310 Sundancer Thread (2007 & newer)

Kaz911, i checked that already. The area under the ac is dry as a bone, i also checked the comaprtment with the bow thruster and the middle compartment. They are all dry as a bone. The smell is definantly coming from the bilge compartment where the shower sump is located. It is not coming from the shower sump though. In the back of the compartment there are 2 tubes that go somewhere. they do not go to the engine compartment, the only thing that makes sense is that they are coming from the compartment with the fresh water tank, under the aft bunk. I removed the compartment cover and there is no odor in that compartment and i checked all the connections and there is no leaks. there is no water on the side comppartments but i didn not have access to the bottom or front of the center compartment without removing the water tank. I vaccummed all the water out and scrubbed the compartment. There is water in the fresh water tank and it is holding its level. I will check it again tonight to see if the compartment is wet. If anyone knows for sure where these 2 drains come from that would be helpful.

bryan25rs - i am having the same exact problem. no odor when I'm in my slip, but when we take a trip anywhere when we arrive it stinks in cabin not as bad in head compartment. i am going to change the waste tank filter anyway so we shall see if that helps.
also anyone have any trouble with garmin transducers ? I have a 6208, and a 5208 head units that are linked and i am reading no TEMP and depth is not working properly. i have it offset for 2.5 or 3' but the depth never goes further than 2.5Ft. I'm going down to boat today to see what transducer i have in boat. i updated software to latest this weekend but that didn't help.

tlrlc i just changed my filter, to see if you need a filter hang out by the portside bilge vent and have someone flush the toilet, if it smells like sh@t then you need a new filter. I dont get any odor in the head at all.

How does one get to the compartment with the bow thruster? I see the opening and have tried to get off, (seems like it should lift out), but does not budge!

It is only pressure fitted on mine, i just grab the carpet at the edge and pull up. You could also use a small screwe driver and pry it up.

This may be a stupid question, but, why is there always water in the bilge, how does it get in?

bryan25rs said:

This may be a stupid question, but, why is there always water in the bilge, how does it get in?

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Well - if yours are like mine - then it comes from the internal compartments in the rear seat area from when you wash the boat. The is a hose / drain from the electrics cabinet at your rear.

But taste the water - if salt = problem - if fresh - the above.

bryan25rs said:

It is only pressure fitted on mine, i just grab the carpet at the edge and pull up. You could also use a small screwe driver and pry it up.

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Bryan, I tried to pry out with screw driver. I'll just keep slowly working at it. Thanks so much. Mike

bryan25rs said:

This may be a stupid question, but, why is there always water in the bilge, how does it get in?

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Some of it is from the "dripless" shaft seals on our V-Drives. My bilge is, and has always been wet.

its not from washing the boat, i vaccumed it dry Sunday and i checked it today before it started raining and it was full again. my bilge pump almost never runs so i am not concerned with a leak just curious. When the boat was on the hard the water didnt leak out. I also noticed before i vacummed it out that the water had a green tint up near the through hull transducers, that never happened last year, but i was in a different marina last year. The one i am in this year has merky water and lots of stuff floating in it, grass, fish chunks, ect

I have not been able to get rid of the water either.... I'm about to install another pump lower down as far back as we can get...

i have water as well....couple inches in the center of the bilge.

bryan25rs said:

its not from washing the boat, i vaccumed it dry Sunday and i checked it today before it started raining and it was full again. my bilge pump almost never runs so i am not concerned with a leak just curious. When the boat was on the hard the water didnt leak out. I also noticed before i vacummed it out that the water had a green tint up near the through hull transducers, that never happened last year, but i was in a different marina last year. The one i am in this year has merky water and lots of stuff floating in it, grass, fish chunks, ect

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Bryan, thanks for the help with the compartment lid for the bow thruster. It just happens that mine had 4 screws on each corner. I was careful enough to get the screws out with no problem.

Also, I think I might have solved your odor problem, because I had the same thing. Firstly, I'm not sure where the water is coming from, but I might have an idea. The odor might be caused by water sitting in the shower sump location and another compartment. (Not in the shower sump itself, but in the compartment where it is located). Where that water is coming, I have no idea, but I'll get to that in a moment. I basically removed all my cushions in the aft compartment, the seat holders (black wooden braces on both sides), and started removing the wooden floor that the seats rest on. (I only removed the small floor panel on the starboard side and the main larger panel covering the water tank - two panels). The carpet is stapled to those panels so you will need to peel back the carpet and remove the staples. Under the small starboard panel you might find water. (Mine was pretty smelly and old). This compartment is closed off as far as I can see, so I'm not sure how water got in there. The main fresh water line from the main water inlet/fill runs in there along with the wires for the water tank level sensor. I didn't see a leak from those lines. I cleaned out. I emptied my water tank and removed the 1 x 1s (Cut the one on the starboard side enough to get clearance to lift out water tank... it was stapled from the other side and had to cut of the showing staples with a wire cutter, removed the back one on the bulkhead to the engine.. this was easy as the screws were from the front. The 1 x 1 on toward the bow was difficult as it was screwed from the other side... I just gently worked it loose). After those were removed, I was able to lift out the water tank. In short, there was water underneath the tank and it was disgusting. In the compartment where the water tank sits, there is a hole forward that leads into the shower sump compartment. So.... that water that sits in the shower compartment drains back under the water tank and sits there.

Now that we have the geography, (I'm not necessarily recommending you remove everything like I did, but just wanted to give you some history) I believe the water might be coming in under the helm or even under the captains chair. These boats always list a bit to starboard, and the water gets caught in the caulking groove and dumps near the throttle or into your cup holder underneath the captains chair. I redirected/dammed the water a couple of years ago with a line of caulk to the drainage hold through the windshield. But why am I still getting some water there? I think my next step will to make sure the windshield in tight (no screws missing). If you have any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks,
Mike

Just a though Bryan, the shower sump, the high water bilge (located in shower sump compartment) and the galley sink all share the same thru hull. I wonder if this might play a role in something. I know the junction/connections between these is probably difficult to get at.

Mike

Mike, thanks for the information, i got to the point of the water tank coming out and stopped, the side compartments where dry, but i think i may have the same issue you did. i will pull out the water tank and report back here. This is why i post on here, each model Sea Ray is so different and they have there own quirks. This information is so helpful. i cant thank you enough. - Bryan

bryan25rs said:

Mike, thanks for the information, i got to the point of the water tank coming out and stopped, the side compartments where dry, but i think i may have the same issue you did. i will pull out the water tank and report back here. This is why i post on here, each model Sea Ray is so different and they have there own quirks. This information is so helpful. i cant thank you enough. - Bryan

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Bryan, please keep me informed. I REALLY WANT TO TRACK THIS LEAK DOWN, as everything forward of the bulkhead should not be getting water in there. All my other compartments such as AC and Bow Thruster are bone dry. I cleaned everything out, and simplified the process for getting back in there to the water tank. (Didn't put back ALL the screws). I know water will still get in there, but know that I will have to clean out every 6 months or so until I find out where the leak is. I'll keep you posted.

Mike

Mike, when i take it apart i am planning on putting a hose on the drain line in the compartment under the water tank, so if it happens again i can suck the water out with a shop vac from the shower sump compartment.

bryan25rs said:

Mike, when i take it apart i am planning on putting a hose on the drain line in the compartment under the water tank, so if it happens again i can suck the water out with a shop vac from the shower sump compartment.

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Bryan, great minds think alike. I actually thought about that too! However, since I trailer my boat to the slip on Fridays, I'm just going to point the rig downhill on the ramp and vac out the sump compartment. With the bow down, the water from the compartment with the fresh water tank should drain to the sump compartment. (I just need to check the sump compartment and make sure that there are no forward drains leading to compartments further to the bow).

Also, does your high water bilge in the sump compartment have a check valve? I manually flip the float switch, but it doesn't seem to move much water out of there. It might just be the nature of the beast. Still attempting to find where that water is coming from.

Mike

Hi Bryan, I found this thread during a search that suggests that the lack of a check valve on the high bilge pump can potentially lead to water in that area. As I had mentioned before, the shower sump, galley sink and high water bilge in the shower sump compartment share the same exit/distribution/thru hull and water can potentially back flow/wash through the system. (It mentions that the backwash can happen while underway, and I noticed that you had earlier mentioned that it can get smelly while you were moving). Also, keeping water in the line might create a trap of sorts to keep any potential odors out of the cabin. (I noticed that sometimes it can get smelly from my galley sink, and I'm wondering if that odor works its way from the sump area).

Just something to gnaw on...... and totally speculative....

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5575

Mike

Mike could you take a picture of the are buy the throttles where you damed the water to drain out the side of the windshield, i need to start there and i wanted to see how you did it. thanks