Help required - urgent

JimmyDubai

JimmyDubai

Member
Oct 13, 2015
351
Dubai, UAE
Boat Info
Sundancer 290 1996, one big block Mercruiser 7.4 LT
Simrad Go9 XSE + 3G radar
Engines
One, Mercruiser 7.4 V8, 310 HP
Folks, does anybody know where is the inspection hatch on the floor of the cabin of the 1996 290 DA? We suspect that there is a ton of water beneath but we need to confirm, so before start cutting the carpet in any place, it would be great if we do it in the correct spot.

Thanks!!
 
Any ideas?
 
You might try the Sea Ray website. They have links to manuals for past models. Perhaps you might find the owners manual. I had a 1992 290 and do not remember any floor hatches, but that has been many years ago.
 
I have no inspection hatches in mine that I could find from the aft cabin back.
Not sure what is forward of that.
I cut up a 95 290 once...
From the aft cabin to the transom.
The raised floor had foam underneath the plywood.

Jeff
 
Dieseljeff said:
I have no inspection hatches in mine that I could find from the aft cabin back.
Not sure what is forward of that.
I cut up a 95 290 once...
From the aft cabin to the transom.
The raised floor had foam underneath the plywood.

Jeff
Click to expand...

Thanks. Will keep searching....
 
fr8dog said:
You might try the Sea Ray website. They have links to manuals for past models. Perhaps you might find the owners manual. I had a 1992 290 and do not remember any floor hatches, but that has been many years ago.
Click to expand...

I have the manual, but they don't mention anything about hatches or "what lies beneath" as the movie used to say...

Cheers!!
 
The boat was lifted over the weekend for the annual service so now she is dry and the drain plug is open but you can see that only deposit from the engine compartment flows; I suppose the bulkhead that separates the cabin from the engine does not allow communication between the two sections, I'm actually trying to find blueprints of the hull but no success so far!!
 
Drill a small hole in your floor, probe with a wood dowel to confirm your suspicions. Sounds like you have a big dollar job coming up. Pull engine to replace transom assembly, remove and replace that crusty driveshaft. Good luck

Doubt that there is a hatch. If you do find water it should be easy enough to cut in a plastic pie hatch for future issues
 
Last edited:
scoflaw said:
Drill a small hole in your floor, probe with a wood dowel to confirm your suspicions. Sounds like you have a big dollar job coming up. Pull engine to replace transom assembly, remove and replace that crusty driveshaft. Good luck

Doubt that there is a hatch. If you do find water it should be easy enough to cut in a plastic pie hatch for future issues
Click to expand...

Yep, you have said it.... a large bill right on the first service of my one year old new (to me) boat. On top of that add the two days that I just spent repairing the gray water tank and transfer pump (don't ask me what I saw or what I smelled, cause I don't want to remember...). I think I will go ahead and do what you recommend.... drill a hole and make an inspection hatch...
 
If I can help you Jimmy, just ask.

Rusty

post script...I have already contacted the customer service guys asking for drawings and such. I'll will let you know what I find out and you tell me what you need boss.
 
juggernaut1 said:
Do you have a table pedestal mount in the floor? If so remove it from the floor and see what it reveals.
Click to expand...

Excellent idea! I'll check it out after work later tonight....
Thanks
 
Capt. Rusty Higgins said:
If I can help you Jimmy, just ask.

Rusty

post script...I have already contacted the customer service guys asking for drawings and such. I'll will let you know what I find out and you tell me what you need boss.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much Rusty!!! For now it is a total mystery the source of those 2 inches of water that I found inside the cabin.... Those drawing will help me understand what is really in there!!. Thanks for whatever you can find for a 1996 290 DA
 
An update on the issue of having a leak of fresh water underneath the floor.

After Captain Rusty provided me with the drawing of my boat, the plan was 1) to discover how this is happening and 2) pump the water out. First, we checked that the A/C drainage pan was doing the job, all good (water from condensation is flowing back to the shower sump). Second we drilled a couple of holes, good in the sense that the only thing we discover was dry foam everywhere, bad because we still haven't found the issue. So, back to square one and change the tactic. First we want to use a special tool to check the dampness of the hull (I believe there is a kind of scan or ecograph that shows you this). Second, I discover than when the fresh water pump is on (and all valves closed) the pump switches on every 5 minutes for 3 or 4 seconds). This tells me that there is a bad connection somewhere in the fresh water piping and pressure is being lost. Once I discover this, we will have to drill another hole and reach the bottom of the hull and pump this water out.
Any other advise?
Thanks
 
Check the pop off on hot water tank. Could be coming from that. Happened on my 340 and I just turned off water to water heater and leak stopped.Changed pop off all good.
 
JimmyDubai said:
An update on the issue of having a leak of fresh water underneath the floor.

After Captain Rusty provided me with the drawing of my boat, the plan was 1) to discover how this is happening and 2) pump the water out. First, we checked that the A/C drainage pan was doing the job, all good (water from condensation is flowing back to the shower sump). Second we drilled a couple of holes, good in the sense that the only thing we discover was dry foam everywhere, bad because we still haven't found the issue. So, back to square one and change the tactic. First we want to use a special tool to check the dampness of the hull (I believe there is a kind of scan or ecograph that shows you this). Second, I discover than when the fresh water pump is on (and all valves closed) the pump switches on every 5 minutes for 3 or 4 seconds). This tells me that there is a bad connection somewhere in the fresh water piping and pressure is being lost. Once I discover this, we will have to drill another hole and reach the bottom of the hull and pump this water out.
Any other advise?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Jimmy I had the same issue happen to me and ultimately found the fresh water pump was slowly leaking. It would pump...loose pressure because of the leak..and pump some more. Ultimately the entire tank would be empty when I would return after a few days. I replaced the pump and the issue disappeared. In my case the floor of the cabin had just been rebuilt and so the water drained well into the bilge and then pumped out because of the angle of the boat as she sits on the dock.

One of the things I learned is to not leave the water pressure breaker on while Im gone..things break and 50 gals of water is alot! Slows the ice make down but well worth the trouble. Hope that helps.
 
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