58YF forward bilge overflow

[Victor_Chat]

I noticed that there is a forward overflow (on each side) from the forward bilge of each engine in our 1971 58YF. There's a hole in the area in the engine room that goes to these bilge areas. Do they need to be used? It's very nasty in those forward bilge areas and seems that they don't drain very well. Anyone have this issue and plug the little hole to keep it from doing that?

 

[Christophatt]

My engine room bilges overflow into my generator room/center bilge. I don't know if that was the original intent, or the holes are left over from removed hoses, etc.
I also have a forward/bow area that flows into my gen/center bilge (by design).

If it is overflowing into a non-bilge/pumped area, it seems like that should be plugged up.

 

[Victor_Chat]

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. The side that the generator is on (starboard), is hard to access, especially with the batteries, so it's hard to see under there. The port side has a drain hole where it can overflow into the center bilge. I plan on plugging it up, though wanted to look around enough to make sure it wasn't going to impact anything.

 

[Glory]

There is a drain hole on mine and I from time to time squirt some water in there to flush out what ever might collected, then I drop in some backing soda from a hole3/4", that I drilled aft near the bulk head to address any battery spillage and rinse from both end.

JM

 

[MikeP]

Those limber holes are, in fact, there for the purpose of draining the bilges - "redistributing" is a better term than "draining." The forward area on either side of the Genny room can become quite messy if you have "wet" ER bilges. some folks plug the limber holes from the ERs, both the fore and aft holes.

Shortly after we bought our boat in 2004, I spent a day cleaning out all the grunge in those bilge areas in the Gen room and then plugged the ER limbers. A few months later I replaced the shaft packing with the Gore stuff which eliminated water intrusion via the shafts and the ERs have been dry since then and I removed the plugs. With the Gore shaft packing properly adjusted, the only water that gets into the ER bilges is from any cleaning or other work I do that puts water there.

 

[drburke]

But the other way to look at it is if you have a leak or seepage forward or elsewhere on the boat, that water may not get to those bilge pumps, so it is a balance.

I clean the bilges and keep the limber holes unobstructed.

DAN

 

[Victor_Chat]

In mine, it looks like it hasn't been cleaned since it was built. Anyways, I'm plugging them up, doesn't seem like we don't have any leaks or drips. What did you use to plug them up?

 

[MikeP]

The same sort of plug that goes in the transom of a dink/small boat - expandable rubber plug. That way it's easy to remove/reinstall if needed.