Water In Bottom Of Engine Compartment

[caspar]

Hi there
I've just returned to my yacht to find the bottom of the engine compartment full of water. It's not from the header tank as this is still full.
Any ideas on the most likely source / places to investigate?
thank you
caspar

[fjwiley1]

Where/how does your "cockpit" drain..?

[caspar]

hi there - via 2 deck scuppers - seacocks are open on both

[Reefmagnet]

My engine bay receives water from two locations. The first is the shaft seal and the second is via the edson pedestal. Other possibilities are backflow from a bilge pump or a leaking waterlock

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by caspar

Hi there
I've just returned to my yacht to find the bottom of the engine compartment full of water. It's not from the header tank as this is still full.
Any ideas on the most likely source / places to investigate?
thank you
caspar

What sort of quantity?
Have you had recent rain?
Is the level rising (even if only slowly)?
When was the last time you looked before this occasion?
Does your sink still drain properly? This is actually a good place to look as I had a friend who could not trace the source of an apparently intermittent bilge water until he found the sink hose was broken and draining into the bilge.

The answers to the above will point you in the right direction.

[FSMike]

With questions like this it's usually helpful to tell the forum a bit about your boat, what make/year/model/engine etc.

[caspar]

hi guys
i appreciate the fast and very helpful responses.
to add some more detail..
it's a 2001 Oyster 53 - its a Yanmar Engine

I've tightened up the stern gland greaser and checked the cockpit drain seacocks are open

I last checked 2 weeks ago - engine compartment was dry then. We've had a lot of rain so I guess we could have a leak somewhere from the deck. I guess there are properly 3-4 gallons of water in there.

The sink is draining properly so will follow the pipes through there for leaks.

welcome any more thoughts and thank you all again

[Terra Nova]

Photos?

[Weyalan]

Is the water fresh or salt?

[caspar]

salt water

[Weyalan]

Id be starting at the cooling water inlet thru-hull and following the hoses to the engine, checking every hose, hose clamp and fitting for tell-tale signs of leakage, then checking the cooling water exhaust system and following to the exhaust outlet. My guess is most likely a damaged hose in the salt-water side of the cooling system (caveat - diesel mechanic I am not)

[caspar]

here's the engine compartment - the water has been drained out from the visible part underneath the yellow hose. Underneath the engine (the non visible part) there is still a lot of water.

[Cadence]

Not knowing a thing about your sent up, a pin hole in the heat exchange can cause salt water to enter and cause a mixture to exit through the cap of overflow.

[poiu]

Originally Posted by caspar

salt water

How do you know? Even if it is salty, it may be fresh diluting the salt water, which still would taste salty. But you didn't taste it did you?

Lots of suspects. Is the stern gland wet? Any evidence around the sea water supply to the engine or its pipes/pumps/connections. A slow leak will leave a mouse trail of salt crystals from any hose/through hull. Could be fresh for example deck leak or even wind blown rain onto the washboards as the box drains into the bilge.

[ssanzone]

what else is wet?

we can assume the engine is low (if not the lowest) in the boat which mean;
1. a thru hull is leaking elsewhere and the water is running to the low spot in which case you should see / feel water fore or aft

2. the leak is around the engine.

is the water returning since pumping it out?

try an OLD trick for identifying which valve is leaking... buy a multi food coloring pack and squirt a different color on each thru hull. when the water pools it will have a tint and point u to the culprit.

if (for example) everything aft of the motor is dry you can ignore those thru hulls.

-steve