Boat Leak Question

[Koofy Smacker]

Guys I am very close to pulling my hair out on this one. The boat is a 2005 G3 Eagle 175 (aluminum bass boat). About 6 months ago I noticed every once in a while my automatic bilge would come on, shoot out for about 10 seconds then stop for a few hours then do it again. Ever since then I have paid much closer attention to it and it's very strange. When I am fishing an electric only lake (not using the outboard) it will come on maybe once or twice throughout an entire day (6-8 hours), but when I am running the motor I can have it come on as much as once an hour. I will also add that since this has started it has NOT gotten any worse, it stays the same each and every time.

Now I have fully inspected all welds on the hull, pulled all through hull fittings, and even filled the hull with water and not one drop came out. Everything appears perfect.

It is a trailered boat so when I have done all of this it does have an area which lies under the bunks which I have not been able to see at all.

In my mind it has come down to either running the boat expands the crack and lets more water in, or it is a broken speedometer tube which when the boat is running shoots water into the hull, and drips in when on an electric lake.

I am at a total loss as to what else it even could be.

Thanks in advance

[Fishing Rhino]

It's not surprising that your boat might leak more when you are using the gasoline engine.  Faster equals more water pressure on the hull.  A tiny crack, or a minute hole can become a geyser at speed.  Your boat also flexes more when running on the gasoline engine than when it is running on the trolling motor.

 

You might be on the right track with the speedo tube, or even plumbing for any live wells.  The plumbing to the bilge pump could be faulty. 

[tbone1993]

Stop me if Im wrong but couldnt you fill you hull up with water sitting in your drive way and check for leaks that way? Do the same with the lives wells possibly . This could be my dumbest suggestion yet but its along the same lines of putting a tire in a bath of soapy water. 

[Koofy Smacker]

It's not surprising that your boat might leak more when you are using the gasoline engine.  Faster equals more water pressure on the hull.  A tiny crack, or a minute hole can become a geyser at speed.  Your boat also flexes more when running on the gasoline engine than when it is running on the trolling motor.

 

You might be on the right track with the speedo tube, or even plumbing for any live wells.  The plumbing to the bilge pump could be faulty. 

Ive pulled all the fitting for the bilge and the livewells as well as sat there and looked at it and even after a day on the water they are dry as a whistle. It is coming from somewhere else. That was my first thought

[Koofy Smacker]

Stop me if Im wrong but couldnt you fill you hull up with water sitting in your drive way and check for leaks that way? Do the same with the lives wells possibly . This could be my dumbest suggestion yet but its along the same lines of putting a tire in a bath of soapy water. 

I already did that. Said it in my original post but it's kind of hidden in the second paragraph. Not a drop comes out

[slonezp]

I had an issue in a Mirrocraft that under power the angle of the livewell would tilt enough to cause the water to spill out into the bilge rather than out the overflow tube. It also did this if someone over 200lbs was fishing on the rear deck. 

[tbone1993]

I already did that. Said it in my original post but it's kind of hidden in the second paragraph. Not a drop comes out

oops missed that part.  Do you have a fitted drain plug or a rubber one? it could be coming in through there after a few minutes on the water. 

[Koofy Smacker]

I had an issue in a Mirrocraft that under power the angle of the livewell would tilt enough to cause the water to spill out into the bilge rather than out the overflow tube. It also did this if someone over 200lbs was fishing on the rear deck. 

Ive only ever had that happen when I had 30 lbs of fish in there with it full and went to get on plane and it ran out on the deck lol. But again, ive had two people on the back deck at once looking in there and nothing.

[Koofy Smacker]

oops missed that part.  Do you have a fitted drain plug or a rubber one? it could be coming in through there after a few minutes on the water. 

It is one of the removable rubber twist in plugs. Ive switched plugs to a new one and the same thing. I can see that from the inside and its dry as well. You can probably see why this is frustrating me so much haha

[slonezp]

Were you able to inspect the pickup hose(s) for the livewell?

[Koofy Smacker]

Were you able to inspect the pickup hose(s) for the livewell?

Ya, In the back even with all the batteries in I have full access to the thruhull fittings on both the bilge and livewell pumps as well as the in and outflow pipes at all connections, even where they go into the livewell. Still bone dry.

[WIGuide]

Have you tried leaving it in the water parked at a dock for a bit? It might not show you exactly where the water is coming from, but as it slowly fills and runs to the back of the boat you might be able to track the wetness in the direction of the source. It may not lead you straight to the leak but if you can see a direction it's coming from it'll help you narrow it down. 

[Koofy Smacker]

Have you tried leaving it in the water parked at a dock for a bit? It might not show you exactly where the water is coming from, but as it slowly fills and runs to the back of the boat you might be able to track the wetness in the direction of the source. It may not lead you straight to the leak but if you can see a direction it's coming from it'll help you narrow it down. 

The longest I have let it sit has only been about half an hour. Problem is that the closest water is half an hour away and when I go Im going to fish. That said, I have pulled all compartment containers to see down to the hull and still dont see anything

[Glenn]

Does the water fill up the same rate when the livewell is both full and empty, running and not running?  If the fill rate stays the same, and the hull is "bone dry" after filling it with water (no leaks), then the speedometer line is the likely culprit.  Makes sense too, because it fills faster when the big engine is running.

[Crappiebasser]

I already did that. Said it in my original post but it's kind of hidden in the second paragraph. Not a drop comes out

Are you sure you filled it high enough? If it leaks in it has to leak out.

[Koofy Smacker]

Does the water fill up the same rate when the livewell is both full and empty, running and not running?  If the fill rate stays the same, and the hull is "bone dry" after filling it with water (no leaks), then the speedometer line is the likely culprit.  Makes sense too, because it fills faster when the big engine is running.

Yes, exactly the same. I have gone so far as to plug both tubes (in and outflow) for the whole day and it is the same

 

Are you sure you filled it high enough? If it leaks in it has to leak out.

I have had it high enough to have it almost coming through the floor. Given it does sit lower than that but if I went any higher it would weigh three tons and blow my tires out. Ive had it about 8 inches deep in the back

[Fishing Rhino]

Yes, exactly the same. I have gone so far as to plug both tubes (in and outflow) for the whole day and it is the same

 

I have had it high enough to have it almost coming through the floor. Given it does sit lower than that but if I went any higher it would weigh three tons and blow my tires out. Ive had it about 8 inches deep in the back

 

Put blocks under the axles to take the weight off the wheels, then fill it up.  Apparently the leak is above the level to which you filled it.