Not sure what else to do

[Dutch]

Yesterday I found quite a bit of water in the bilge when I finished fishing.  Probably at least 20 gallons.  I had both live wells open but did not run the fill pumps or aerators.  So they didn't fill more than half way up.  I have checked the fittings and the hoses, filled the live wells and checked for leaks, checked the live well over flow tubes, filled the bilge and looked for transom fitting leaks, gone all the way around looking for any problem with the cap, crawled under it looked for hull damage.

It was pretty windy yesterday and I was in the wind all day long.  My back end of the boat sets pretty low and I'm wondering if water could have come in through the bilge drain holes.

I'd like to attend to this before I go back to the water but I am at a loss as to what to do next.

 

 

 

 

[fishinwrench]

The seal under the rub rail is suspect.

As is the bilge plug itself, especially if it is either one of these... 

 

What make/model of boat are we talking about?

[fishinwrench]

Motor, or jack plate mounting bolts ? 

Take a paper towel and reach back along the inside of the transom.  Any dampness indicates they are leaking.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Do you recommed a different plug wrench?  I have one that resembles the 2nd picture.   Today I had it pretty tight, but I still had a small amount of water penetrate it.  I tightened it up one more turn and bent it sideways, but it seemed to do the trick.  I don' care for the first one, hurts my precious fingers. 

[176champion]

I use the first type plug, as i had problems with the flip type plug...

Possible leaks happening is why i run an auto bilge pump...

Try taking a garden hose and put the outlet end of hose up against thru hull pushing water into the hose, as i have seen hoses and connectors leak this way as there is more pressure against the hose and such when boat sitting in water.

[Dutch]

wrench I have a built in metal drain plug.  It did not leak even a drop when I filled the bilge with water. The first thing I did was feel the rub rail seal for any gaps in the silicone.

 

I'll have to check the mounting bolts after I go to the lake next time as I have dried everything out with a fan so I can possibly get an early detection of leaks.

 

Funny thing is I have had this boat only 18 months and probably been on the water close to 100 days and not one drop of water in the bilge before.

[Alex Heitman]

ITS possible you didn’t have the drain plug in exactly right. If any of you see my dad make sure and ask him if he knows how to put the plug in right haha

[Dutch]

59 minutes ago, Alex Heitman said:

ITS possible you didn’t have the drain plug in exactly right. If any of you see my dad make sure and ask him if he knows how to put the plug in right haha

I doubt it as the plug hasn't been out since the first day I bought the boat a year ago July.

[shrapnel]

My boat filled with water this year and to this day I do not know why.  Dropped it in the water and headed out of the cove, gave it throttle and the posterior end about went under, it took the bilge a good 5 minutes to pump it out.  The plug never comes out as it lives on a lift.  I suspected livewell overflow or loose fitting somewhere but have not been able to reproduce...thankfully.

[fishinwrench]

12 hours ago, Daryk Campbell Sr said:

Do you recommed a different plug wrench?

Not different, just a newer one.  Both designs tend to leak around the stem after they have been put in and taken out a bunch of times.  The screw-to-tighten style is for putting in from the outside of the boat.  The flip style are for Jon boats, or boats where you can put them in from inside the hull.  Everyone over-tightens their bilge plug, if tightened properly it won't hurt your wittle fingies.     Just tighten it until it can't be pulled out and resist the extra 4 turns.

Filling the hull with water and looking for a leak hardly ever works.  Huge pressure difference.   That method doesn't even work very good for finding leaky rivets on aluminum boats.