350 Mariner - some questions/comments

[RuffLife]

We are in our second season with our 1999 350 Mariner. Overall we LOVE this boat and it is perfect for the type of boating we do.

The things we love most:

The room on the flybridge is just amazing, especially after we had new canvas done in the spring that extends over the rear seat.

The amount of interior space/storage

Handles really well, as long as its not too windy

The shower!

Things that we don't love or find curious:

The water that collects on the swim platform, stairs and swim ladder because it is nose heavy

The outlet at the helm on our boat wasn't working at first. Figured out that it is a GFCI outlet (as it should be) but the outlet with the GFCI reset is inside the bow storage area at the back of the helm where all of the wiring is. Not sure how one would ever get in there if you have the optional ice maker.

We have water that mysteriously collects in the furthest forward bilge area. There is a bilge pump in there but it can't remove all the water. Have driven myself crazy trying to figure out where the water is coming from

A couple of questions for other 350/360 Mariner owners:

Has anyone taken out the existing carpet and galley wood floor and installed hardwood or something else in its place? We have two dogs and a cat on board and the carpet needs to be ripped out. Trying to work through the best option for a replacement floor covering

Looking to also possibly replace the cockpit and flybridge carpets. The ones that came with it are getting warn and if they get wet, they take forever to dry. Just removing them and having no covering isn't an option. With two big muddy shedding dogs, that nice white doesn't stay white for more than a few seconds. Looking at the wood look Nuteak (or similar) or the new Infinity woven fabrics that are really light weight and look like they would be easier to keep clean. Does anyone have experience with either of these?

Looking forward to hearing from others who are enjoying their Mariners!

[RGrew176]

Not sure this will help but my 81 3007 Aft Cabin gets a lot of water up forward. Like your boat the pump does not get rid of all the water but it does get rid of most. When I winterize I will make sure some of the pink stuff gets into that forward bilge area.

One of the potential causes of that water could be the air conditioning system. On my 3007 the condensate drains into the forward bilge so I know where at least some if not all the water is coming from. Do you have A/C and if so does it drain into your bilge? That could be the source of your water.

Oh yeah, Welcome Aboard.

[waybomb]

I have a 1987 Mariner. The bow is lower in the water than the aft part of the boat. Any leakage flows up front.
Such as from dripping shaft seals.

I just make sure they store the boat bow high and the drain plug out.

When I go out on the lake, I manually enable the aft pump for while since the boat does ride a bit high in the front.

[After Taxes]

Our 2004 Mariner 360 also has water in the forward hull area, and there is a forward bilge pump there, that is installed on a wood plate, however it sits higher than the water. I must use a wet-vac to clean out the water. I've pulled the front bed apart, AND looked at the AC unit which is under the bed, and inspected all the AC hoses for leaks. And the AC condensate drains to the shower sump pump. So it's not caused by the AC.

I've also inspected the fresh water fill hose. All dry. As visible under the bed.

Also inspected the anchor locker drains. All dry. As visible behind the state room mirror.

It is not caused by water running forward from the stern or midline of the boat, because the mid section, which may be easily inspected around the water pump and waste holding tank is completely dry.

I am suspecting that the cause is a 'siphon effect' or backflow, whereby water is being siphoned into the boat through the forward bilge drain hose that leads to the port side of the boat. Siphon effect is common when boats are at specific attitudes in the water, speed, water conditions, etc. It's not supposed to happen, because there should be a high loop in the bilge discharge hose to prevent backflow. However I had this issue in the stern of a Cruisers 320 express previously. When it sat stern low due to dingy on the swim platform, and under certain water conditions and speed, the stern bilge discharge hose, siphoned lake water into the bilge.

I'm still trying to confirm this. This is going to be difficult, as I CANNOT see or get to the forward bilge pump discharge hose. I can see the hose going away from the bilge pump, and I can locate the hull discharge hole, but that's about it! I don't wish to rip apart front stateroom cabinetry, carpet or fabrics to locate the hose - but I'd like to.

The forward bilge area stays dry when the boat is at rest.

One method you may try, is to duct tape shut the forward bilge discharge hole, then go for some runs and see if the area remains dry.

[RuffLife]

After Taxes, thank you so much for that reply. I have done all of those things that you have and am still scratching my head.

I will dry it up completely and then test your theory. It actually makes sense since it is bow heavy. It may even be the spray from the bow going through the water. I don't recall there being a high loop in the discharge hose.

Won't be on board this weekend but we have a few cruises coming up afterward that will give me an opportunity to try that out.

[waybomb]

A buddy that had an older Mariner like mine said he witnessed water coming back into the boat via the hose connected at the aft pump. He solved it by buying a new hose and running it up the cockpit floor bottom, attaching it and then back down to the pump. Says it solved his issue.
He would have gallons and gallons of water in the bilge after any trip.
So when I bought mine, I just did the mod.

[After Taxes]

Following up on this: On my Mariner, the forward bilge drain exit point, is the most forward, port-side, thru-hull.

The second most forward thru-hull is for the AC.

If Carver kept the same configuration, our boats should be similar. I was fortunate to have the full binder/manual, with a schematic drawings that indicate what each thru-hull is for.

Let me know how the duct tape test goes. I taped mine last week, but the water has been so calm, it wasn't good test conditions. I went for a short putt, and the forward bilge stayed bone-dry. Hope to test again in a week or so.

cheers,

Steve

[feeez]

Interesting thread. I will do some checking on our 2001 next time I am there. We also get water in the forward bilge and never thought of the siphoning possibility.

Fraser

[RuffLife]

Saturday looks like it will be a downright evil day in these parts with wind gust >50km. Should be able to get out for a bit on Sunday. I do have the Caver binder so will double check the schematics to ensure I am covering the correct thru-hull.

I will let you know how it goes.

[After Taxes]

For Version 2 of 2004 Mariner, look on page 114 of this manual [click link below], you can see the forward bilge discharge point is port-side, midship.
http://carveryachts.com/resource_pdfs/Owner's%20Guides/2004/2004-3697v2.pdf


For Version 3 of 2004 Mariner, look on page 162 of this manual [click link below, you can see the forward bilge discharge point is port-side, bow. I have Version 3.
http://carveryachts.com/resource_pdfs/Owner's%20Guides/2004/2004-3697v3.pdf

While on this topic, can anyone advise why there are two versions of the 2004 Mariner?

I continued my experiment this past weekend, by running with a piece of duct tape covering the forward bilge discharge hole. The forward bilge pump area remained completely dry. I am pretty well convinced that water was entering the boat, via the discharge thru-hull, via siphon effect, and sending water down to the forward bilge area.

In Version 2 of the 2004 Mariner, the discharge point is port-side mid ship, where I doubt the siphon effect would be experienced. The forward bow area for this discharge, as found on my Version 3 2004 Mariner, is truly a factory design error, in my opinion.

A very experienced boater recommended that I add a stainless clamshell over the discharge thru-hull, similar to those shown in the link below. That would deflect water from the discharge thru-hull.

http://www.marine-products.com/parts/boat-parts/electronics/antenna-mounts-clam-shell-vents-cable-outlets.html


Speaking with experienced boaters, I learned that others had the siphon effect at the stern bilge pump discharge thru hull, and solved it with a clamshell over the hole.

I welcome your comments.