Is this possible?

[bbwhitejr]

Need some help to understand if I might have a a solution to a problem that may not be a problem...When my boat is sitting in the water or on the trailer, is the forward part of the keel lower than the drain plug in the transom? Here is why I ask...from time to time, I have some oil in the bilge. I have small leak and a minimal amount of water as well. I have been over the engine and generator with a camera, a mirror, and a rag and cannot find any leak whatsoever. I have run the motor on the muffs as well as gotten in the bilge with it running on the lake. Also, engine oil, generator oil, trim unit, tab unit, and power steering units have maintained perfectly steady levels-no drop and none added. Is it possible that the PO or his mechanic did a sloppy job of changing oil, etc and it settled into the keel area? There is always a small amount mixed with the water in the bilge. When I get home, boat on trailer, and unhook my truck, I raise the tongue enough to clear the ball and the bilge drains and I clean it each time. Yesterday, I got some blocks and raised the trailer tongue way up and have drained maybe a 1/2 cup to a cup out of the plug. Thoughts?

As always, thanks for all advice and help.

 

[ASH]

That sounds like the bilge on 90 percent of boats I have been around.. I am certain it is possible to get the plug higher than the belly while boating… If you drop about a tablespoon of Dawn in the bilge before you boat the wave action helps clean……Remove plug when you get it trailered up and watch the suds drip…They use it to clean birds after oil spills so I assume it is enviro friendly as well.

 

[SloBurn]

+1 on the Dawn!! Let it slosh around for a day or two, then rinse with hot water if you can. Cleaned my bilge pretty good!

 

[bbwhitejr]

Thanks guys! Let me ask another question to try and better understand things. If I go into the cabin and raise the most forward cushion under the mirror, I can see the front eye that attaches to the winch strap. It appears that the keel starts here. If I were to dump water in here, would it flow to the back of the boat and out the drain provided that the bow was up high enough?

Thanks again...

 

[jrseitz]

I had a small oil leak in my 260 that ended up being the rubber fitting at the base of the oil fill tube. It took a long time to find the leak but a SR dealer said he has scene this a few times before...just a thought?

 

[bbwhitejr]

Thanks Jim. I will look closer there tomorrow.