removing water in hull

[boaterntexas]

My 17.5' fiberglass bass boat I just refloored, has the plywood down but no carpet or drain, well here in ne texas it just rained about 2 inches, my fear is that now there is 2" of water floating ontop of my treated plywood. Shoudl I be worried? alao if the water has soaked or leaked through the the wood down into the hull, I will want to flush it all out, in the past I have tried to just lift the bow and let all the water flow back to the bilge, after doing so I still found that there was still about .5" to 1" of water at the front part of the boat i guess when I layed the stringers in and the supports I did not allow for proper drainage so water gets hung up. any one have any suggestion on how to get all the water to flwo to the bilge so I can pump it out or let it drain out. or is it not eve anythgin to really worry about.?<br /><br /> Thanks,<br /> Thomas

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: removing water in hull

You could drill a hole in the new plywood deck, maybe one fore and one aft, and use a shop vac to get it out. Then plug with rubber expanding plugs. Then they're always there and functional if you ever need to redrain/redry in the future.<br />I've been trying to figure out a way to have removable floor (panels) when it's time to gut, dry, refoam and restringer/refloor my old trihull.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: removing water in hull

Tim, you won't want removeable floor panels, unless they are small access hatches. The floor is a major structural part of the boat, it ties the stringers, hull, and transom together and absorbs/distributes loads and forces from rough water and motor. What I am doing with my project is adding ventilation to the center bilge. There will be a large vent under the center console (which will also be vented due to the battery being there), and the rear open bilge area will have a large vent in the forward facing wall, so air can circulate in the center bilge. I believe that having some sort of ventilation will eliminate condensation in the center bilge. That, combined with storing with bow raised and drain plugs out will keep my rig dry. Good luck...

 

[Captain12pk]

Re: removing water in hull

You should have drilled drain holes throughout the base of the stringer systemm for the excess water to drain out to the back. Not large holes, one inch holes are sufficient. If there is a way to go back and remove the floor and drill them holes it would be a good idea to do so. When you layed your new floor did you sela it with resin or just the origional treated marine wood surface? A layer of 1/4 oz. mat is good to add to any floor for extra sealant and gives a good smooth surface for carpet to adhere to. Always cover the boat,always.