water in the companionway???-gctid401965

[Guest]

Im a little confused!

My wife went to the boat early this morning to pick up something and she called me. "Honey you better come quickly, the boat is taking on water".

I got there and thank God it was'nt as bad as I envisioned on my 2 minute ride there. What a horrible 2 minutes!

The companionway had about 6-8 inches of water sloshing around, just above my 12x12 pop in teak floor panels(which I've never seen before). They were kind of floating.

Water also in the aft stateroom floor.

Now I know both water tanks are empty, so i ruled them out. It has been 5 days since I was last at the boat and we did get 3 days of rain for an hour or so each day.

Are the 2 drains on each side of the pilothouse exiting directly out the hull? I would imagine they are. Or I should say, they "should be".

Normally the bilge pumps would come on automatically, "without" the battery switches being on, but I guess they did'nt.

I turned on the switch for the house battery and they came on and in 10 minutes pumped the water out.

I checked the engine compartment and saw just an inch of water under the engines. it seems to me that if the compwy gets high enough, the water would seep over from forward.

Also, i tasted the water, as carefully as i can and it was fresh water. Thats good, since we are in the salt water.

So I'm stumped!

Any ideas???

Ed

[Guest]

Sloppy2:

Since you are sure the fresh water tanks are empty, and the inundation wasn't salty, it has to be rainwater collection. The $64 question is where is that volume of rainwater coming from? Like you, I presume the bow deck drains located just aft of each pilothouse door drain overboard. I would check these first by poring some water in them and seeing if the water comes out the drain hole - the same amount more or less - just below the drains.

Also, do you use either of the two external water hose fittings for water when your docked. If you do this could be a likely source for that volume of fresh water.

And, if your going to continue to turn off your house battery power switch when you leave the boat, wire your bilge pumps directly to the battery!!! On second thought do this regardless!!!!!

Other than that, I have no other ideas.

Am going to bed shortly, but I am certain I will be thinking of this through the night - thats my nature - and if I have any new ideas in the am will respond accordingly.

Good luck finding the problem and correcting it

Darby

[Woodsong]

Wow- NOT FUN!!!

Did the water come back after you pumped it out? A failed drain line from deck drains just aft of pilothouse doors is a good and likely guess. I know on the starboard side you can view that drain line by going into the salon, opening up the storage locker that is angled and just forward of the ice maker and just before you go up the stairs to the pilothouse. Open that locker up and on my 1987 there is a panel that you can unscrew on the back/side of that storage area and you can view a good portion of the drain line. Mine comes down and T's into the drain line from the forward starboard flybridge floor drain. After that T the drain line (2" or so) runs forward out of sight towards amidships behind the aft most head. I would follow those lines and see if anything has separated. I can't imagine your water tanks would cause such a thing especially since you said they were empty. If I recall you can view most of the port drain line via putting your head up in the area under where your feet normally go in the aft most stateroom- there is access to wire chases and some drain lines from there if I remember.

My first guess was going to be failed raw water flush head thru hull or fittings but if that were the case and your pumps weren't working your boat would be all the way under water at this point so it must be something else.

Sorry to hear this and let us know what you find was the cause- I would freak!!! I don't know what would cause me to freak more....having a fire aboard or looking down into the boat and seeing a bunch of water where it should NOT be.

[Guest]

rrdarby wrote:
Sloppy2:

Since you are sure the fresh water tanks are empty, and the inundation wasn't salty, it has to be rainwater collection. The $64 question is where is that volume of rainwater coming from? Like you, I presume the bow deck drains located just aft of each pilothouse door drain overboard. I would check these first by poring some water in them and seeing if the water comes out the drain hole - the same amount more or less - just below the drains.

Also, do you use either of the two external water hose fittings for water when your docked. If you do this could be a likely source for that volume of fresh water.

And, if your going to continue to turn off your house battery power switch when you leave the boat, wire your bilge pumps directly to the battery!!! On second thought do this regardless!!!!!

Other than that, I have no other ideas.

Am going to bed shortly, but I am certain I will be thinking of this through the night - thats my nature - and if I have any new ideas in the am will respond accordingly.

Good luck finding the problem and correcting it

Darby

Thats a good idea, tomorrow i will pour some water in the drains and see what happens.

No I dont use dock water so its not that.

As far as the house battery switch, It is hooked up directly to the battery, so I dont have to have anything switched on. i know there is a fuse in the line so tomorrow, I will look for the fuse. That seems like the only reason the pumps didnt come on.

As before, thanks Darby for the quick response!

I will post my findings after reading the replies and suggestions tomorrow.

Ed

[Guest]

Woodsong wrote:
Wow- NOT FUN!!!

Did the water come back after you pumped it out? A failed drain line from deck drains just aft of pilothouse doors is a good and likely guess. I know on the starboard side you can view that drain line by going into the salon, opening up the storage locker that is angled and just forward of the ice maker and just before you go up the stairs to the pilothouse. Open that locker up and on my 1987 there is a panel that you can unscrew on the back/side of that storage area and you can view a good portion of the drain line. Mine comes down and T's into the drain line from the forward starboard flybridge floor drain. After that T the drain line (2" or so) runs forward out of sight towards amidships behind the aft most head. I would follow those lines and see if anything has separated. I can't imagine your water tanks would cause such a thing especially since you said they were empty. If I recall you can view most of the port drain line via putting your head up in the area under where your feet normally go in the aft most stateroom- there is access to wire chases and some drain lines from there if I remember.

My first guess was going to be failed raw water flush head thru hull or fittings but if that were the case and your pumps weren't working your boat would be all the way under water at this point so it must be something else.

Sorry to hear this and let us know what you find was the cause- I would freak!!! I don't know what would cause me to freak more....having a fire aboard or looking down into the boat and seeing a bunch of water where it should NOT be.

Hi Tony,

No the water did'nt return after I pumped it out. I just returned from the boat again at midnight, since Im so nervous about it.

I will check the locker bye the icemaker and also the compartment in the aft stateroom. Thanks for giving me the shortcut to the locations!

Man, you really have found your way around the boat in such a short time!!! Im proud of you!

Yea, I did freak out when she called me. It's amazing all the things that go through your mind thinking what it will look like when you get to the boat!

I called 2 friends on such a short ride, to meet me there with a pump. kinda scarred the heck out of them too!

Thanks for your suggestions and I will post what I found!

Ed

[Guest]

I also had this happen to me. It was a heart stopper.There was water only in the companionway, had the 4588 for about 6 months. I had, as every one has to do is to go through issues with a new boat. (Iam still learning) The boat was moored in Everrett when we discovered the water in the companionway.We clean up the water then started looking on how the water entered.Finally with fashlights found water had been running down the starboard side, in-side wall of the boat. Discovered the drain on the starboard side was pluged up.Cleared out the trash no more leaks.I belive the fresh water inlet was not sealed. I now almost aways check the drains after a hard rain or after washing the boat. Isnt this a great place to visit and share with others. The Riverdancer has been here in Richland Wa.for the past 3 years great boat.Will be headed up the Snake river to Lewiston Id,with four other Richland Yacht Club members. We will depart August 8 2012. Plan being gone for 3 weeks. Didnt mean this to be this long hope this helps rich2452

[Woodsong]

Ed- it is time for an update!! Curious minds want to know the latest status.

[Guest]

Check the anchor locker drain

[Guest]

george smith wrote:
Check the anchor locker drain

Ed: Call us when you are at Sloppy 2. We want to check her out. Saw a 1995 4588 at Shell Key yesterday. Thought it was you, so paddled over in a truck tube to say hello. Griff

[Guest]

Had the same issue a few years ago, and found that the drain line came detached from the starboard scupper. In my '89 4588 it's accessed through a removable panel in the back of the liquor cabinet, just forward of the icemaker. Not easy to get to, but possible.

[Guest]

Sorry I did'nt make it back yesterday, had a late day at work.

Went this morning to find the leak

Poured water in the starboard drain, outside the pilothouse door, opened the compartment bye the liquor cabinet, sent the little woman in there to watch while i ran the water.

No leaks and the water was flowing nicely out the hull.

Poured water in the port side drain, sent the little woman in the locker at the foot of the aft stateroom, sprayed the hose in the drain and you should have heard her scream!

The water poured in the locker and down the wall at the corner, ending up on the compwy floor and stateroom floor.

That was it, pretty much as we all expected.

I will pull the drain out from the top side, since i cant fit thru the locker area to repair it, replace the connection with a new cut of the hose, seal it good and then probably seal the ss drain down with some 5200. When it dries I will probably seal the top edge with that new secret weapon somebody suggested to me "Catain Tolly's crack sealer". I love that stuff!!!

Then I will test it again and Im sure everything will be good!

I noticed that i did'nt have a floor drain on the flybridge?! Tony, you mentioned there was a "T" coming from the bridge, on the starboard side drain but i dont have one, weird!

Thanks to all you guys for the help! Thanks Tony for knowing the access to the drains!

As Rich said, this is an amazing forum!

Happy boating!!!

Ed

[Woodsong]

Glad to hear it is only a drain line but hate you had to find out the way you did!

You have no drain scuppers on your flybridge floor? I have 2 up there- one to port and one to starboard. The port one is basically at the forward most corner of the flybridge deck at the helm area. The starboard one is also all the way into the starboard corner of the flybridge deck where the angled area to starboard of the door to pilothouse meets the deck. Both of them T into the scupper drain lines on their respective sides that is the line for the deck drains just aft of the pilothouse doors. If those T's ever fail I will have to buy a small monkey and train it for plumbing work b.c I sure wouldn't be able to reach them.

Hope the water damage is not too bad to your companionway.

[Guest]

I dont know. I just dont have any floor drains on the bridge. I didnt know anyone else did, so it never bothered me. now im pissed!:kidding

No, really, the water never pockets anywhere on the bridge. It just flows to the rear and drips everywhere!

Ed

[capnken]

had the same problem myself but less water! the deck scuppers (drains) port and starboard have a pot-metal or non marine grade base where the hose attaches. I looked at mine and they looked fine, but when I pulled on them they broke away! Replaced them with regular drain parts and all is well. Before you do it tho, open the access panels noted in the previous posts (in galley next to stove and in liquor cabinet next to icemaker) and watch while someone runs water on the deck into the scuppers. If no water leak and fittings intact, keep looking! Another leak point: the raw water intakes for the toilets, thru-hulls for the waste system, and look to see if there are any thru hull fittings under the bottom step where the bilge pumps are, or in the guest stateroom where the washdown pump is in the aft closet.

good luck.

Ken

[Guest]

capnken wrote:
had the same problem myself but less water! the deck scuppers (drains) port and starboard have a pot-metal or non marine grade base where the hose attaches. I looked at mine and they looked fine, but when I pulled on them they broke away! Replaced them with regular drain parts and all is well. Before you do it tho, open the access panels noted in the previous posts (in galley next to stove and in liquor cabinet next to icemaker) and watch while someone runs water on the deck into the scuppers. If no water leak and fittings intact, keep looking! Another leak point: the raw water intakes for the toilets, thru-hulls for the waste system, and look to see if there are any thru hull fittings under the bottom step where the bilge pumps are, or in the guest stateroom where the washdown pump is in the aft closet.

good luck.

Ken

Thanks Ken, I did find that the port side drain was leaking pretty badly, at the clamp that holds the hose on the drain. It was definately the original hose, cracked and barely attached. Re-cut it and attached and gave it the water test. No more leaks!!!

Thanks again to all that helped!

Ed