Excessive water in bilge

[Atwood1018]

First weekend out with the new boat and it seemed like I had more water in the bilge than I should. I looked around and couldn't really see anything leaking. My old boat was a Glastron and it stayed dry as a bone. Is this common with Bajas or could I have problem?

[BDannecker]

I don't consider water in the bilge "normal", especially on a new boat. I would be all over it looking for loose fittings or improperly sealed transome penetrations.

Good luck,
Bruce...

[steelware]

Take a hose and point it at the flange of the exhaust tip and see if water comes in around those. Sometimes they forget to seal off around them.

[missouri]

I agree with the above...I have had several and they all stayed dry! Even with people in and out of it swimming....

it could be coming in from the cleats in front if they are not secured correctly...water pump or pump hose...thru hub exhaust....leaking hose....tips....I know of a guy who's lower unit wasn't mounted correctly....

Can you pump the water out?

[Atwood1018]

I can pump it out with the bilge pump fine, I just don't know how it's getting in.

[missouri]

Sorry atwood....I should have asked if enough was getting in that you had to pump it out!

[Baja Daze]

Unless it rains, water should not be entering the bilge, I would not consider it normal.

I can leave my boat in the water for 3 days and not a drop is found in the bilge.

Check all your through-hull fittings especially around your drive like your shift cable boot and bellows...many times they will wear out and begin to leak; this is quite common after a few years. Also check your drain plug and inspect to see if any cooling water is leaking from your engine while running. A loose hose clamp can result is slow, dripping leaks.

An easy way to check for leaks is to fill up your bilge with water(below your oil pan, of course) while your boat sits on a trailer or out of the water and see if any water leaks out.

Good luck.

[DCH1]

I second what Baja Daze and BDanneker have said. The 342 will hold small amounts of water that leak in through the cockpit cover because of the way the stringers are set in the floor (the cross-pieces block tiny amounts of the water from draining aft). But the bilge is essentially bone-dry. Yours should be also.

[bottomless pit]

When I got my boat it leaked water only when it was running at one of the exhaust elbows, It had to be running and you had to look from underneath or you would miss it. only one of the 4 leaked.
Bottomless pit.

[OUTLAW 29]

It can also leak out of the little blue drain plugs

[GottaHaveIt]

I've seen loose hose connections at the raw water pump, and even cracked water pump housings.

[missouri]

whatever it is, if you have to pump it out it isn't good/right!
Especially if it's new.....

[Atwood1018]

Thanks for all the tips. It is a 99 with 39 hours on it. I'll inspect it more this weekend.

[Movin Violation]

I found water in my bilge. After looking around, I found that it was coming from the vents located along the back of my boat. I found that if I came off of a plane quickly the water would come over the swim platform and run into the vents filling the bilge. now i just slowly come off the plane.

[DCH1]

Movin V:

Sounds strange that you're getting water into the bilge that way!

However you SHOULD be able to come off plane more quickly if you pop the trottle a bit as she comes down. This prevents the transom backwash you'd normally get. It is a little trick you learn to protect your transom exhausts from getting a slug of water past the baffles.

DCH

[Atwood1018]

I do get some water over the swim platform when I back completely off the throttle when I'm on plane. The first time I did it I thought I was going to sink. LOL It's definitely different from a little Glastron bow rider.

[DCH1]

The 342 never left me with quite the sensation you describe when chopping the power, but if I don't do the throttle trick I get a LOT of water up the transom!

We are a lot alike. Yes, the Baja 342 IS very different in some ways from my old bowrider, and surprisingly similar in other ways! We got a good pounding on the lake in the Wellcraft 196 Eclipse Bowrider. Great boat, just too much for the wife when the lake is busy.

But I've been surprised at how docile the handling on the 342 is when compared to the Wellcraft 196. They lean the same way in turns and have similar hull bite. But you loose prop bite on the 342 if you turn too sharp at low speeds. Both boats both plane very quickly. They can both be managed to tow a skiier (to my surprise the 342 WILL do this at about 22 MPH with trim in and tabs fully depressed - per police radar this AM).

On the whole, I'm quite happy with the new boat!

DCH

[Atwood1018]

Found it!!! I took Baja Daze's advice and filled the bilge with some water. There was a steady drip coming from the flange for the drain plug. I took it off, cleaned it, and gave it some fresh silicone. I'll let it sit all week and then see what happens. My guess is if there is a steady drip coming out it was getting in just as easy. Hopefully this is the only leak.

[Baja Daze]

Great to hear. Hopefully, that's all it is. The drain plug fittings can begin to leak, especially after many years of loosening and tightening the plug.

When you remove the entire fitting, I would also inspect for core damage...Water intrusion is never good for transom coring.

If all looks good and solid, give it plenty of time to dry and then seal it up really well.