Fish Box pump and water getting into hull

[hhamilton]

I have a 1997 245 Osprey that all of you helped me out with the live well last week.  I got the live well figured out and working so thanks to all of you.  In the process I discovered that there was no pump on the fish well in the floor and everything that goes into the well drains into the bottom of the boat through a pipe at the rear of the fish well.  I'm also getting a lot of water in the bottom of the boat while it is in the water, having to constantly have the bilge pump get it out.  

As for the water in the bottom of the boat, I've tried to check everything for leaks and can't seem to find anything.  I even recaulked all around the rub rail at the back of the boat and the stern after reading in another discussion that the joint where the top and the bottom of the boat comes together behind the rub rail sometimes leaks since it is at the water line at the stern.

My questions are:
1- Isn't there suppose to be a pump on the fish well like the book and electrical system shows?  
2- If so, where should the pump be located and which through hull would it be connected to?  
3- Is it possible that the through hull for the fish well is allowing water back into the bottom of the boat? (i.e. that it doesn't have a check valve in it)
4- What else could I look at to try and find out where the water is coming in?  (Water comes in just sitting or running).

Thank you in advance.

[Capt. Bob]

Help me out here Double H,

You state the fish box(well) is pumpless and drains into the bilge. Your third question then asks if the "thru hull" for the fish box could be allowing water to got into the bilge.

Point?
Is your fish box drain connected to something or does it just drain into the hull? While theoretically it could do both (connection leak) I'm fuzzy on what you got going on.

[Circle Hooked]

The pump would connect to the drain in the fish box and the t hull is on the port side top just before the swim platform starts,and its high enough up were it shouldn't get water in it but it is possible.

The t hull fitting is above the T.

[seabob4]

The pump has been removed by the PO.  The pump threaded onto the drain at the bottom of the fishbox in it's original config out of the factory.  No pump?  Call the PO and see what he did with it...

[gran398]

The fishbox is draining straight to the bilge. All of the rainwater that is getting into the fishbox is going to the bilge.

So lets say for example you have an inch of water in the bilge, courtesy of the fishbox. You kick the boat on plane, ALL of the water in the bilge rushes to the stern, tripping the pump. The water at the stern now is six inches deep, but the bow and amidships become dry.

Seems worse than it is. If you see nothing blatantly wrong with hull integrity...I think you've found the rat. Best

[skyliner4444]

Or your hose/s are split and leaking into the bilge.

[gran398]

Another possibility. Depends on where the hoses exit...and seacocks or not on hoses in the bilge.

My guess is the livewell is shipping rainwater...I've had a couple boats which attracted/held  rainwater through an in-deck rear livewell and/or fishbox.

[Circle Hooked]

Have you checked you pie plate in the motor well,just remembered i was getting extra water in the bilge a few years ago and that was the problem,the oring had dried out and water would seep through,checked the other one and it was the same,replaced them and no more water.

[hhamilton]

Thanks for all the responses.  To help better explain the situation:
1 - There was apparently a pump connected to the fishwell as there is a fuse/switch for it but it is not there now and I'm not sure what wiring in the stern would go to it.  This is why I was asking which through hull it would typically be associated with the fishwell pump.

2 - I have two through hulls on the Portside with one being at the water line.  I know one is for the deck drain, which I have one on the starboard side as well, I guess I'll have to pull the pie plate on the Port side at the transom door to see if I can see if there are in fact two and if there is anything on the one not being feed from the deck drain.

3 - The water can get into the hull by just sitting tied to the dock with no rain or anything going on so I would have to believe that the water is coming in through a below water location.  I'm talking about several gallons of water in about an hour.  Not through the engine well pie plate, fish well drainage or live well drainage.

Any other thoughts or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Double H

[pete]

if water is getting in your boat just sitting at the dock there are 2 places that I can think of to check,the drain plug,could be loose or leaking,the thru hull water pick up for the salt water wash down.if you can put it on a trailer you might be able to find leak.or try getting out all the water you can and see if you can see whats leaking,good luck

[gran398]

Pete has a good idea. Put it on the trailer and stick a water hose in the bilge. Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

[hhamilton]

After getting my fat head in the small doors next to the live bait well and my big arms through the pie plate in the stern walk through, I was able to finally find the thru hull for pumping out the fish box located high on the port side near the stern.  There is a hose connected to it with a plug clamped in the other end of it.  Apparently the original owner before the PO must have removed the pump (since the PO claims no knowledge of it).  I can't see anywhere that another pump was mounted and can only find one set of wires with a plug on them that is not connected to anything.  I have to believe these are the wires for the missing pump.  Apparently the wires were in the water at some point because when I checked the power distribution panel, the fuse and switch for this pump is burned completely out (actually broken apart.  I've attached a picture of the fish box drain and the wires are located to the left and below it out of sight.

My questions now are:
1- What pump would be best for this application?
2- Where was it mounted?
3- What amp breaker should be used with this pump?
And, if someone has a boat similiar to mine and has a picture that shows the mounting and connections to the pump, it sure would help.

[seabob4]

HH,
The fishbox pump was originally a johnson livewell pump, I would go with a good Shur-flo or Rulw livewell pump with a long threaded stem.  This will fit through the hole at the base of your fishbox, with a backing nut on either side.  Not fun to get to the backside, but it is what it is.  Position the stem of the pump about halfway into the hole, tighten up both backing nuts, cut off the stem on the inside of the box, leaving enough to thread on a strainer screen.  That was the original configuration, just a different brand of pump.  Then reconnect the hose that is already laying in the bilge.

Now, the wiring for that pump comes from the helm, except the ground wire, which is terminated to the ground bus on the inner transom wall.  It will be brown with a colored stripe.  Turn on the "Fishbox Pumpout" switch at the helm, then test for voltage on any loose, brown wires in the bilge.  The one with voltage is the one you need to terminate to the pump positive...

As far as water entering you boat at rest, well, that's kind of a no brainer.  You have two ports of entry, as Pete has stated.  The garboard drain or the washdown/livewell pickup.  Pull the boat, put the drain plug in, fill the bilge with around 10-20 gallons of water, get out of the boat, stare at the bottom, and wait.  The leak will show up...

[pete]

Ok,here we go!Osprey fishbox 101,take off the fishbox lid,put in a pie plate,largest one the will fit right above the drain,that will give you room to work



this is what I did to my fishbox, viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6311&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=pie+plate

if you don't have the original pump,put in a macerator,let me know if you have any questions good luck!  

[flounderpounder225]

Let me throw this in there, water coming in while at rest, my friend's cobia WA, where the trim tabs mounted to the transom, they were never sealed with caulk.  Looked fine to the casual look, but when she was sitting in the water, looked down into the hull from the splashwell access plates and water was running in around the tube where it comes through the transom.  Just take a look.