1998 17 OUTRAGE II Three Questions about Water On Deck Path to Sea

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otter
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1998 17 OUTRAGE II Three Questions about Water On Deck Path to Sea

Postby otter » Sat Sep 11, 2021 9:45 am

I have 1998 Outrage II [initially off unspecified length but later identified as being an 17 OUTRAGE II]. The boat has a stern [sump or compartment] where the [sump] pump is located. The boat has a self-bailing [cockpit with] scuppers which are slightly above the waterline, but every so often the scuppers will take on water; when this happens I run the [sump] pump.

There is a [drain} in that [sump] area approximately four-inches below the deck. When I empty the [sump] there will still be water flowing out of this [drain] and draining into the [sump] for a period of time.

Q1:[is] this water [flowing from another] collecting [area or sump] in the hull in a forward compartment?

Q2: what is the purpose of this [drain]?

Q3: can this [drain] be closed?

[Moderator's note: changed "bulge" which was apparently intended to mean bilge to "sump." Changed "bunk" to "sump or compartment." "Changed "water port hole" to "drain."]

jimh
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Re: 1998 OUTRAGE II Unspecified Length: Three Questions about Cockpit Sump Drain

Postby jimh » Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:05 am

Hello--your article as written was difficult to understand, and I revised its word usage as best as I could infer your intended meaning to what I thought you were asking about.

I presume you are asking about a drain to the sea in a sump compartment in the deck of your unidentified Boston Whaler boat. My remarks that follow are based on that interpretation.

If the cockpit sump drain to the sea is left open, sea water will enter the sump and rise to the level of the boat's waterline. With regard to whether or not the drain to the sea in a cockpit deck sump should be left open or be closed with a plug, the choice is really up to the boat owner.

When the sump compartment is left open to the sea, if the water level in the sump only rises slightly so that the sump compartment does not overflow, then the drain can be left open all the time if desired. This is usually done for boats that will be left unattended for a long time and with their cockpit uncovered. The open drain to the sea allows any rain water that collects in the boat to flow into the cockpit sump and to drain to the sea.

If an open drain in the sump permits seawater to enter and rise high enough to overflow the sump, the drain is usually kept plugged at all times. Water from the deck that flows into the sump must be evacuated by running the sump pump. The sump pump is often controlled automatically so that it runs whenever the water level in the sump rises above a threshold level.

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Phil T
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Re: 1998 OUTRAGE II Unspecified Length: Three Questions about Water On Deck Path to Sea

Postby Phil T » Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:57 am

There are six Outrage models in 1998. Which one?
1992 Outrage 17
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003

otter
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Re: 1998 OUTRAGE II Unspecified Length: Three Questions about Water On Deck Path to Sea

Postby otter » Sun Sep 12, 2021 10:07 am

The boat is a 1998 OUTRAGE 17 II.

[An entirely new topic was introduced to this discussion. The new topic has been moved to its own separate thread.--Moderator]

jimh
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Re: 1998 OUTRAGE II Unspecified Length: Three Questions about Water On Deck Path to Sea

Postby jimh » Sun Sep 12, 2021 10:49 am

On many models of Boston Whaler boats the aft cockpit sump area is connected to the rigging tunnel that runs forward to the helm area. On some models there is a cockpit floor drain that drains the cockpit around the helm area into the rigging tunnel and thence to the aft cockpit sump.

I am not aware of any water sump or water collecting area in the forward part of the boat that is designed to drain all the way to the aft cockpit sump. When the boat is on a trailer and is going uphill or downhill on steep highway grades, it is possible for some water to move in the rigging tunnel from the aft cockpit sump toward the bow of the boat, and then the water may spill out into a forward below deck level compartment. That compartment has its own drain to the sea which is almost always kept closed when the boat in the water.

I used to find mystery water in the forward below deck compartment that seemed to come from nowhere. I would carefully check the compartment for water after hauling out the boat onto its trailer. By the time I drove home there would be water in the forward compartment. I realized that my drive from ramp to home involved descending a steep grade on the road. Water was flowing out of the stern cockpit sump, via the rigging tunnel, and spilling out into the forward below-deck compartment. The flow the other way would not be possible due to the height of the rigging tunnel above the forward below-deck compartment.

Jloutrage
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Re: 1998 OUTRAGE II Unspecified Length: Three Questions about Water On Deck Path to Sea

Postby Jloutrage » Wed Sep 15, 2021 10:10 pm

[On a 1998 17 OUTRAGE II hull] water can enter the rigging tunnel via the through-hull drain in the starboard stern of the boat. This is the same area where a two-stroke oil tank [would be] located. If enough water enters here, it can migrate to the center line of the [area] below the fuel tank. The threaded plug in the storage area behind and below the helm seat can be removed to drain this water.

Additionally, if too much water enters the storage area [behind below the held seat], water can exit into the rigging tunnel through a small drain in the starboard side of the storage area, again allowing water to possibly accumulate in the [area] below the fuel tank.

This plug should not be left removed as water that enters the storage area can flow forward into the [area] below the fuel tank.

It’s a good idea to periodically remove this plug to drain any water that may have accumulated in the [area] below the fuel tank.