Ice in my forward bilge area (AHHHHHHHHH)

[mstelmac]

I had my boat winterized at a marina and when they parked the boat into a spot they did not raise the bow enough for a full drain. I finally noticed today when I went to pick the boat up and drop it off at the fiberglass shop. The boat was tilted enough to keep the rear bilge area and deck dry. However there is 1.5 inches of ice in my forward bilge area. I noticed this by lifting the cover off of the hole thing in my cabin. DOHHHHHHHH!!!

So my forward bilge pump is under ice. I'm guessing that ice will expand to the direction of least resistance (up) and it won't crack my hull or anything. However I'm guessing my bilge pump might be a gonner.

I should have went down to check the boat after having it winterized. That was a rookie mistake. I hate learning things the hard way.

-Matt

 

[Megabyte]

It might not be all bad.

Depending on where you are, and how cold it has been, dumping a gallon of marine anti-freeze in there to mix with the ice/water may save you.
Put a protected 100 watt light bulb down in the bilge for 24 hours to warm it up, and the ice should melt and mix with the anti-freeze.

It's an honest mistake, but it is fix-able. :wink:

 

[Paddleon]

Forward bilge pump?
I've a 2120..no forward bilge pump that I know of.
I had posted something a few months back about water in that forward area that can be seen if you look down the drain hole from inside the cabin. That water never drained rearward till I put the boat at a fairly steep incline for the winter.I'd guess about 2 gallons of water remained.
Running the boat never drained all the water...and I'd also have ice down there if I didn't tilt her up quite a bit.

 

[Megabyte]

Forward bilge pump?

Here is a photo of the forward bilge pump in my 2520.
Some boats have them, some don't.

 

[Mike2043]

My 2110 has a forward pump. It in the step that goes into the cabin/berth. I think it's hooked to a swutch on the dash.

 

[Megabyte]

I've a 2120..no forward bilge pump that I know of.

What year is your 2120?

 

[greatcir]

My 2007 2120 has no forward bilge pump and the specs for the boat only show one bilge pump. I have removed the port bench seat and replaced it with a pedestal seat and a single bench seat and assure you my boat has no forward bile pump or access to the forward bilge.

The only way to see the forward bilge is through the small drain hole in the house floor that is just forward of the door. When I saw water in there, I too could not get it to drain out unless the bow was very high. That's one of the reasons I put a wooden plug in the notch in my anchor locker door to stop any water from draining into the forward bilge from rain or when I washed the boat as there is a drain hole to the bilge in the anchor locker. Can see the other things I covered (the aft corner wire run pipes) to keep all of my bilge dry at:

http://www.classicparker.com/phpBB2/vie ... highlight=

.........Pete

 

[Paddleon]

2004

I've a 2120..no forward bilge pump that I know of.

What year is your 2120?

 

[mstelmac]

Thanks fellas and yes I definitely have a forward bilge pump. My boat is a 2002 21SC. My old man told me that water probably got in through the anchor area and ran down into the forward area. Since I did not have it inclined steep enough it collected. Now the bilge pump is under an inch and a half of ice. The rear bilge area is dry as a bone with no problems. We actually got a couple of real warm days down here (high 40s) but then it dropped down below freezing again. I'm not at all worried about the pump. If something was broken due to ice then so be it. I was actually more worried about the ice getting under something that could be lifted like the gas tank (not sure if that is possible) or something else I have no idea about.

My dad is going down for me with a little electric heater. I'm sure he will call me a dumb ass the whole way

Thats what family is for! I have been picking the weeds in his damn garden for 30 years!