Water in bilge .. good or bad?
 

Ok... this is kind of relates to what "Steve" was talking about with his ski locker holding onto water. Here is the post:

http://www.mariahownersclub.com/foru...read.php?t=397


What im wondering is... is having a little bit of standing water sloshing around in your bilge a good thing OR is it a really bad thing ?


My reason for keeping a little bit of water back there actually stems from advice from my aunts/uncles that have been boating for longer then I have even been alive... lol.

They claim that it is ok to have some water to "dilute" any gas that may have leaked from anywhere and into the bilge. If the bilge is bone dry and you have raw gas sitting in there, then well, you know the result. So they recommended that I keep a little water back there to stop that from happening.

I have also read that having water in the bilge results in delamination of the fibreglass? Possible worse damage etc, but can't quite think of more right now.


And ...................... DISCUSS :)

It just wouldn't be a boat without having water in it somewhere! Every time it rains, I get water in the bilge. Never enough to kick the bilge pump on automatically, but just enough to coat the bottom. I never let it bother me, and once in a while, I actually add water to the bilge and then add some Bilge Cleaner, and it cleans it all up as it sloshes back & forth. Then I'll pump it out after about an hour.

I do see your aunt & uncle's point, it would make sense to have a little water in there for catching fluids.

I guess it depends on just how much water you have in your bilge. Can you go fishing back there? :)

I guess that depends on the size of the fish too.... but if you can tube, now that’s a bit much! :worry_to_laugh:

The only thing I would worry about is if there's water inside the boat when the mooring or storage cover is on for a long time you will probably get mold buildup.

Our Talari stays on a trailer when it's not in the water so I just remove the drain plug and jack up the front to drain any water and leave it that way, I also have vents on the cover to encourage air flow and I plan to change the back vent to solar.

Every now and then just dry out the bilge and clean and wax it just like you would do on any other fiberglass surface and you shouldn’t have to worry about a little standing water back there.

WetWilly

yeah I keep some trout back there in case I get lost and need some food.. heh.

Basically enough that my hand pump can't remove anymore without sucking air and you would have to use a sponge to clean it up the leftovers. So .... an inch or so deep maybe? Enough that it is no where near my auto bilge float.

Too bad I didnt snap a pic before it went into storage :D

That is one thing I never did this summer, use some bilge cleaner. Not sure if the marina where I store it would clean it up for me tho..heh.

Yeah I don't own a trailer with my boat, so from the last weekend in May to the end of September it sits in the water.

When I load my floor cooler with ice, it drains to the bilge when it melts. I pull the plug about once a month to completely drain it. Otherwise, I just let the bilge pump pull it down as far as it will.

Water in the bilge to dilute gas and oil? Never gave that any thought but it does make sense.....