water in the "bilge"

[v26wa]

Looking at the layup of my boat, if water gets in the bilge, how do you get it out w/o a pump ?? the only acess is right over the tank & you cant see the bottom of the hull. thanks all !

[welder]

There is also a hatch on your swim step , a sponge will work good .

I have had about a 1/2 cup down there once .

There is also a small plug 3/8" in the V at the stern .

So far 2+ years for me and no problems.

[AlloyToy]

v25wa,

Isn't there a small pipe plug at the "V" of the transom? Should be a 1/8 or 1/4 NPT Plug??

[v26wa]

ill have to look for the plug, i didnt see it but then again im going on 3.5 hrs sleep right now (left at 2 am to pick up the new boat)

[welder]

Do you have water in the hull or are you just asking, what if.

[v26wa]

just asking what if, as i will be keeping her on a mooring

[welder]

Just keep an eye on your zincs and will your motor clear the water when tilted up.

[AlloyToy]

In a slip or on a mooring.....sponge, towel or:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... assNum=168

Can't wait to see pics!!!

[v26wa]

thanks alloy once again & welder i havent gotten her wet yet... 1 more month !!

[JETTYWOLF]

I thought Jay pretty much covers all this?

The Moorers....are another group entirely. There's not enough boat ramps in Maine/Mass/RI/or Conn. whatever?

[capeannfisherman]

Make sure you check the bilge access covers everytime you go out. they can work themself lose. I have drained over 80 gallons of water from my bilge, my boat has a small drain plug. I measured the water with 5 gallon buckets as I drained it. The boat didn't seem to notice the extra weight, in fact I think she liked it.
Adrian

[NUKE]

Make sure you check the bilge access covers everytime you go out. they can work themself lose. I have drained over 80 gallons of water from my bilge, my boat has a small drain plug. I measured the water with 5 gallon buckets as I drained it. The boat didn't seem to notice the extra weight, in fact I think she liked it.
Adrian

Capannfisherman I was under the impression that you trailered your boat to and from Gloucester . what in God's name causes you to get 80 gallons of water below ? did you leave the hose running at home durring wash down ? check your hatch covers ,the plastic ones can warp in extream temps if not batton down securly (maybe) ! WOW

Some thing is amiss aboard the Capeannfisherman ,my boat stood on ancorage all season and not even a sponge full or water below ! I'm afraid I'm calling shananaginns on this fish story :roll:

[JETTYWOLF]

I agree...80 gallons on a sealed deck BLM with two small Armstrong compression lids?

Holy Bath Tubs, Bat Man! :shock: :shock:

I don't think I'd "moor" that boat anywhere than in my driveway.

[AlloyToy]

wait a minute guys. CapeAnn's boat is a bit older model. Perhaps they had a design change on something here...........Jay might know....

[capeannfisherman]

The outside round rubber cover came lose, I never noticed it so I'm not sure when it happened. I back down often when bottom fishing and lobstering so I know how the water got in the lose cover. I do check it now before every trip. Nuke I don't care if you believe it or not , just suggesting eveyone to check them before they launch. Nuke you can do what you like.
Adrian

[NUKE]

Jetty, ramps are at a premium in Maine .3000 miles of shoreline and very limited accsess , rocky and private . ramps are crowded and parking non exsistant .its called Vacationland for a reason .the tourists arrive and we go on vacation . and its much cooler to row to your boat from your house than to trailer to and from the ramp 8)

[JETTYWOLF]

I love toursits...Wish I could be there for Tourist season doing something.

I guess I forgot about the tides too, makes for one long ramp. I like docks. The mooring thing isn't for me.

[AlloyToy]

Adrian,

The water will poor in those covers if they are loose, or more importantly not aligned. Had it happen on my previous boat. It had an Armstrong bracket, and I didn't line the cover up properly.........

Backing down will certainly fill it up quickly with a loose cover.....

Glad you figured it out.

[NUKE]

The outside round rubber cover came lose, I never noticed it so I'm not sure when it happened. I back down often when bottom fishing and lobstering so I know how the water got in the lose cover. I do check it now before every trip. Nuke I don't care if you believe it or not , just suggesting eveyone to check them before they launch. Nuke you can do what you like.
Adrian

That sounds plauseble to me Capt. but I think I would feel an extra 500 lbs on they way home . I guess its like one of those times something happens like forgetting to put the plug in and launching or getting to the boat and remembering that the keys are at home . chalk it up to experience . No foul here !If somebody does somthing stupid and no one is around to see it .it never happened . Fish on Capt :)

P.S. I will not be posting my mistakes or blameing them on my equipment on the internet for the duration. Amen .

[JETTYWOLF]

Oh...that baby was loose. That makes sense. I check mine from time to time, but not always. They are finger tight only.

BTW, looks like the Armstrong Compression deal on the floor has now been changed to the MEGA-BEEFY, commercial style aluminum access, on the new boats from what I can pick out of Jay, here and there.
(see the new super cab pics)

Opps, just add that to my wish list:
Aluminum Hatch in Floor
Windshield wiper
side rub rail

V26WA ........ya better check yer Armstrong lids! Or you will be asking how do I get the water out for real.

15 months for me and maybe. A damp rags worth, so far. I be :D

[fishontop]

This is an interesting post. When I picked up my new (to me) boat, it had been sitting on boat stands for months. The bildge was full of water and there hatches seemed to be tight. I didn't figure this out until after I loded it onto a trailer. It seemd heavy at the time. I don't know if it was all rainwater or what but it caught my attention. I will be checking out those hatches regularly and may even order new ones from Jay should the problem persist. That bildge was FULL of water under the transom platform hatch.

[NUKE]

Fishon top ,its my understanding that boat was idle for a considerable time .that rear compartment most likely was full of run off from rain durring that period . Your boat is what 6 or 7 years old and those hatches can start to deflect after a prolonged exposure to the elements especialy the sun ,replace them and you shouldn't have to see water there again :lol:

[fishontop]

That's great info Nuke. Thank you. My boat is a 2002 and perhaps the hatches are starting to wear. I actually have a pair of aluminum hatches (same size) that I am considering replacing my older armstrong hatches with. These are high end hatches, but it would mean drilling holes around the circumference of the hole for the screws. (See attached) If the armstrongs are proven reliable hatches, I dont' know that I want to fix it if it isn't broken, so to speak. What I like about these aluminum hatches are they are very low profile and watertight. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[JETTYWOLF]

Have ya seen the new hatches they are putting on the inside of the new Pacific's?
Welded in with a lid fastened down....look at 23WA5's boat pix.

Awesome hatch, wish I had one. Constant upgrades is what I like, but unfortunately for me to do those upgrades would be a pain.

But all in all the Armstrong hatches are pretty damn good, although they do tend to stick up a bit. But I have no problems with that, really in my daily routine. Better than those crappy "spin-outs" in my old boat.

[Bullshipper]

Did I understand right that the Pacifics don't come with a bilge pump?

If not, I would sure add one. Cheap insurance.