2006 260DA taking on water in mid sump area..help

Nick70

Nick70

Active Member
Apr 20, 2016
206
New England
Boat Info
2006 Searay 260 DA 496 mag
RAYMARINE stuff.
Engines
496 Magnum
Bravo III
Under the stairs, there is a bilge pump. There is also a sealed plastic box which collects water from the shower and AC condensate and has its own pump.
My issue is not the box. It's water somehow getting in to that mid sump area. When I'm out in choppy/rough conditions, it's pretty bad actually. In the middle of Vineyard sound, in about 2-3' seas, it was taking enough to activate the dedicated bilge pump every minute or two. Very annoying, and concerning.
I had it checked out and no problem found. But I feel that should not be happening. I realize the inherent design of that whole area makes for a damp floor carpet, as it gets wicked out from u dear the stairs. But this is not just leaking AC condensation. Any ideas?
PS: we had a fantastic summer this year. Plenty of overnights and lots of day fun. I love my boat and boating in general. I'd also love to solve this mystery too though..
 
Just a quick question about that---there usually is some water that sits in the sump. That happens because the sump pumps the water UP the outlet hose so it discharges above the water level. When the pump stops running the water that is in the hose above the sump pump drains back down into the plastic box.

If you're bouncing around and that water is sloshing around it might be trying to pump the water out. It ends up filling the outlet hose, then the pump shuts off and the water drains back down into the sump box. Then the process repeats and repeats and repeats..
 
Gofirstclass said:
Just a quick question about that---there usually is some water that sits in the sump. That happens because the sump pumps the water UP the outlet hose so it discharges above the water level. When the pump stops running the water that is in the hose above the sump pump drains back down into the plastic box.

If you're bouncing around and that water is sloshing around it might be trying to pump the water out. It ends up filling the outlet hose, then the pump shuts off and the water drains back down into the sump box. Then the process repeats and repeats and repeats..
Click to expand...
I see what you mean. Good point. The thing is, there actually is a lot more water in there than normal. I don't even like there being ANY water at all. I'll sop it all up with a chamois til its bone dry. Calm days, it stays dry. The rougher the seas, the more water gets in. Maybe it's coming in from that outlet? Be nice if there was a baffle/valve to prevent back flow from the outside..makes sense though.
 
I agree GFC, but it doesn't explain the water outside of the sump box. At least this is how I read it. There are 2-pumps under there, one in the sump box and one on the outside. I never had water outside of the box in my 06 260DA. There is an alarm that comes on when the pump outside of the box activates I believe. How you are getting water there is the mystery.

Lazy Daze will see this and answer I am sure.

Bennett
 
Hey Nick, I have the same year / model. This spring after removing the shrinkwrap, I noticed on the port side from the rear corner up about halfway forward there was a small gap (about 1/4") under the rub rail where the hull meets the topside. take a quick look, you may have a similiar situation. That may be place where water could be splashing in in rough seas.
My solution was to remove the stainless steel rub strip, then remove hard rubber strip. Some of the screws that hold the hull/top together had stripped out. Went to local hardware store, got s/s screws a bigger size. I sealed the gap with silicone adhesive. I did install more screws than originally used. That closed up the gap nicely. Re-installed the rubber strip and s/s rub strip, everything turned out great. Sorry it was so long winded. Hope it helps.
 
GCHOG said:
Hey Nick, I have the same year / model. This spring after removing the shrinkwrap, I noticed on the port side from the rear corner up about halfway forward there was a small gap (about 1/4") under the rub rail where the hull meets the topside. take a quick look, you may have a similiar situation. That may be place where water could be splashing in in rough seas.
My solution was to remove the stainless steel rub strip, then remove hard rubber strip. Some of the screws that hold the hull/top together had stripped out. Went to local hardware store, got s/s screws a bigger size. I sealed the gap with silicone adhesive. I did install more screws than originally used. That closed up the gap nicely. Re-installed the rubber strip and s/s rub strip, everything turned out great. Sorry it was so long winded. Hope it helps.
Click to expand...

Beat me to it! Rub rail and hull separation. Same thing happened to me last season.
 
GCHOG said:
Hey Nick, I have the same year / model. This spring after removing the shrinkwrap, I noticed on the port side from the rear corner up about halfway forward there was a small gap (about 1/4") under the rub rail where the hull meets the topside. take a quick look, you may have a similiar situation. That may be place where water could be splashing in in rough seas.
My solution was to remove the stainless steel rub strip, then remove hard rubber strip. Some of the screws that hold the hull/top together had stripped out. Went to local hardware store, got s/s screws a bigger size. I sealed the gap with silicone adhesive. I did install more screws than originally used. That closed up the gap nicely. Re-installed the rubber strip and s/s rub strip, everything turned out great. Sorry it was so long winded. Hope it helps.
Click to expand...
Lol..not long winded at all! I'm really grateful to hear back from you guys..especially owning the same boat. There's an obvious pun here but I'll leave that alone for now.
I'll give that seam at the rub rail a good inspection.
Thanks again for the input!
 
I would also check to make sure that the stainless steel Bow-Eye is sealed up really good. I had this same issue on my 2007 240. Only would get water in the sump area on choppy conditions.
 
could water be entering through a bad/loose seal around a porthole window?.....are the sea conditions rough enough to cause water to splash the portholes?.....

cliff
 
Given that you're getting water in rough seas I'd also vote to investigate the hull to deck joint for separation. Last fall I found that mine had separated enough to let sunlight stream in through a large separation on the starboard side. When I fixed it in the spring the gap was huge, and multiple areas had screws that had backed out - between a little and a lot. Plus there was VERY minimal sealant applied to the joint from the factory.

I detailed my repair here: http://www.clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/resealing-the-hull-to-deck-joint.83083/#post-938574
 
Do your stairs screw into the deck under the removable stair? I had water coming into that area through the screws that were used to secure the bottom of the pole that has the top step on it. I was getting water in the bilge area, that seeped into the stair area, from a gap in the railing as others have mentioned above.
 
Definitely check the starboard side porthole seals. I have the same make and model and whenever I wash the boat water comes in and creates the same situation
 
Nick70 said:
Under the stairs, there is a bilge pump. There is also a sealed plastic box which collects water from the shower and AC condensate and has its own pump.
My issue is not the box. It's water somehow getting in to that mid sump area. When I'm out in choppy/rough conditions, it's pretty bad actually. In the middle of Vineyard sound, in about 2-3' seas, it was taking enough to activate the dedicated bilge pump every minute or two. Very annoying, and concerning.
I had it checked out and no problem found. But I feel that should not be happening. I realize the inherent design of that whole area makes for a damp floor carpet, as it gets wicked out from u dear the stairs. But this is not just leaking AC condensation. Any ideas?
PS: we had a fantastic summer this year. Plenty of overnights and lots of day fun. I love my boat and boating in general. I'd also love to solve this mystery too though..
Click to expand...
Just one more idea. The drain in the head, drains into that sump as well. When it is real rough out on the water, the water from the toilet can actually spash out and go down the shower drainand end up in the sump.
 
That particular vintage 260DA has a problem with the deck to hull joint seal. Another CSR member had the very same issue with his 260DA as well and I had that issue with mine. The dealer pulled off the rub rail on mine and had to reseal the joint. My water leak while underway caused water in my bilge on mine. Are you also seeing water in your bilge as well as your mid cabin?
 
I don't know why you wouldn't seal it with 3M 5200 (or maybe 4200) rather than silicone. Its not a seal that you will ever want to open up and Silicone has no structural strength. 5200 would make it a permanent bonded hull/deck joint, which is how it should have been done by the factory.
 
Creekwood said:
I don't know why you wouldn't seal it with 3M 5200 (or maybe 4200) rather than silicone. Its not a seal that you will ever want to open up and Silicone has no structural strength. 5200 would make it a permanent bonded hull/deck joint, which is how it should have been done by the factory.
Click to expand...

I don't know either. That's why I used 5200 when I resealed my hull to deck joint.
 
had same issue with my 08 260 it turned out to be bad seal around port hole windows. Taped off and shot clear silcone around frame to fiberglass and problem solved.
 
I had a similar problem with my 25DA. I would find the carpet in the saloon wet quite often.
Two things causing it, the pump in the shower sump, although making a noise like it was working it was not actually pumping the water out, so it overflowed as the shower sump is not watertight, (strange design).
New shower sump installed fixed that one.

Also the though hull transducer was leaking, only discovered this when I took the batteries out for testing, when I returned a few days later, I had about a foot of water in the engine bay, which ran up a channel into the saloon so I had a foot of water in there too. Very alarming I must say. After getting the bilge pump going I found the leak on the transducer. (Previous post).
It''s out of the water now, and as the transducers are redundant, as I have an external transom mounted transducer, I'm thinking of removing them and fibreglassing up the holes.
 
I figured out the problem. After having the service dept at the marina do a thorough leak test, we came to the conclusion that in the rough water, the action of the bow diving down, forcing the seawater up the sides, was forcing water in through the exhaust hole for that bilge area.
That completely explains why it can be bone dry whilst docked, and going out on multiple trips in calm seas. But if I was to hit wakes or deal with chop or any roughness, then I'd see water. The hull/deck seal is good..I tightened the portals also. I'm thinking a check valve would be a good idea.
She's an awesome boat and I'm glad she's in good shape:)
 
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