Dealing with Water in Bilge

[Captain Decent]

Guys, so I’m working on a deal for a 31 but have never owned one so I have a concern about the beige design. I’ve always ran boats with self bailing decks and sealed hatches so that basically no water gets to the bilge under normal circumstances.

But the Bertrams I’ve seen always seem to have some water sitting. It seems that water somehow leaks into there from the access hatches and whatnot. Since these don’t have a drain plug how do you deal with this? Just pump it down as far as possible and live with a couple inches of standing water?

It is my understanding that the stringers are wood cored and the bilge is raw fiberglass, no gel coat or paint. So over time, wouldn’t they soak up water and rot?

Do you guys have problems with blood and guts getting down there? How well do the scuppers keep the deck dry? Just a couple of many questions I will have as I make this acquisition. Thanks!

[PeterPalmieri]

The lowest point in the boat is just aft of the v berth. That is where most of the water collects. My boat has been in the water 12
Months a year since 2010. In the winter I occasionally go do down to the boat and use a hand pump to get it dry. When the boat is up on plane the water runs aft to that pump. I can keep it dry most of the summer outside of a rain storm.

It was something I wasn’t used to but really isn’t an issue. Some guys block off the flow between the aft bulk head so potentially stink cockpit bilge stuff doesn’t make its way under the cabin. The benefit is all the hatches lift up and you have easy access to everything.

My prior boat was a small center console that had no bilge space that wasn’t a macerated box and 100% glass no wood. I had a bit of an OCD twitch for a few years but I’m over it. With enough time and money you can make it so no water makes it’s way in.

[Tony Meola]

Dripless shaft seals help but does not stop rain and washdown water from getting in. We all learn to live with it. I grew up with wooden boats so water in the bilge was the norm.

As far as bulkheads go, they glassed the bottom of the bulkheads so that has not been an issue. The spots to look for issues are, the cabin bulkhead in the door area, the bulkhead right behind the engines. The one right behind the engines will rot. I replaced that one with Coosa board.

One other spot is the deck support attached to the transom right above the rudder shelf which has probably been rebuilt by now also.

The only other way to stop the water would be to put gutters in the hatch areas and drain them into a sump.

We are also assuming this boat you are looking at has a fiberglass deck. Would be very rare to fine one today, with the original plywood deck.

Otherwise water in the bilge has not been issue for me.

[Carl]

From my understanding the wood in the stringers was to form the fiberglass and it is the fiberglass that is the strength and structure of the hull. If the wood rots...so be it, it did its job already.

The bulkheads will rot...again they do not have a structural function...but do slow down flex...and these boats do flex.

Water in bilge...yep, it's a boat.
Automatic pumps to keep level down and the occasional ride down to check is never a bad idea.
Usually only a few seconds to pump out whats in bilge after a good rain or cleaning.
A little bilge cleaner and take for a ride, pump it out from stern pump once on plane takes care of water that finds it way up on sides.

Blood and guts...its up to you to prevent that stuff from making its way into the bilge.
You don't want guts, dirt, leaves, fishing line or anything that hampers bilge pump flow in the bilge.

But the deck should be canted in and to the stern so it flows out the scuppers. The sides of deck also have rails that keep water inwards. The hatches...well unless you build some channel system...yup, they let water flow into bilge...but not a whole lot.

[mike ohlstein]

Not to mention that if your rudder ports aren't leaking slightly, they're too tight.

Bilge pumps. Three of them are better than two. Four are better than three. Bigger is better than smaller. NO 'one-arm-bandit' float switches.

[Carl]

Hmm...now the rudders I always find the spot they just start to leak then go a hair more. For the little bit they move I'm not too worried about them wearing out or overheating.

[Tony Meola]

Rudder posts dripping. In all the years we have had the boat, the only time they ever dripped was when the packing needed changing. Can't believe no drip would be an issue with them.

[mike ohlstein]

Personal preference, I suppose.

Some people like Harley Davidson motorcycles because you never actually have to change the oil. You just keep adding it.

[Carl]

Personal preference, I suppose.

Some people like Harley Davidson motorcycles because you never actually have to change the oil. You just keep adding it.

I have a 440 motor like that...

[PeterPalmieri]

I have a 440 motor like that...

HAD

[Tony Meola]

Doesn't matter how much oil the motor uses. Don't change the pil and at some point you will just finish the engine off.

I remember a customer of my father's who never changed the oil. One cold January morning the car would not start. Oil actual became one super thick mess. Just short of being solid. We put the car in s the warm bay, then had to hold a propane torch on the oil poan to geff the stuff to flow out. Thick black crud started to flow after 45 minutes. Then took another couple of ours before we could get it turn over. Engine had to warm up enough for the oil to drain down.