Water in the hold!

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Fly Navy said:

Literally ?

You noticed, not many are quite as astute.

[doratheexplorer]

If I went to look at a cruiser stern or semi trad which had been left unattended for 4 months and the bilges were completely dry, I'd be suspicious.  Water in the bilge is a fact of life on these type of boats, unless you have a good pram hood or something like that.  I'd be more worried in this case about a 15 year old boat with only 50 hours on the engine.  If you intend to cruise regularly, you may find a lot of problems.  Having said that, if you like the boat, don't be put off.  Any second hand purchase is a bit of a gamble and you're almost certain to find repairs which are needed ater a few weeks/months.  Don't expect to get any come back from a surveyor either.

[Mad Harold]

My boat is a small cruiser stern.It has a canvas cover for when left,scupper holes in the deck and a drain hole in the channel deck supports,yet there is still water in the engine bilge. 

I found three causes;   it takes very little muck to block the drain hole in the deck support channel.Simply getting on and off brings mud onto the deck and finds it's way into the channel.

Once lifting the engine hatch shortly after starting the engine to inspect something,I was quite surprised to find the entire engine bay dripping with condensation. (Warm engine,cold engine bay)

The main cause was rainwater running off the roof and under the canvas cover which I fixed by squeezing a line of Stixall along the rear of the roof and hatch.

There is now very little water getting into the engine bilge,and what comes in can be mopped up with a cloth.

A completely dry engine bilge might be a cause for suspicion,but it could also mean that the owner is a fussy bugger like me!