Thread: Boat filling up with water while moving down the river.

while on the trailer stick the garden hose in it turn on the water and see where it comes out. if it gets in then it should come out somewhere, unless there's to much weight in the back of the boat and water is coming over the transom.

also ... check to see that there's not any cracks/splits in the livewell & bilge pump hoses.

If all else fails ... take someone with you & run the boat, letting them keep an eye on the bilge area. They should be able to see from which direction/area the water is coming into the bilge. That may not "solve" the problem, but it should give you an idea of what section of the boat is compromised ... narrowing down where you need to look. You might even need to have that person checking the bilge area WHILE you are launching the boat, as the water may be coming in from the moment you put the boat in the water. If so, you may not even need to run the boat down the river. If it stays dry UNTIL you start running ... my guess would be a fracture in the fiberglass, allowing water in under the pressure of running.

There's really only a few ways that the water can get in : thru the hull inlets are leaking - livewell/bilge pump connecting hoses are leaking - or a split in the hull/transom.

Here's hoping it's only deteriorated plastic hoses that are leaking, as that would be an easy/cheap fix Thumbs Up

... luck2ya ..... cp

No sure if your boat has tubing going to your speedometer, that came loose under my console on one my boats of course sitting no leak but running down the lake another story. Might be worth a look at that water pick up tubing. Hope you get it sorted.

Also check the bow eye (where you connect the trailer strap). They can become loose and allow water in especially at slower speeds when it may be under water.

Originally Posted by southern_indiana_man

Ok, fellows. I need some help here. I have a 1984 Astroglass boat. Problem I got is when I'm running down the river my boat starts filling up with water. My battery compartment gets half way full and it also come up under my seats under my console. I know it's not the drain plug checked it and it's fine. Looked under the boat couldn't see anything wrong or at least everything seemed normal. Kinda has me scratching my head for answers as to what it might be so, I figured that I would post it here and maybe someone could help me out on this. Thanks.

I am not familiar with your particular boat but here are a couple things you might check. First off I would try the suggestion of putting some water in the bilge. If that does not reveal the problem area and you have a water intake on the back of the boat for your livewells check everything associated with it/them. If nothing is obvious take the pump apart if you can and make sure the seal inside of it is OK. Finally check the area around the drain plug. If it is leaking around the plug and you have a brass insert that the plug fits into I recommend that you replace that tube with a plastic screw in plug. Hope this helps a little.Thumbs Up

Originally Posted by SLAB MASTER

I am not familiar with your particular boat but here are a couple things you might check. First off I would try the suggestion of putting some water in the bilge. If that does not reveal the problem area and you have a water intake on the back of the boat for your livewells check everything associated with it/them. If nothing is obvious take the pump apart if you can and make sure the seal inside of it is OK. Finally check the area around the drain plug. If it is leaking around the plug and you have a brass insert that the plug fits into I recommend that you replace that tube with a plastic screw in plug. Hope this helps a little.Thumbs Up

When a boat is up and running any water through the back end of a boats "plumbing" is highly doubtful. When you are running the water will be sucked out the back of a boat. EX: if you forget your bilge plug and your filling up get the boat up and running to drain it. Side livewell overflows could cause this, a crack in the hull, or separation of the cap from the hull. This could be in the nose or the sides, commonly referred to as the rubrail. When under power this can cause flex and open up allowing water to enter. This is a common problem on older model boats. If all of your plumbing enters/exits through the back/bottom of your boat and it's filling while running and not stationary, the latter two would be the place to start for me. Flooring softspots would be indicative of these also, the stress has to go somewhere.

I had a fitting on my livewell pump crack and let in water. A lot of water. Doh

Everything looked good untill in the water. Do like someone else suggested, have someone watch in the bilge area and see where the water comes in at.

I think Crappiepappy may have hit it. I've seen fairly new boats take on water because they were allowing water from anywhere on the outside of hull where sealant has broken free.

I had an old Hydrasport that did the same thing when I had been running it on plane for about 30-40 minutes. We figured it was because that was a crack in the hull where they joined the top and the bottom together and it was allowing a little bit in at a time. Next thing I knew it was coming thru the floor and we were in 60' of water. Scary.

Be very careful about adding water to your boat with the plug in. Boats are made to keep water out, not hold water in. I've been told this is a good way to do a lot of damage. If you leave the drain plug out, you should be able to take a hose and pressure spray it and see where water is coming out.

Again, my guess is it either has a crack or one or more of your lines sealant is not holding and letting water in. In that case, you might be able to see as soon as you put it in the lake.