2006 Sea Ray 40 MY stringer has water inside; drains under starboard engine.

[Alvin]

I have a 2006 40 MY with Cummins 480 CE diesels. Boat hull hit the dock during high winds breaking starboard bilge air vent. Hull does not appear damaged. Rain water entered bilge through air vent opening and accumulated/removed from under starboard engine. Since that time, neither engine will start. No electricity getting to starters. Short somewhere. Plus, clear water now puddling under starboard engine, appears to draining from inside starboard stringer via access hole (for engine mounts) located near hull and bow thruster batteries. Not sure how water is getting into stringer. Thoughts anyone? Al

 

[Escapade]

Time to rent a video inspection camera. Call your local tool rental and see if they have one w/ extra long hose. Then hit the decks w/ water till you find that source. One quick thought. do you know if its all rain water? If your in salt water could you taste a finger and make certain it is fresh water.

 

[alnav]

Al, assuming the hull configuration for our boats is the same, I believe there is another stringer (with an associated void between stringers) outboard of the stringer you are describing. I believe all of them are designed to eventually drain to the center bilge but that works best when the hull is trimmed at least slightly stern-down. If your water tank is empty that could make the difference. I do get fluid pools under the engines when bow-down. Hopefully the water is just making its way to where it was designed to belong. You may want to just vacuum out the pool and see what happens over time.
The engines not starting is more troubling to me. If that was caused by rainwater I think it would have had to get pretty high to short anything out. I assume you've got good voltage out of both banks that go to the engines? Any other indications other than nothing happening when you go to start?

 

[dcharna]

I have had trouble with my rub rail. When the air vent was damaged, did the rub rail get damaged at all. I ended up calking the top of my rub rail.

Dan