Bilge / ski locker

[Krakn]

Sorry for the long post.
I am still wet behind the ears(no pun intended) when it comes to boats. I recently got a 1995 195BR. My Father in law took us out in it before he gave it to us and all was good. Outside of some vinyl ripping gloss fade and some of the wood on the ski locker door being soft, it is a good boat.
Today we put the boat in the lake with some friends and met at an island to let the littles play and enjoy the water. While the boat was sitting we noticed some water had gotten into the boat, figured from people getting in and out of it to get drinks food etc.
Turned the ignition on to run the bilge, only a small amount of water came out. We started seeing some water pooling by the back seats /engine cover and pulled up the ski locker doors to find it completely full. Yes the transom plug was in and so was the rubber ski locker plug. I'm getting a new one of both just out of cya.
Then we decided it was too much risk to have water so we got back to shore and drained the transom plug and it drained for 3-4 minutes solid but the ski locker wasnt draining. Is that connected to the transom plug?
Anyways sorry for the long post .
How do I check the bilge for operation? How about the fuel tank sender, the gauge shows 1/2 but when the engine starts, it sputters out.

 

[QBhoy]

Hi

the only time I keep the ski locker plug in is if it’s full of ice and drinks being kept cool. The drain should run to the rear bilge area. Check it’s not blocked.
Also worthr noting that water gathers in all sorts of places during storage of a boat. Especially a open bow. Once in the water and driving about. You’ll find that the water that was sitting in all these places (like under bow seats etc)...will find its way to the ski locker and or bilge.
Thats to be taken with common sense of course. If your boat had serious amounts then it’s not right. Did you have the transom plug out in storage and trailering ?

 

[Krakn]

Transom plug was out during storage and trailering.
just use a hanger?

 

[JASinIL2006]

Sounds like you have enough information to know your bilge pump isn’t working. If the pump is getting power and the intake isn’t clogged, I’d be looking for a new pump.

Any idea where the water is getting in? That sounds like a lot of water...

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, check the hull for cracks. I once had water bubble up thru the fiberglass floor of the ski locker. I found a crack in one of the hull strakes under the ski locker.

The hull is supported by stringers and frames, plus the poured in flotation foam. The deck in turn supports the foam. Sometimes, when they design a ski locker, the hull is not supported as well under it.

 

[Krakn]

Sounds like you have enough information to know your bilge pump isn’t working. If the pump is getting power and the intake isn’t clogged, I’d be looking for a new pump.

Any idea where the water is getting in? That sounds like a lot of water...

Can i back wash the pump to check for a clog or do i need to remove the pump to check?

 

[Silvertip]

You also should NOT need to have the key on/engine running to operate the bilge pump. If the bilge switch has an AUTO/MANUAL setting, or if it is just an ON/OFF switch, set the switch to ON or MANUAL. If the pump is not running it is obviously not working.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Can i back wash the pump to check for a clog or do i need to remove the pump to check?

You can put enough water in there that the pump should kick on. Just don’t fill it full enough to submerge anything that shouldn’t get wet (eg., your engine).

 

[Krakn]

Can someone point me in the right direction on removal of the bilge pump.is it attached to a bracket? Or just placed in the. Bilge.

 

[Scott Danforth]

it may have been attached to something at one time (based on the screw hanging in space). however it looks to be wedged between your oil pan and the bilge.

 

[garbageguy]

have you verified the bilge pump works? is getting power when you put the switch on run? (make it run without waiting for liquid level to make it run (assuming that works)). Have seen float switch get gummed up in the off position, also the impeller might be clogged up, or sometimes these little electric pumps just reach end of life. If the pumps works, make sure liquid can get in, and get out

 

[Krakn]

I reached under there and found a plastic wrapper. The pump started to work but still not 100%. So once I get the boat back home I'll pull it out and replace out of not knowing the age

 

[Horigan]

It looks like there is a bunch of crud in the intake screen. That could easily affect how well the pump works. It looks like the black plastic screen is attached with two plastic tabs. I bet if you pulled the screen and cleaned it the pump would work, but a new one is fine also given the age of the boat. Keep the current one as a spare.

 

[kpg7121]

I reached under there and found a plastic wrapper. The pump started to work but still not 100%. So once I get the boat back home I'll pull it out and replace out of not knowing the age

Looks like that pump has seen better days. Boat builders have a habit of sticking the cheapest pumps they can get away with using the lowest gph rating. Imho the smaller the boat a higher gph rating the pump should have should something major go wrong as a it won't take long for a runabout to fill with water. A 500 gph pump wont do squat should you have a major leak. Rule & Jabsco make good bilge pumps. I would avoid Attwood. Btw, boats should not take on water. The bilge should be dry under normal circumstances. You need to find that leak.