Water in Hull

[Tinken]

I recently bought a 1998 Sea ray 185 bow rider. I was traveling at a slow cruising speed with two adults in the bow and two adults in the 2 front seats when we noticed water in the carpet on the port side. The drain hole for the ice cooler is on the port side just forward off the cockpit. Is it possible that water got into the cooler drain hole and got into the hull through a break in the cooler drain line?

 

[Little Ducky]

Is there water in the floor storage compartment?

 

[Tinken]

No

 

[Black Valkyrie]

Are you positive it was dry in those compartments? When we had our 17 foot searay the hull had 3 separate areas all divided by little rubber expansion stoppers. If any rainwater or seawater gathered in any one of the compartments some would make its way past the stoppers during loading etc on the boat ramp. Also if anything gets splashed in it stays in unless you fully drain it while on the ramp, and that would mean pulling each stopper between the compartments, not just the drain plug at the stern.

Remember- your boat is a giant bucket.

 

[Tinken]

Yes, the floor storage was dry. The water was showing itself in the carpet along the port side. Carpet was saturated from just in front of the battery, all the way to just below the ice cooler compartment.

 

[BillK2632]

I have a 1999 185 which is identical to the 98. I will almost guarantee that the water is coming in through the anchor locker drain. The anchor locker is not water tight, so if water gets in it some will drain out overboard and some will drain into the bilge. The drain is low enough that you put two adults in the front and run at below plane speed and water is going to come in through the drain. I figured this out the same way, went on a long cruise years ago with boat load of people, people in front and next thing I know the bilge pump is running. I bought a rubber drain plug and problem fixed. The other possibility is the cooler drain, but that is pretty far above the water line to get water back through it.

 

[Tinken]

That sounds about right. thank you. We were cruising below plane speed with 2 adults in the bow. The reason i thought of the the cooler drain is because we had more weight on that side. That said, if water got in through the anchor drain, it could have migrated to the low point. I appreciate your feedback. Not a great feeling seeing water in the carpet as you are cruising along! many thanks

 

[Lazy Daze]

If water came in the ski locker drain (which of course is very likely given the scenario), I believe it would make it's way down to the ski locker and then the bilge? It "should" go that way, anyways.

If water came in the cooler drain, it would have to overflow the cooler (which I can't imagine how it could fill up the cooler) to end up on the floor. Unless the drain hose is cracked or something.

Another possibility, although rare with this model, is a loose fit between the deck/hull joint where the glue has failed or there wasn't enough originally applied (this is the joint behind the rubrail). It's also possible for water to follow rubrail screws or hull/deck joint screws in (although it would be a very small amount, typically, if any, that comes in that way).

Start testing with a hose.