Bertram33 User Forum

Folks, Having a little issue since hauling my boat this past weekend. I have a great deal of standing water forward of the main bulkhead (under water tank). I installed an aft plug last year to help drain a little better and I made them block me a little bow proud. Everything drained aft except for in front of that bulkhead. There should be pass throughs under that Tank...correct? I'll be damned if I can snake them. Thought they were clogged. Any one have an idea if there is? Please let me know. Thank you, Jim

Pretty sure there is not a pass through that bulkhead aft. If the water level were to rise beyond a certain point there are some holes but not down low unless someone has put them in. In an early boat, maybe but pretty sure not that late.

Thank you Frank, I thought for sure there was a way for water to pass to the stern. I think I have to pull the transducer to drain the water out and then get my head under to water tank to double check...that'll be fun! Take care, Jim

In my 82 SF there do not appear to be any passages for water to the engine compartment. I have an automatic pump and a manual pump which will pump the bilge almost dry. Get a large wet vac with a hose drain and use that to drain the bilge in the salon area.

Mine definitely does not have limber holes through the bulkhead separating the salon from the engine compartment in our sport fish so any water that collects in the bilge area under the salon has no where to go. Usually I hand pump into buckets and dump it overboard. What I can't get with the pump I sponge up. I have never worried about water under the water tank as it sits on the stringers 6 inches off the bottom. If had a concern about excessive water under the water tank, I would dump a gallon or two of non toxic anti freeze to hopefully mix with it to avoid any freeze damage to the tank. It would be nice to have a removable (from the engine compartment side) plug in this bulkhead to allow the water to drain to the rear of the boat. If I ever had to replace the water tank I would install a drain like this.

I do have limber holes and tubes from the V berth thru to the engine compartment and aft. I have to block up almost level to assure any water comes out the plug located amid ship.

I think you guys are kind of missing the real issue here. Where is the water coming from? The only place that water should enter is from the anchor locker hawse pipe or if you have a windlass hole. There really shouldn't be any water of any significant volume up there....and it all should be fresh water besides.

Joe is correct. I only get water in the bilge in that section when we have a monsoon like rain or a leak in the freshwater system. I have plugged all of the openings on the foredeck going into the anchor locker. I still had some water after Florence but it was maybe a gallon in that section.

I’m confused Are we taking about the anchor locker taking water or the bilge in the V berth compartment. I have a little standing water in the bilge of the V berth. It tends to flow forward from amid ship

The anchor locker is not a sealed compartment (at least in my boat). It has an open path down through the V-berth then eventually mid ship.

The anchor locker drains into the forward bilge which drains into the salon (midship) bilge.

Ah thanks for that info. That’s one area I’ve never looked at closely. Will now!!!

Mine does the same. Anchor locker drains into midship/fwd bilge. That is isolated from Aft Bilge as the limber holes are sealed. It appears that at one point Bertram felt those limber holes drained too much water forward Rick Ticket 85 SF Merc 454 MPI's Falmouth, MA

Another advantage of no limber holes between the engine compartment and forward is that if you have an oil leak not will travel forward from the engine room.

I've enjoyed that feature too ! Rick Ticket 85 SF Merc 454 MPI's Falmouth, MA