Dry Bilge

[willofd]

Hi, I'm looking at purchasing an older 90's skipjack 262 and will be sea trialing the boat. Should the bilge be dry after an outing? I'm assuming it should unless you hit a large wave to get some water through the vents. Just curious with what the current owners experience with there bilge after an outing.

 

[TheWesNMads]

Hi, I'm looking at purchasing an older 90's skipjack 262 and will be sea trialing the boat. Should the bilge be dry after an outing? I'm assuming it should unless you hit a large wave to get some water through the vents. Just curious with what the current owners experience with there bilge after an outing.

There should be no water…

 

[willofd]

There should be no water…

Thanks, that’s what I figured. I use to have a sea ray and coming back from Catalina sometimes there would be some water in the bilge occasionally.

 

[flytie]

Thanks, that’s what I figured. I use to have a sea ray and coming back from Catalina sometimes there would be some water in the bilge occasionally.

That can happen due to spray on the deck and an insufficient seal on the engine hatch, but in general, what he said ^^^

 

[whitecap72]

Are the deck scuppers set up differently on a 26 than a 24 open? I have at least 5 gallons in the bilge everytime I go out from the scupper holes and water going around the engine box. I put rubber expansion plugs in them, but then when I use the washdown pump the water still gets in the bilge.

 

[flytie]

Are the deck scuppers set up differently on a 26 than a 24 open? I have at least 5 gallons in the bilge everytime I go out from the scupper holes and water going around the engine box. I put rubber expansion plugs in them, but then when I use the washdown pump the water still gets in the bilge.

I have the same issue on my 24 open and put plugs in the scuppers when we launch. My solution is putting some aluminum angle underneath the engine hatch on the deck to channel the water out to the scuppers. The only issue I have is that when I do it working on the engine on your belly could be a pain, literally, with the angle there.

I will be changing the hatch seals before the season starts and see if that helps.

 

[SkipJack Boats]

Hi, I'm looking at purchasing an older 90's skipjack 262 and will be sea trialing the boat. Should the bilge be dry after an outing? I'm assuming it should unless you hit a large wave to get some water through the vents. Just curious with what the current owners experience with there bilge after an outing.

There would be little or no water from the vents unless the boat was leaning into a wave. The water that normally gets into the bilge while under way is water that has splashed on deck or from the wash down.

Saltwater is rough on the metal components but far less a problem then freshwater to the stringers and transom. New 262 have hollow stringers and a new type foam core transom.

Every boat I ever owned has gotten water in the bilge and skipjacks have be known to do so. We have redesigned the hatches a bit and changed the seal. But even after a wash down the pumps cant pick up the last bit of water we use a shop vac to keep it dry. Rainstorms are a problem also.

Anything can get wet but sitting water is the enemy. Don't let it soak in and even a light bulb is warm enough to dry up the bilge. If you are on shore power leave the water heater on as it warms the bilge. and water will disappear quickly and it will prevent that stinky moldy smell some boats get. That is usually wet wood or something.

Lastly, everybody washes the boat before the customer comes down to present a well taken care of boat so if you didn't check it may have been there.

On 262's we take a high pressure nozzle and spray every through hull and fitting. Often the culprit are the screws that hold on the swimstep. So if you are fishing and your pumps keep coming on often you know you need to find the culprit I would start at those screws. The swimstep hits dock and will constantly have people climbing on and off the boats and sometimes several people stressing those screws that have been caulked but after years should be checked for cracking or the hole might have been worn and could be leaking. Some people will say they never hit anything but I have seen bent bracket and heads sheared off the bolts.

 

[af dreamer]

If inboards and conventional shaft logs there should be a ever so slow drip.If dripless than should be dry.Tom

 

[NotAnotherProject]

I have the same issue on my 24 open and put plugs in the scuppers when we launch. My solution is putting some aluminum angle underneath the engine hatch on the deck to channel the water out to the scuppers. The only issue I have is that when I do it working on the engine on your belly could be a pain, literally, with the angle there.

I will be changing the hatch seals before the season starts and see if that helps.

I ended up using some long strips of 1/2” x 1” wide starboard. Counter sunk screw holes on top and made a raised base for the doghouse lid to sit on and made spacers for the lid hinges. I ran a bead of caulk between starboard and deck and added some neoprene weather stripping to the base of the lid. Works good for keeping the wash down water out of the bilge. Did not solve the problem of washing down the top of the doghouse though.

 

[Farpoint]

Our 28 is bone dry until washdown. Or, once is extreme weather. Definitely coming in the vents.

 

[SkipJack Boats]

Our 28 is bone dry until washdown. Or, once is extreme weather. Definitely coming in the vents.

I think I'm going to make a cover for my boats to park under. The heat and sun are hard on the boats and to keep the rain out. Plus working in the shade has it's benefits in 110 degrees.

 

[SkipJack Boats]

Hi, I'm looking at purchasing an older 90's skipjack 262 and will be sea trialing the boat. Should the bilge be dry after an outing? I'm assuming it should unless you hit a large wave to get some water through the vents. Just curious with what the current owners experience with there bilge after an outing.

The newer 262's were made a little different and drain better but still water does get in the bilge just not as much. Coming through the hatch isn't as concerning as water coming in while your asleep and at anchor.
Check for leaks often and test bilge pumps. Listen for bilge pumps while drifting and while at anchor starting and stopping and starting again a minute or two later.

 

[sickcat]

The newer 262's were made a little different and drain better but still water does get in the bilge just not as much. Coming through the hatch isn't as concerning as water coming in while your asleep and at anchor.
Check for leaks often and test bilge pumps. Listen for bilge pumps while drifting and while at anchor starting and stopping and starting again a minute or two later.

Install a high water alarm. Sooner you know the better.

 

[willofd]

Install a high water alarm. Sooner you know the better.

Good idea

 

[TheWesNMads]

Good idea

Learned this the hard way. Small block water pump failed and filled the bilge up to the risers on the engine. Also found out my float switch was intermittent on the bilge pump. Just had a lack of power and a bogging down engine noise. I shut it down and fixed the water in bilge issue then got a tow in. All was fine on the motor except the starter didn’t survive. Live and learn hopefully from others mistakes.

 

[sickcat]

^^^^ That story of a failed float switch reminds me of something else in addition to a high water alarm.

The common bilge pump panels you see with auto/off/on where the on position is momentary are no good. Everything is fine until your taking on water and the float switch fails to turn on the pump. Now the boat has too much water in it and in that o shit moment you need a body to sit there and hold the switch? Either put the pumps on their own little breaker/switch panel or an existing panel switch/breaker if it is sized to take the load with minimal voltage drop. In "those" moments the two things you want maximum voltage to are the VHF and the pumps.

 

[805_diver]

I just installed a water witch to avoid mechanical pumps. Hopefully will not need it but after replacing the mechanical ones a few times I think this is a better route.

 

[SkipJack Boats]

Install a high water alarm. Sooner you know the better.

One of the cheapest and easiest to install. I always put one in. It can be hot glued to the top of a bilge pump. A float switch in a loop with a motorcycle horn in the cabin and hooked up straight to the battery.
Always have at least one bilge pump connected to the battery with a fuse and no switch. I've asked Nick to do that but he said no. But many of the marinas now inspect for this before you can moor there. Shoreline inspected my Bavaria 38 but I already did that.
The nice thing about a motorcycle horn is anybody around will be annoyed enough to call the owner.
If yo see a boat in it's mooring and the pump does not stop running do something because that boat is sinking.
I called a guy I knew from the marina whos boat was always listing about 10 degree to Starboard. He got pissed and said a little water won't hurt anything. Then one afternoon I notice the pump flowing constantly. Call the drunk again he yells at me that that's what it's supposed to do. Nope!
So I call the marina office and they check it out and they call the owner and get they crazy had enough treatment so he storms down the the marina and in time to see the fireboat and guys on board putting a float around his boat.
The fool had an older boat and didn't close the head drain and was already overflowing. I was already picturing the band playing as it went down.
They saved it and towed it to a yard. The oil gas and what ever else that was on board was prevented from becoming a stain on all the boats waterlines around it.
The drunk told everybody that he thought I sunk his boat and I ruined thousands of dollars in fishing gear. I know he had a plastic tool box and three Penn 500s on ugly sticks and one of which was a spinning rod. Some people should not have boats like some people shouldn't have kids.
High water alarms are not just for you they are also for your neighbors.

Install a high water alarm. Sooner you know the better.

 

[FULLY LOADED]

My only complaint on my 262 is this...It is a PITA!! I have bought, but yet to install this dry bilge contraption.. it has mixed reviews, but I am tired of shop vaccing my bilge every wash down and any rain!! https://www.westmarine.com/seaflo-m...az2HVSQdp0MNCSN-PGzK4GlhBgmXE66caAocYEALw_wcB

 

[TheWesNMads]

^^^^ That story of a failed float switch reminds me of something else in addition to a high water alarm.

The common bilge pump panels you see with auto/off/on where the on position is momentary are no good. Everything is fine until your taking on water and the float switch fails to turn on the pump. Now the boat has too much water in it and in that o shit moment you need a body to sit there and hold the switch? Either put the pumps on their own little breaker/switch panel or an existing panel switch/breaker if it is sized to take the load with minimal voltage drop. In "those" moments the two things you want maximum voltage to are the VHF and the pumps.

Great points. Direct from the battery is what most recommend. You can wire an on/off switch to wherever you like. After that incident, obviously I replaced the pump and wiring but an alligator wire clipped spare with long over the side hose is at the ready, hope I don’t ever need it.

 

[SkipJack Boats]

My only complaint on my 262 is this...It is a PITA!! I have bought, but yet to install this dry bilge contraption.. it has mixed reviews, but I am tired of shop vaccing my bilge every wash down and any rain!! https://www.westmarine.com/seaflo-marine-dry-bilge-system-12v-19797125.html?&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=DSA>NonB>MarineGear&gclid=Cj0KCQjwla-hBhD7ARIsAM9tQKt3GP2nakhFg6jq18mPeDeaz2HVSQdp0MNCSN-PGzK4GlhBgmXE66caAocYEI

 

[SkipJack Boats]

I'd like to see if that works.
I was going to try to plumb some pipe down toward the bilge under the engine so all I would have to do is put a shopvac to a connection on deck instead of wishing I had extra elbows.

 

[sickcat]

Great points. Direct from the battery is what most recommend. You can wire an on/off switch to wherever you like. After that incident, obviously I replaced the pump and wiring but an alligator wire clipped spare with long over the side hose is at the ready, hope I don’t ever need it.

For the float switch yes, direct to the battery. For the switch I was talking about being able to run the pump manually.

 

[willofd]

Hi, I ended buying the boat and noticed that the anchor drain goes to the shower sump. Is that normal for a skipjack 262? Does that shower sump switch need to be on all the time if it rains?

 

[SkipJack Boats]

Hi, I ended buying the boat and noticed that the anchor drain goes to the shower sump. Is that normal for a skipjack 262? Does that shower sump switch need to be on all the time if it rains?

Not that I know of.
The anchor locker has all kinds of sand gravel and shell in it. I don't know if sending it to one of the hardest places to work on in the boat is a good idea. If I had a 262 I would seal up all the seams and drain through the side of the hull and cover with a ss clamshell.
But I might be wrong so post your results.