sits under the built-in cockpit cushioned seat) drains into this same area. If you look carefully using a flashlight you can see the plastic drain tube's open end. At first I was suspicious of this causing water to get into that area or that it was a tube that had become disconnected allowing water to get into the cockpit locker area.

Once the seep hole was cleaned out there was a fair amount of water in the engine bay bilge and I simply run the bilge pump to get rid of it.

 

[Zundels]

Another reason why the Tugnuts web site is sooooo valuable, sharing all our experiences.

Thank you for updating us on your previous time with Andrew. I took your information, crawled down in the locker and did find the hole that leads into the engine bilge. Then reached around and the hole on the engine side is blocked with what feels like the head of a phillips screw head and a rubber type gasket, does this act as the seep? If so I will use a heavy wire (clothes hanger) to try to clear it out.

Happy boating, Don

 

[baz]

Don: Post back what you discover with the unfolded wire hanger. :roll:

 

[Zundels]

After poking a sharp wire (open clothes hanger) in the seep hole, water does now seep out into the engine bilge. It is a slow seep but enough to keep most of the area dry (the seep hole is a bit too high to completely drain when sitting on the trailer). Getting a good feel of the seep plug, my finger tips tell me the plug is something like a phillips head screw holding in a rubber type washer with slots for the water to seep. Over time I can see how this would plug up.

I am considering if the seep can be taken out. Was the seep designed to keep the engine bilge from coming back into this starboard locker area? It is positioned high enough in the boat that if this seep were needed to stop engine bilge water back flow, this would not be our only problem. So may investigate a way to try to open it up a bit more or remove it and allow the bilge from that locker to freely pass through.

The easiest solution is Andrew's solution, a clothes hanger and a slight crawl in the locker on your belly.

Don

 

[captain's cat]

Can anyone get a picture of this thing? Might facilitate a recommendation for a solution.

Charlie

 

[baz]

Can anyone get a picture of this thing? Might facilitate a recommendation for a solution.

Charlie

I think that is nigh impossible given the inaccessibility to the seep hole. If one had a small camera attached to a finger it could be done maybe. 😉 Best done during factory assembly time IMO.

Maybe Andrew could oblige. 🙂

 

[RProffer]

I was trying to stay out of this because I do not have a R25 and therefore cannot compare it to my boat. I have never seen an anti-siphon valve on a weep hole on either a boat on an aircraft. I have seen them on cars, and usually the valve is a simple flapper type valve to prevent reverse flow of water or air. I would suspect in your case, you have a screw that accidentally fell into the hole and is causing the blockage. It can happen during construction. If you are really concerned, I would recommend you call Andrew at the factory and get a definitive answer.

 

[baz]

My understanding from Andrew personally at the Bremerton GTG was that the hole is an open hole without any integral contraption designed to avoid water to flow in either direction. It's designed to allow water in the rear of the starboard cockpit locker area to drain via gravity out to the engine bilge area.

 

[WinterIslandYY]

Sounds to me like there is some building debris lodged in the limber hole and needs to be pushed out with a stiff wire. i usually use a piece of electrical snake wire but coat hanger works well. I will try to get a moment and look at my SC to see if i can make a more informed response.
Cheers,

 

[Zundels]

On my stomach, arms stretched into tight spaces, was able to get at both ends of this drainage and found out there are just rubber flaps that were clogged up the drainage and with wires poking in both ends it is now cleared out and drains OK.

With an average sized forearm you can reach into the engine side of the bilge (over or under the black hose leading from the cockpit drainage) and the seep hole is blocked by the rubber flaps on this side. With a wire or small sharp metal tool, it can be easily cleaned out.

I thought it felt like a screw head on this side but it was just dried guck on the rubber flaps.

Takes just a minute to poke and scrap and clean out, good luck, Don

 

[Zundels]

While preparing the R25 for winter, and repairing a broken stern thruster shear pin, got a much better look on both the stern port and starboard corners. There are seep holes on both sides from the outside slanted down to the center bilge areas. They are open holes with no blockage unless something has floated in and got lodged. On our R25 the port side compartment is right behind the batteries and below where the black large engine cooling water tube exits.

A bent clothes hanger wire, skinny body and long arm work well to get the holes cleaned out if needed. To check on water backed up, just shine a light into the corners. While I had the pipes all disconnected for the thruster shear pin fix, even got a sponge can cleaner out and scrubbed out the guck that had collected in these corners.

Was nice to get this stale and stagnant water drained out.

Don