Help needed - 2006 260DA, water in bildge (pics attached)

D

Dom

New Member
May 7, 2016
9
Canada
Boat Info
2006 SeaRay 260DA
Engines
Merc 5.7
Help needed - 2006 260DA, water in bilge (pics attached)

Hi Guys,

This is my first post but I've been reading this great forum for a while.

I got the boat in April, after a few day out with it I saw that there was always ware entering the bilge from the place that I have indicated in the pictures (starboard side). It seems that the same hole on the port side was filled/blocked with a kind of insulation foam.

Anybody knows what are these for?
Thanks !!!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8IiDhfhLK0DV085SFduNjBXVUU

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8IiDhfhLK0DYkloS0RCTEVzVDA
 
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I don't have an answer for you, but that is the cleanest bilge I've ever seen. I'm OCD on my boat and I would need to do a lot of detailing to get to that level. Nicely done.
 
That looks like a drain with water redirected from another area. Ice box perhaps ?
The parts manual on your boat may have a diagram of the plumbing & drain routing.
Try spraying different areas on the boat with a water hose & look for water coming out that drain.

Steve C.
 
I have a 2006 260 DA and my bilge looks identical save for the fact there is no thru hull fitting in that area. I cannot imagine what that could be for. Hopefully someone will chime in and we can both be educated.

I have seacock so for the AC and gen and there is a thru hull transducer. There is also a drain in the rear and that is all of the holes in the bottom of my boat.

Bennett
 
Thanks for the answers and good comments ;)
I went through the user manual and found nothing about it.

From what I saw so far the water is coming in by that hole mostly when the waves are hitting to boat on that side. But from the outside the boat look as described in the manual....
 
Those are thru-hole drains, yes water will come in through them there should be a hose connected to it from the pic it's broken off there should be a hose connection there. You need to find out what drains into both of them and replce them and run the correct hose for them it could be hatch, cockpit sink, shower, head sink, etc. They exit thru the side of your boat about 1' above the waterline you should have several on both sides.

If you get caught in a storm water could pour into your bilge faster than your pump can pump it out, through hulls need to be connected. If it's for the hatch drain in a rain storm all the water will go right into the bilge a down pour could fill your bilge if the pumps can't keep up with it.

Similar to these:

http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...er_att_name0~UserType^user_att_value0~NewUser
 
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Re: Help needed - 2006 260DA, water in bilge (pics attached)

gents , hold on... these are limber holes and not someking of a thru hull drain of any kind.

left and right the engine , where the batteries and waste tank one side and the water heater other side is sitting on are false floors with space between to the real hull bottom. this area is fitted with these limber holes so water being trapped in this boxes can drain into the main bilge and that is what happens.

you have some water in this box and if the waves start to roll the boat it will pour to the bilge via this limber hole.

the next question is why you have water there. either rain water somehow finds its way there or maybe your trim tab mounts are not fully tight.

you boat salt or fresh water ?
 
Is your water tank level going down?

Just forward of that water heater, you should have a series of black, plastic fittings connected together with multiple water line connections. There are 2 circuits. Hot (red) and clod (blue). I suspect that one (or more) of those is leaking, and the water is simply getting under the floor. It runs back to that limber hole and then into the bilge. The same can happen if the drain valve on the HWH is not closed all the way.

Take a small screwdriver or piece of wire with a small hook on it, and clean out the foam from the limber hole on the other side so that it can do its job properly. Letting water build up anywhere and letting it sit is not good for the boat. Always keep vents and drains of any type clear.
 
Please double check on all of this, but I don't recall ever seeing holes there on your model - essentially "limber holes" as mentioned above. That cavity SHOULD be sealed and dry. Now, this is only a (somewhat) educated guess based on what I see in that picture and what you have written...

At some point, the owners (or their mechanic) found that water was getting into that cavity (as you have found). They likely found this due to decreased performance and/or weighing the boat. After figuring out that there was/is water in there, they attempted some exploratory holes (it appears there is one at about 1:00 above that drain in the picture). Once they verified water, they installed the thru-hull rather than fixing the problem. In other words, they put a bandaid on the situation rather than treating the root cause. The reason the other side is plugged is because they eventually found that the water was only entering on one side - but they didn't know that until after drilling the holes.

Your boat has an inner hull liner which is glued to the outer hull. This is actually a very good way to build a boat, but in this case it does require some more investigative work to figure out what's going on - as in where the water is entering. If my theory of what is happening holds true, what is essentially going on is that outside water is entering the boat through something that should be sealed. The water is then dribbling down the interior hull wall and then IN BETWEEN the hull and the hull liner. It then makes is way aft where it is now being drained out. While this "could" be seen as a non-issue since the water is draining out, many of these hidden cavities that the water flows through are also filled with foam which is absorbing water. You could double check with Sea Ray on this but (on a good note), I'm not aware of any wood in the pathway of this water that is draining/flowing through the hidden areas.
 
Lazy Daze said:
Please double check on all of this, but I don't recall ever seeing holes there on your model - essentially "limber holes" as mentioned above. That cavity SHOULD be sealed and dry. Now, this is only a (somewhat) educated guess based on what I see in that picture and what you have written...

At some point, the owners (or their mechanic) found that water was getting into that cavity (as you have found). They likely found this due to decreased performance and/or weighing the boat. After figuring out that there was/is water in there, they attempted some exploratory holes (it appears there is one at about 1:00 above that drain in the picture). Once they verified water, they installed the thru-hull rather than fixing the problem. In other words, they put a bandaid on the situation rather than treating the root cause. The reason the other side is plugged is because they eventually found that the water was only entering on one side - but they didn't know that until after drilling the holes.

Your boat has an inner hull liner which is glued to the outer hull. This is actually a very good way to build a boat, but in this case it does require some more investigative work to figure out what's going on - as in where the water is entering. If my theory of what is happening holds true, what is essentially going on is that outside water is entering the boat through something that should be sealed. The water is then dribbling down the interior hull wall and then IN BETWEEN the hull and the hull liner. It then makes is way aft where it is now being drained out. While this "could" be seen as a non-issue since the water is draining out, many of these hidden cavities that the water flows through are also filled with foam which is absorbing water. You could double check with Sea Ray on this but (on a good note), I'm not aware of any wood in the pathway of this water that is draining/flowing through the hidden areas.
Click to expand...

Thanks Dennis I learned something new didn't notice in the first pic the arrow pointing to lower area my fault, when I noticed the broken thru-hull I assumed it was up higher. I know never assume it makes you an a-s.

Great description of the hull design and it's function. I would get a definitive answer from someone on what they're there for.

Added;
I just looked at the thru-hull again it appears to have some kind of sealant on it, when they installed it there might have been some coring or foam in that area, why else would they apply sealant if it were just fiberglass.
 
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dennis , since my 2006 240 sundancer has limberholes in this area for sure i,m pretty sure the 260 has the same and he deals with water where it should be dry. you are spot on with your comments its an idea why he has water there.

i assumed my 240 also has water there but found nothing by trying to suck the bottom of this cavity with a pump and thin hose.
 
Dennis, see these pics I took from ads, all 260DA 2006 I can find have the same.... so no mod

drain1.jpg

drain2.jpg

drain4.jpg

Nice way to check how water is arriving is with chalk.. Just draw some lines in bilge and higher parts..

krijt.jpg
 
Thank you all for your answers !
I will go to the boat during my lunch break today and try to take better pictures and also have a look at some of the elements you pointed out like a potential leak from the trim tabs or water system.

I will post an update later.
 
should you boat in salt water take a taste on your tonque of the water which comes out this limber hole. if its salty you know your hull leaks , if its fresh you know its rain or your water tank system.
 
I can assure you that my 2006 260DA does not have these. I also just checked the Parts Manual and no indication there as well.

I believe these have been added by someone other than SR.

Bennett
 
Strange, as I downloaded SIM (2007) and holes are showing on drawing... also think I have an idea of purpose


http://www.searay.com/boat_graphics/electronic_brochure/Company1729/1C1_23_74DEJALO4AE.pdf

bilge.jpg

I marked the 'limber holes', top one marked is the one you see on pictures, bottom is 'inside'. If I see correct on pictures, the open space (marked by arrow) is covered. Not sure if can be 'removed' or is sealed watertight... The open space is continuing after the bulkhead..... On top of the cover you have often your heater, water pipes, waste tank, etc... Can leak in space under the cover and maybe even coming from front (before bulkhead).

Assume that is reason of 'limber holes'
 
Thank you roberteb, your theory does make sens.

I have spent an hour during the lunch break trying to remove the expandable foam sealant from the limber hole on the port side.
It doesn't seem to have water on that side or at least nothing is coming out from the hole now.
 
Interesting. That's some great investigative work, Robert. Now I have to go and take some more fish oil pills... They help with memory, right?

I notice that Robert is in the Netherlands and Aerobat is in Germany. Bennett and Dom, do you have the same, white "panels" that are shown in the pics (for example, the one running longitudinally under the HWH)? That certainly looks like it covers a cavity, as Aerobat said (your cavity is open towards the front of the bilge, right? Almost like a little nook for storing things?).

So let's go with the assumption that Dom's boat has the limber holes as an OEM thing. Bennett, if you definitely don't have them, maybe yours was produced at a different plant or there was a manufacturing change. However, I'm still curious as to the reason for, what looks like, that exploratory hole. And, of course, we still need to figure out the reason for the water intrusion, which of course is the main reason for Dom's post.

Thinking....
 
In my boat these cavities are completely covered with a board. There is no opening toward the front of the bilge.
To add some more precision I'm located in Canada but the boat was manufactured in the USA. The boat is use in fresh water only.
 
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