possable water source?-gctid392104

[Guest]

Ok, Ive been trying to see why its wet under my cuddy. Is this supposed to be here? It seems like a vent hole but its on the bow and only on one side. I dont see these on other trophy's. Should I leave it or take it off and seal it up? And could this be a possable source? Seems like water can come in through it over time. Thanks.



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[RinnyBeth]

I would find where it is in the hull up in the V berth and trace the lines and see if a hose is loose.. check your owners manual to see what it is also... sorry we have a 3888 and thats where our anchor locker drain is.. do you have an anchor locker above?

[Guest]

I don't know the technical name for that opening, but it IS suppose to be there, oddly enough, as a drain - others with bow riders/cuddys can tell you more specifics of its purpose.

As for a possible source of incoming water - under the right conditions, yes, water can work it's way up into the boat from that opening - as my co-worker had the same thing happen on his boat.

As for plugging it - I'll leave that to others to address as I do not have a cuddy anymore, and it never presented an issue for me.

[Guest]

Hmmm. Never thought of the anchor locker. I will check it out. There is one on the bow. I have been looking a bit more online and it seems to be hit and miss on this drain/vent. Even on the same year and similiar year boats. The newer ones do not have it. I was thinking of taking a small fan and put it in the cuddy for a few days to try to dry it out as it is damp (hence me replacing the cuddy floor). I need an owners manual for this boat. I just bought it a few weeks ago and there wasnt a manual. I am the third owner of this boat. The first owner only used it as a water tender behind his yacht, and the second bought it and used it a couple times a year for salmon. Its in pretty good condition, but I think I am the first to notice the wet wood under the cuddy and am the first to try to dry and seal lol. I will try to look for a manual and check the anchor locker. I was thinking it was a vent for the cuddy. But now Im curious why some have it and some dont?

[RinnyBeth]

we found our manual in a weird place, we are the 2nd owner of ours. I would start at the anchor locker on the bow. You can google your boat and year and find the manual.. download it and print.. if you do a thumb drive a printer company can make you a nice booklet type to keep.. ours is worn out and I am gonna do that with ours so its not ruined anymore then it already is.. good luck searching.. you might even need sealant around that vent if the seal on it isnt tight.. could be something simple..

I like the KISS method...

K- keep

I- it

S- simple

S-stupid..

mom taught me this long ago and it works and saves $$$$$

[Guest]

So, I just went out and looked and it is for the anchor locker. Although it seems there is a gap between the locker and drain hole. I am going to try to fill around the hole with silicone. So, the floor is definately not wet from that. Im curious if the previous owner stored it bow down for some odd reason? There was rot directly underneath the table in the cuddy and the table bracket that was in the floor was eaten away?? That kind of boggles my mind.

[Guest]

silicone isn't such a good idea. Depending on whether you want to be able to remove it again 3M 5200 or 4000 would be my choice.

[Guest]

I have a fresh tube of 5200 sitting in my garage will do. What makes 5200 or 4200 different than marine silicone?

[Guest]

very different chemistry. Even outdoor rated silicone won't stick well enough to most surfaces and stand the marine use.

5200 is nasty stuff if you use it for something you want to remove later. Lot's of cleaning/scraping required. In other words: I warned you.....

[RinnyBeth]

kjs wrote:
very different chemistry. Even outdoor rated silicone won't stick well enough to most surfaces and stand the marine use.

5200 is nasty stuff if you use it for something you want to remove later. Lot's of cleaning/scraping required. In other words: I warned you.....

5200 is great:worth.. we dipped the bolts in it and then mounted them with it.. better seal around the vital areas... as for rot up front... check your forward bilge pump too and make sure its working right, or you could puddle up in that area. we have one forward in the master berth we check after every outting, the mid-ship one in the kids berth and then the engine room one... they could be a source of water rot if they arent working right.. and make sure the anchor locker is sealed too.. if ours leaks, my head will be wet since its over the master berth bed on a 3888

[Guest]

Resqme49 wrote:
So, the floor is definately not wet from that. Im curious if the previous owner stored it bow down for some odd reason? There was rot directly underneath the table in the cuddy and the table bracket that was in the floor was eaten away??

I would agree with you that for the amount of water that hole could possibly let in, and keep in mind it would have to be while the boat is in the water and the waves are smaking up into the hull - even then, how much water could that possibly let in? ARe you sure you do want to plug it?

If it is suppose to be the single drain for the anchor well when you pull up your wet anchor line, and you subsequently plug that hole, where is that water going to exit? Do you have another channel in the locker well for water to exit?

[Guest]

Resqme49 wrote:
So, I just went out and looked and it is for the anchor locker....

Yes, that is a clamshell drain. It is very common, and necessary, although they tend to clog easily from inside, where all the crap from the anchor makes its way to the bottom of the locker.

Resqme49 wrote:
...I am going to try to fill around the hole with silicone...

You lost me on that one. Maybe you should post a few clear pictures of this gap. I can't picture it, but my first thought it is not related to your interior rot. Juergen was right - 5200 will seal best because it is a (permanent) adhesive. Silicone has its uses, but it needs to be compressed - like between two pieces screwed together.

Resqme49 wrote:
...There was rot directly underneath the table in the cuddy and the table bracket that was in the floor was eaten away?? That kind of boggles my mind.

Sounds serious, but it may be as simple as a leaking deck hatch, or window. Leaking water will make its way down the sides of your boat. It can be very difficult to pinoint it. Look for likely sources of leaks - windows, through hulls, etc.

[Guest]

It is quite possible that the 'gap' between the locker and the drain once was connected with plastic tubing. That's how the water flows from the locker out of the boat. If the anchor locker is a shallow well with a drain fitting then that's the normal setup. Better check that...

There should be a fitting at the botton of the locker and one at the drain outlet with serrated stems for attaching the tubing with hose clamps.

I wouldn't be plugging up any holes, especially with 5200. Consider that actual naval architects designed your boat and everything has a reason.