Bilge Compartment Blocked

[captpatrick211]

Good day everyone. Wondering if you can help with this dilemma. I discovered after owning this boat for almost 2 years that there is putty blocking the passage from one of my bilge compartments to another. I noticed it because the adjoining compartment is the one that has the air conditioning and heating condensation pan. I found a little water in this last evening which is no big deal.  But I opened the adjoining compartment (the one with the actual bilge pump) and noticed that the hole that connects the two compartments was filled with some sort of putty.  It's nestled right against the keel bolt but is soft an malleable.  Why would anyone do that? It blocks the flow from the forward part of the boat to the compartment that houses the bilge pump.  Any thoughts?  I think I should remove it but want to be sure.  Thanks!

[Ziffius]

I can only imagine the previous owner liked to keep his bilge pump dry, if there is any water leaking into the boat then the only way for it to get to the bilge pump is via that hole. They can be notorious for slow dribbles when the boat is/has been rocking a bit as water doesn't take a direct route but slowly finds its way to the bilge with the help of that rocking motion. large leaks get there quicker.

[captpatrick211]

Ziffius - thank you!  But just so I'm not missing something, wouldn't that put the boat at risk if that compartment were dry and water could not get to the bilge pump?

[Yngmar]

It's not uncommon. Many cruisers store things in the bilge compartments and like to keep them dry - which they normally are. As these boats are designed to be dry, separating the bilge sections in this way helps find leaks and keeps accidental spills (knocked over wine glass etc.) from going into the difficult to clean hollow stringers.

In case of severe flooding the water would simply find its way to the bilge pump above the floorboards. Might help notice it faster!

[captpatrick211]

Thank you Yngmar - we're still pretty new to this game.  I take it that the stringers are the things that I am feeling if I put my finger into the Limber hole?  They have a small amount of clean water in them (condensation, refrigerator drainige?)  Correct?

Wow we're learning a lot.

[Sadlerfin]

Allowing the water to reach the Bilge compartment is a good way to know if there is a leak.

In my case I had sea water coming in from the exhaust water trap-ment box it was a fine mist, thing is i was only aware of a leak when sea water arrived in the bilge by the keel bolts, Imagine my concern! It did wake me up to the leak which I found and fixed, however, water was arriving in the blige for weeks every time the boat had been out and rocking and rolling.

Allowing the water to get there (the lowest part of the boat) is something I would want as a good sign of any problems.

[captpatrick211]

Thank you everyone - the previous owner of the vessel let me know he had blocked the limber hole to test his new bilge pump!