taking on water

[Sportfish50]

My 1997 17 is taking on water. I think it is coming in thru the live well overflow. The overflow thru hull sits just under the water at rest. Has anybody had this problem?

[Gene Ronikier]

  Yes, experienced this this past August. The hoses below deck had rotted. Had shop eliminate thru hull drain and plugged
outlet in live well. also they installed an access deck plate near stern, to pump out any leakage into below deck, without
removing boat from water.  1975   19'6"

[boatnamesue]

The livewell overflow whether thru hull or not needs to be above the water line...at rest, underway, all the time, etc...

You sure the leak isn't coming from the thru hull intake fitting?  You should have access to this fitting...at least you better hope you do.

[Gene Ronikier]

  This boat is new to me. I do not know what is this intake fitting your refering to. The only hull openings were the drain from the live well,
and the vent for the gas tank. and the drain at the stern ( with the plug installed ) . It is a Johnson outboard 115 HP .

[Blue Agave]

The livewell overflow whether thru hull or not needs to be above the water line...at rest, underway, all the time, etc...

Not true.

I recall other 170s leaking from the rigging trough on the starboard side of the boat.  Also,as mentioned check all hoses on the thru hulls. Have you inspected the livewell to ensure there is not a hole or crack?  Check the fittings in the livewell as well.  I have also seen instances where the livewell leaks from the top where the inner tank and the outer shell come together.

[RickK]

SF50 - what did you find - rotten hoses? Where is the livewell and how is it fed water? How does it drain?

[boatnamesue]

The livewell overflow whether thru hull or not needs to be above the water line...at rest, underway, all the time, etc...

Not true.



I recall other 170s leaking from the rigging trough on the starboard side of the boat.  Also,as mentioned check all hoses on the thru hulls. Have you inspected the livewell to ensure there is not a hole or crack?  Check the fittings in the livewell as well.  I have also seen instances where the livewell leaks from the top where the inner tank and the outer shell come together.

I don't think you're following along to OP's stated issue...."I think it is coming in thru the live well overflow. The overflow thru hull sits just under the water at rest."

If his thru hull outflow fitting is below the waterline, which i doubt...then livewell outflow would not exit the hull into open water.  Simple physics.  The OP sounds like a new boat user, unfamiliar with what is what and where things are...which is ok.  The '17 does have a starboard thru hull drain that empties the middle bow compartment.  However, this drain is above the waterline..as all thru hull drains are, unless you've got a modern hull with below waterline one-way valve drains, which AS's don't.

And the rigging trough you're speaking of doesn't "leak" water...how could it?  It's a deck inset trough...no more.  What can happen, and probably what you're referring to...is when water enters the scuppers and the hull pitches forward, water will move into this trough.  At the most forward angle of this trough most owners have a small diameter hole, essentially a conduit from the fuel coffin to above deck that allows the fuel sender wire to pass from below to above deck.  Water moving forward as the hull pitches forward will drain thru this hole and into the fuel coffin, and finally into the bilge.  However, some owners like myself have sealed this hole to prevent such described event from happening.

I'm guessing his bow compartments drain plumbing has become disconnected from the thru hull fitting.  In rough seas, if the hull is pitching forward, water will enter this thru hull fitting and if the hose is disconnected, water will enter the bilge.  Only one way to rule it out...plug it and test.

[Capt. Bob]

If his thru hull outflow fitting is below the waterline, which i doubt...then livewell outflow would not exit the hull into open water.  Simple physics.

I'm I misunderstanding something?
The overflow drain "tube" as well as the drain/live well bottom are both above the waterline in my 91 therefore water will drain as long as the discharge point (thru hull) is below that elevation. Is the live well bottom in the 170 below the waterline on this model? I doubt that because you would need a pump to empty the well. As long as it's above the discharge point, it's going to drain whether the discharge point is underwater or not.
 

[boatnamesue]

If his thru hull outflow fitting is below the waterline, which i doubt...then livewell outflow would not exit the hull into open water.  Simple physics.

I'm I misunderstanding something?
The overflow drain "tube" as well as the drain/live well bottom are both above the waterline in my 91 therefore water will drain as long as the discharge point (thru hull) is below that elevation. Is the live well bottom in the 170 below the waterline on this model? I doubt that because you would need a pump to empty the well. As long as it's above the discharge point, it's going to drain whether the discharge point is underwater or not.
 

Agreed!

The 170s don't have a livewell.  The OP's hull is '97, so i reckon thats the 175 model.  I'm not familiar w/these newer models vs the 60s-70s model.  175 might have a livewell factory installed.  Rick probably knows.   

[Capt. Bob]

175 might have a livewell factory installed.

It appears that it does. Just in front of the console (#3).

[wingtime]

If the livewell drain is below the water line the livewell will still drain since the livewell itself and the water in the livewell are above the waterline.  With that said if it is below the water line even with the livewell not in use there will be water in the drain hose up to the level of the water line.  I would double check the hoses, clamps and thru hull fittings.  I have seen the nylon thru hull fitting dry rot and fail just inside the hull.  This happened to my buddies 215 Explorer that he bought. you could see into the hull thru the 2" thru hull fitting.  And it WAS below the waterline.

Problem is some of those fittings were plumbed BEFORE the deck was placed on the hull.  So getting to them may be difficult or impossible.  You may have to cut a hole and install a deck plate to gain access.  I've been on a 175 but I haven't looked at how the plumbing was installed.

[Petey]

If the livewell drain is below the water line the livewell will still drain since the livewell itself and the water in the livewell are above the waterline.  With that said if it is below the water line even with the livewell not in use there will be water in the drain hose up to the level of the water line.  I would double check the hoses, clamps and thru hull fittings.  I have seen the nylon thru hull fitting dry rot and fail just inside the hull.  This happened to my buddies 215 Explorer that he bought. you could see into the hull thru the 2" thru hull fitting.  And it WAS below the waterline.

Problem is some of those fittings were plumbed BEFORE the deck was placed on the hull.  So getting to them may be difficult or impossible.  You may have to cut a hole and install a deck plate to gain access.  I've been on a 175 but I haven't looked at how the plumbing was installed.

I know this is an older thread, but this was the problem on the 1985 170 I recently bought.  Wingtime is correct.  I had to cut a hole for access to replace the hose and clamps etc and then install a deck plate.

Pete