Water under my deck, how to get it out?

[Hank49]

This is my boat.

This is the best pic I have of the deck so you can get an idea of what I mean

I was jerking it back and forth on the trailer today and could hear water sloshing around under the deck, forward of the console. No, it's not fuel. I use portable plastic tanks that are near the stern.

I've elevated the bow hoping it would drain out of the small hole that goes into the bilge, but it's dry.

How to get the water out? Drill holes in the deck, or make portholes with the proper fittings? Drilling holes in the hull seems a bit dangerous as far as being able to finish the hull perfectly smooth again after patching it. Any ideas or experience with this? Thanks,
?

 

[DennisS]

Drill a 3-4 inch access hole and install a hatch. A wetvac will suck all the water out.

Boat Parts - Jim Black Hatches & Accessories - Deck Plates & Access Covers

 

[Peter_C]

Without crawling around on the boat itself it is a little harder. Is there a hatch somewhere already in the floor? In floor fuel tank? Often times there will be a plug between the cavities, usually accessed stern side. If not it might be worth it to drill a hole between the bulk heads, seal the hole with epoxy, then put a plug in.

Otherwise, what Dennis said maybe.

Another question to ask is how is the water getting in there to begin with?

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Agreed that it's hard to make a recommendation without being able to actually see the boat/problem.

As Peter_C says, I would want to know how and why the water is getting in. Is it supposed to be able to get in but the way out is blocked/broken? Is it not supposed to be getting in and so something needs to be repaired or sealed?

If the issue is addressed and so getting the water out is a one time thing, then you might choose a different option than you would if water will get in and need to be removed frequently (but if this is new behavior on a boat you've had for a while then I'd still lean toward "fix the reason for the problem so it is not a regular occurrence).

For a space that needs to be accessed regularly, the round, screw in, O-ring gasketed access plates can be useful. There are also bronze garboard drains (threaded plug you install at the low point in the boat) that can double as drains for when the boat is out of the water.

For a one time drain hole it's not that hard to fill/patch a mechanical (drilled/round) hole in the fiberglass and then repair it (especially if it's below the waterline and you have bottom paint, which means that ultimate cosmetic perfection is not as necessary as it would be on, say, gelcoated topsides).

So... in summary, I'd want to know more about the problem before choosing a route to tackle it, in order to make sure I was taking care of the "disease" and not just a symptom (although in certain situations I might just take care of a symptom, but still would want to know what the real problem was in order to inform my choice).

Blue Sparkle

 

[Hank49]

I think it was designed to NOT let the water in. There is 1 inch drain hole in the stern going into the bilge. But I think it's "honey combed" in the floor design and somehow the water is trapped. I have no idea how it got in. I don't see any cracks in the hull or flooring.

I like Dennis' idea. He's the second person who recommended that.

Peter_C, the fuel tanks are portable and above deck. Thanks for the replies. Greatly appreciated.

Here's another pic, if it helps at all.

 

[Peter_C]

Best bet, call the manufacturer and ask...

BTW anytime you are asking for help on something it is best to post year, make, and model, along with any other pertinent info.

Nice boat!

 

[Hank49]

There is no real info on the manufacturer. It's a Pesquero, made in Guatemala. Pretty much a copy of the Memsa from Mexico. They have no website. I would bet that they don't have any info on this boat at all. It was pretty much going on a wild adventure when I crossed over to Puerto Barrios with my new outboard to mount. Then we high tailed it out of there because I had no more money and my VISA card was no good. What a trip.

 

[Darnold9999]

Had a fibreglass boat with an extremely small crack in the fibreglass near the keel. Amazing how fast the sealed hull would fill up with water when running. Finally ended up grinding out the fibreglass for a couple of inches each side of the crack, rematting and filling. Water was never supposed to get there so had to let it dry for several days in the sun after creating the hole before filling it. Took quite a while to find the problem as the crack was less than an inch long and not easy to see. All this to say I would want to find out how the water was getting in.

 

[Hank49]

Had a fibreglass boat with an extremely small crack in the fibreglass near the keel. Amazing how fast the sealed hull would fill up with water when running. Finally ended up grinding out the fibreglass for a couple of inches each side of the crack, rematting and filling. Water was never supposed to get there so had to let it dry for several days in the sun after creating the hole before filling it. Took quite a while to find the problem as the crack was less than an inch long and not easy to see. All this to say I would want to find out how the water was getting in.

I'm wondering about how it gets in too. But since the boat sits on a trailer when not in use, and I've tilted it forward and aft and no water drains out of the hull or even the bilge, I'm beginning to think it's leaking in from above. Since it's a dive boat and I clean fish and rinse the deck with a 5 gallon bucket of water, maybe it's leaching down. I do see a few hairline cracks and it's likely the builder didn't put a lot of emphasis on sealing it from the inside.
Anyway, I'm going to get a couple small port hole covers to seal the holes after I drill into it. I'm pretty sure it's only in the mid part of the hull based on what I can hear. I'm hoping I dont' have to rip a big piece of the flooring out. I'll post some pics as I get into it. thanks for everyone's input.

 

[Nemrod]

Hmmm, what is in the hull void? Foam, wood, nothing? Water actually in a hull, as you describe is generally a very bad thing and an indication of something very wrong.

N