Bow height question

[nestorpr]

Does anyone know the bow height (from the waterline) of a 215 Explorer?

[rhtrades]

I have the same boat...i would say it's at least 4'.  On another note, how much water do you collect in your bilge after a day of boating on normal sea's?  I feel like I accumulate more than I should and not sure how it's getting in there....

[nestorpr]

Thanks! I'm thinking of installing a trolling motor and am not close to the boat at this time.

As for the water, I noticed the same thing on my last trip where we were anchored for a few hours and upon returning to the ramp I noticed more water coming out of the garboard plug than usual. That worried me because the bilge pump doesn't have an automatic switch! I have no idea from where it's coming unless it's from around the plug or perhaps from the baitwell water inlet. I'm now modifying the boat to leave it in a boat slip and one thing I'm gonna do is put her in the water and try to observe both "inlets" and see if I can see any water coming in. To accomplish this I first have to install larger floor access panels which I have purchased to replace the useless 8" ports and which I plan to install next week. If I see anything I'll let you know.

[rhtrades]

Thank you!.  I appreciate that.  Would be interested to know what you find out....i'm going out tomorrow with almost max capacity of people, so i'll be paying pretty close attention to my bilge. 
Your boat looks great by the way.... I also just repowered with the Suzuki 200....I'd love to eventually have it looking as good as yours. 

[Capt. Bob]

Gentlemen,
One thing to consider might be that water is getting into the front bilge from the rear bilge. I'm not familiar with the stringer/bulkhead layout in the 215 but since it's really a Wellcraft hull and other model Wellcrafts share the same below deck designs with the Genmar era Aqua hulls it might drain fore to aft in the same manner. What that means is that water collected in the bilge flows down the centerline (keel) from front to back. As the boat moves through the water and rises and falls, water moves back and forth. Because the bow section is lower, water tends to collect there.

Does that model have a forward bilge pump?

[plugger]

I have the 205 Osprey and the water does in fact flow forward via deep Chanel that runs the length of the boat,When getting up on plain it runs backwards and gets picked up by the rear pump.

[rhtrades]

Thank you Capt Bob and Plugger for your replies. 
There is a switch to activate a forward bilge…although I don’t believe I have examined the fwd bilge unless it is the area when you remove one of the cushions in the cuddly and there is a spot where I have seen some place a small portable toilet. There is what looks like a drain hose that probably flows into the aft bilge.
I still don’t understand how water would be entering either bilge, front or aft,  after a day on the water. 
Thanks again for your help

[nestorpr]

Thanks RHtrades for your kind words and Capt. Bob & Plugger for your insight. I have to credit my boat's looks to its previous owners, it was a fresh water boat and they took really good care of it. I've upgraded her with LED lights, battery chargers, some cosmetics and the new engine and she's a performer. Yes, the water does flow from the bilge to the forward cabin thru 3 drain holes but I usually keep those plugged to prevent that. It really only happens when on the trailer as she sits a bit tail heavy on the water with the 300. I will be replacing the two 8" deck access ports with 13"x17" flush access panels to have better access to the bilge, pumps and fuel tank sender, this way I can install the auto pump switches it needs to keep her in the water. I hope it will also help see where the water's coming from!

[rhtrades]

Do you know if there is a “weep hole” in the spot where your fuel tank sits? If the access hatch for the fuel sender/hoses gets water thru it, would the water run over and under the fuel tank and out through a weephole and into the bilge?  Or would the water just sit around the fuel tank? 

[nestorpr]

That's my problem, the access hole is so small I can't even access the fuel sender to replace it! And definitely doesn't allow much of a view of the bilge. I'll let you know what I see after I install the larger hatches.

[rhtrades]

Thank you!  I made mine larger, but the hatch I put in is not watertight.  I would recommend putting in the Plate style access rather than a hatch with the levers to open/close, unless they can guarantee it is watertight. 

[nestorpr]

I bought DPI hatches which they claim are watertight so we'll see.

[RickK]

Let us know how those hatches work out.

[nestorpr]

Will do!

[rhtrades]

Nestorpr:  Do you have a dam in front of your splashwell and if so, does it help in keeping the water out of the deck if water gets over the cutout and splashwell?  Thinking about making one out of starboard….Thanks!