WHY!!!!! Is my engine mount full of water?

[BlewByYou88]

After painitng the bilge, some dirty water was seeping into the little collector where the bilge pump sat. I wiped it up thinking maybe something was just dripping from the genset or something. Made sure everything was dry. COme back the next day...BAM more cruddy water.

As fate would have it, I guess I stepped where there used plug where the batteries sit, and it went through into the hull. So, I thought, no bid deal, I will get some epoxy seal it and re paint....NOPE! Reached my finger in the hole and it was completly full of water!!!!! WTF!?!?!?! :smt013

On a hunch, I drilled a hole in the back of the engine mount...and???? do my dismay about 10 gallons of water comes pouring out! I pumped out another 4 gallons with my suction pump. :wow:

In a panic I drilled in to the transom and the stringers...bone dry.

How does a boat that has spent 95% of its life on a trailer, working bilge pump, always covered, get water in this spot of all places????? :smt101

Is it somehow possible that the through hulls for the genset and A/C are letting water seep in somehow? I really dont want to have to pull those, but I'm so confused how that much water gets into this location. Also, there aren't any holes in the bottom of the boat.

Has anyone else every seen this?

 

[Big Island Lifer]

Bump

I wish I had an answer for you. You have been putting your heart and soul into your boat and I hope this works out for you.

Darren

 

[HUMPH]

Is your boat on the hard right now? If so I would pull all through hulls and check them out. You will need to get those areas dry and have a surveyor check for any rotting wood. Suck as much moisture out as possible with a shop vac and try to get some ventilation through the holes to start drying the annular space. If there is no rot, you got lucky and just patch all of the holes you drilled (properly). I am sure people with more experience (Frank W.) can provide a more detailed process.

Good luck!

 

[BlewByYou88]

I pulled the through hulls, and the STBD one had damp wood upinside, between the outter shell and the inner (Way to go Sea Ray with you f*ing silicone. This is the only culprit I have. Nothing is spongy, but I did note, when I pulled the engines, both sets of lag bots that came off the center island were comepletly rusted. Yet the bolts that came from the to side mounts, were ok.

I'm suprised though, if there was as much water as there was in there, why hadn't it wicked foward far enough in enter the aft cabin and leak in to the stepdown drainage compartment?

So basically, I'm figuring just the for the center engine mount, the base for the batteries, and possibly under the gas tank would be as far as the damage could have gone.

I'm hesitant to rip it all out, build new forms out of wood and glass everything since both the engine mounts' lags bolts were holding strong, and nothing is spongy. :huh:

It just sucks, because IDK how long the water has been in there, and I don't know how much damge has really been done.

I hate moments like this......:smt009

 

[Big Island Lifer]

Can you get your hands on a moisture sensor?

If not try drilling small 1/4 inch pilot holes to try to map out how far the water has gotten. If it is in the shelf that holds up the batteries you are looking at wet foam and that should definitely be removed.

:smt089

 

[BlewByYou88]

If it is in the shelf that holds up the batteries you are looking at wet foam and that should definitely be removed.

:smt089

Yea, there is deffinatley wet foam down in there. I shoved the screwdriver down in there after I pumped the water out.

 

[Gofirstclass]

I would either get my hands on a water meter that will read through the fiberglass or hire a surveyor to bring his meter and show me how much of the hull area is affected by the raised moisture levels. That would also identify how far forward the moisture has wicked through the wood.

There is a process of using heat blankets that attach to the hull to remove moisture. I don't know much about the process other than it supposedly does work well.

As to your question of how a boat that spends much of its life on a trailer get in this position, I'd bet it is from seepage that has come through the thru-hull fittings.

 

[BlewByYou88]

Well, I drilled under the fuel tank, the foam dries out half way up to the bulk head. Just to error on the side of caution, I drilled another small hole where the step down pump is going back into the engine compartment. Totally dry. The foam is deffinatley wet at the at the aft portion of the fuel tank.

I have had the shop vac stuck to the hole on the motor mount for the last 2 hours, it hasn't collected a drop of water. I can feel suction from all the holes that I drilled foward. I'm hoping this will get things dryer now.

Guess I better get on the horn and track down a moisture meter!​

 

[Daddubo]

I think a lot of water gets in through screw holes in the hull in the engine compartment that weren’t filled and bad factory sealing. My Starboard shelf was rotten and it looked like someone put rid rot in the transom. Water also will get in to the boat through the vents for the engine compartment when it rains and lets not forget the shower sump and other places where water will collect and not drain..