Forward Bilge Issue

[pendavmassey]

We have a 1988 Carver 3807 Aft Cabin kept on the St. Lawrence River in Alexandria Bay, NY. This will be our 5th summer on the boat.
It seems that the forward bilge is having issues. It doesn't seem to be able to drain the water from under the water tank in the galley. We do not have any schematics or owners manual. Is there an opening in the dividing wall between this area & the back of the boat that may be plugged? The access is very small & narrow. We have to rig a garden hose to our shop vac to remove the water as it seems that the pump has no where to drain it. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Penny & Dave

[km1125]

I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't a solid bulkhead with no opening below the waterline. That's the way my 3607 was. There was a wire chase about 12" above the bottom, but no scupper holes for water in the front compartment to migrate back to the engine compartment. There was a separate bilge pump for that forward compartment but it would not empty all the water up there, especially at rest. If you wanted it dry you'd have to sponge or vacuum out what was left.

If that's the same setup as yours, the real key might be finding where the water is coming from, as that area should stay completely dry. You could have a leaking shower sump or condensate drain line or some rainwater might be finding its way down there. Or you might have a minor plumbing leak.

[Viper]

Welcome aboard Penny and Dave.

You will always have a little water towards the bow as it sits a little lower than the most forward pump which is under the stairs at the galley. The bulkhead there separating the engine room from the lower area; galley, v-berth, etc., is open at the very bottom so any water ingress through the engine compartment makes its way forward. The pumps also sit on glassed pads which naturally elevates them a little higher. No bilge pump gets all the water out of a bilge so you'll always have water there if from nowhere else other than shaft logs.

For the water that collects in the bow, I just vacuum it out periodically through the forward most hatch in front of the bed. Don't let it sit for long so it won't stagnate and smell.

Do you have the old open shower sump with the external pump between the two tanks or has it been upgraded to the newer all in one enclosed style?

[rjr]

Not trying to hijack this thread - Viper: can you provide details on "the newer all in one enclosed style?" We have the open sump and external pump which I do not like. thanx

[Viper]

Look up "marine shower sump box" on Amazon...
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marine+shower+sump+box&crid=25N0LGN3FWZI8&sprefix=marine+shower+sump%2Caps%2C249&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-a-p_1_18

[km1125]

Source of the post Not trying to hijack this thread - Viper: can you provide details on "the newer all in one enclosed style?" We have the open sump and external pump which I do not like. thanx

I did the upgrade on my aft shower sump in this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5094

[rjr]

Viper & km1125 TY

[pendavmassey]

We want to thank everyone that responded to our issue. We'll try all the suggestions & let you know how we make out this spring when she comes out of the shrink wrap. Only 3 more months to wait!

[Superg]

The reason that the front bilge doesn't drain into the main bilge is for safety. The main bilge contains your engines. So if there are fuel vapors there, and they get into those tight bilge spaces in the front of the boat... boom! Well, boom if there is an ignition source. There is also the potential for carbon monoxide from exhaust system leaks. These are the reasons boats are designed this way. The main bilge area is well ventilated to prevent this (blower, vents), but not so the front bilge spaces. So if you run any additional wires, change bilge hoses, etc. that run through that engine compartment bulkhead, make sure they are well sealed! As for the water collecting, here is a reference to some suggestions in a parallel thread:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5303

John

[Viper]

In a 3807, at least in mine, there is an opening at the bottom of the fwd bulkhead of the engine compartment, so any water originating in the engine bay can migrate to the bow. The fwd bilge pump is right on the other side of the bulkhead, so a steady stream of water won't trigger that pump and will continue on and collect in the bow. A lot of builds have openings in the bottom of bulkheads. This allows water to flow from one compartment to another in case one or more bilge pumps fail. Pros and cons to both methods.