1999 245 explorerhor front bilge

[Chrscostigan]

Does the front bilge in the cabin drain out into the back bilge Agee? There is a tube that looks like it leads that way but when I was cleaning the front bilge it wasn’t draining into the back. I thought it may be clogged so I took a long old throttle cable and snaked it down the tube inside the bilge area and after feeding the cable about 5 feet it feels like I either hit a elbow or it’s blocked off?

[Capt. Bob]

This is a pic (lower right) from the 95 catalog but it should give you an idea of what is going on under the deck.



The front bilge drains (through a pipe in the bulkhead) into the fuel tank coffin, passes under the fuel tank support (on which the tank bottom rests) and passes through another pipe (again in the bulkhead) into the rear bilge.

If you look closely at the photo, you can see the pipe in the forward bulkhead connecting the front bilge to the fuel tank coffin (amidships in the photo. The rear bulkhead pipe is also visible. These of course run down the centerline of the hull but are not connected (one continuous pipe).

Have you tried draining the front with the trailer jacked up as high as possible?
Tried coming in from the rear bilge through the bulkhead pipe?

[RickK]

Another thing to add is that the Explorer hull keel actually drops a couple inches deeper right there at the place where the front bilge is, so it seems to always seem to hold a little water.  Look at your boat on the trailer and follow the hull bottom and you'll see what I'm talking about.

[Capt. Bob]

Another thing to add is that the Explorer hull keel actually drops a couple inches deeper right there at the place where the front bilge is, so it seems to always seem to hold a little water.

Aquasport marketed this drop as the "Plumb Bow" which allowed for more room in the cabin and cockpit.

[wingtime]

As mentioned the bilge area under the cabin on your explorer is the deepest point in the hull.  So you have to raise the bow a good bit to get it to drain aft.  With the boat sitting level on a trailer or in the water some water will remain in fwd in the Plumb bow area. (deep front entry hull).  Make sure your bilge pump float switch in the cabin is working.  I find I have to raise the bow pretty high to get the hull to fully drain.  Even then it takes it a while to work its way aft.  you could have a leaf or something blocking the drain pipes.  Might I say might be able to reach the aft bulkhead if you stand on your head in the back!

The stringer grid in the 245 exploreres is a little different than the one pictures but you get the idea.  They went to a full gel finished liner/stringer grid on the 245/250s that in bonded in place with Plexus.

[Chrscostigan]

So the water drains through one pipe into the gas tank area and than goes into another pipe that brings it to the back bilge? So when I use a piece of stiff wire it wouldn’t be able to go straight through the front bilge area all the way through a tube to the back?

[Capt. Bob]

 Well yes, if you line everything up.
Otherwise you may be hitting the rear bulkhead.
Pipe is what 2" ?

[Chrscostigan]

Yes 2 inch. I dumped 20 gallons of water in front to see if it drains to back. It might of been draining very slow into the back. It wouldn’t be sitting in bottom of hull just swishing around would it?

[RickK]

Not 20 gallons I would think, especially in the front only - your pump would engage. It does seem to drain a little slow front to back - even 20 in the aft will trigger the pump.

[wingtime]

 Five gallons or so should trip the front pump.