I've found that water collects at my mast step and also slightly aft in the bilge, forming two puddles. Sounds like some of you all have also experienced it. I will probably redo my mast step this winter. While the mast is out, I'd like to fill that dip in the bilge. Then all the water will drain to the bilge pump sump. Has anyone tried this? Pros& Cons?
I have the same problem. It is exasperated by my piece of junk, ever clogging,sump pump that inevitably fails about once a moths and fills those depressions with soapy water. Would like to know if anyone has a cure.
I'm planning to fill the low areas.with bog and lay glass over them.
I have the same problem. I figure if I go sailing in any kind of swell, the water will work its way aft :D
That would be my approach, however, some fecal matter seems to have accrued in the bilge from previous owners winterization which gets reconstituted every time it rains. My cleaning efforts have proven inadequate to this point.
We took a toilet brush, a garden hose and TSP substitiute to the forward bilge area. Our problem was oil residue in the area...I might trade your feces for the hideous sticky/gummy oil tar.
I like to believe that the residue in my bilge was decomposed engine oil which was black ash. Cleaning that out required removing all the water and getting the bilge dry. Then I could shovel it out. Next I used a angle grinder to expose some raw glass. Finally shop vac that out. Next I flooded it with West Systems 105 & micro fibers. Anything that did not come out in the previous step was simply entombed. A final coat of bilge coat white and I think you could drink out of there.
When I redid the deck house and mast collar I spartighted the mast. I also bought a shower bilge holding tank (6 gal) that sits under the sole. The tank I designed fit thought the floor hatch. I have 2 bilge pumps a high volume and a whale gulper. The gulper connects via y valve to the shower bilge holding tank. No grey water collects in my bilge anymore. And I have no water collecting around the base of the mast either. When the new mast step went in I flooded those depressions in that area with 105.
Pete sv Tartanic