Hydraulic effect = Wet footwell

[Slide]

My '79 Hydrostream loves to get plenty of water in the bilge. It's a fact of life due to the boat sitting so low. See below:




In the second photo you can see the footwell up front. At the base of that footwell is a drain that runs back the length of the boat back to the bilge. I've noticed that when there's enough water back in the bilge, hydraulic power will ram water and whatever fun little chunks of debris that have made their way back there all up into my feet. I'm not concerned about my feet being wet so much as the area staying damp all the time.

How can I fix this problem? Some sort of one-way check valve in the drain? I don't want to impede the actual function of the drain, but I don't want water shooting out of there anymore either.

 

[shrew]

Re: Hydraulic effect = Wet footwell

Bilge pump. A check valve requires enough pressure to open properly.

 

[Slide]

Re: Hydraulic effect = Wet footwell

It already has a bilge pump with a float switch. Problem is, it seems to take very little water in the bilge to cause the problem.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Hydraulic effect = Wet footwell

It already has a bilge pump with a float switch. Problem is, it seems to take very little water in the bilge to cause the problem.

Ayuh,.... My guess is yer bilge pump pocket, ain't at the bottom of the hull...

Or, the float switch is mounted to High...
Or,...

If you manually turn the bilge pump On, after the float switch has just shut Off,...
Does it pump more water,..??

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Hydraulic effect = Wet footwell

many times float switches are set high, so that there is a fair amount of water in the bilge before it comes on. This is to conserve the battery--you want it to come on when it needs to. But even a float switch on the bottom needs an inch of water to flip on, and a bilge pump, due to strainer and often mounting blocks, can't suck up all the water.

I recall yours was a frequent problem of friends' boats like that when I was a teenager. Low boat, flat hull, stern wake overwash.

A couple of suggestions: first, set the pump as low as possible.
Get in the habit of turning on the pump before you punch it. The bow goes up, the water goes back, the pump sends it out. stays dry until you stop too fast and catch a stern wake.
look at the motor well and seals around the steering cable, etc.
while you are operating, put a towel or sponge back there to keep the water from running forward, or up in the footwell where it comes out, but be sure (a) not to impede the evacuation of water from an overwash and (b) don't leave it in there after use to trap water and moisture.