When you pull your drain plugs...

When you pull your drain plugs how much, if any, water drains from your hull? I'm new to the Gambler hull but I'm not used to any water other than rain buildup or ice chest drainage at the end of the day. I believe the "snap on" hose connections at the pumps leak some and backwash through the vent when I come off plane too quick are contributing to maybe 2 gallons after a half day in the water. I've also noticed I have water dripping from one of the trim tab mounting plates. I'm just wondering if anybody else has the same things going on and if so what you did to fix it. I want my boat as right as it can be.

Check your pumps it could be cracked and letting some water in from the live wells if you have pump outs. Thats what happend to me. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/thumbsup2.gif

Just replaced 2 livewell pumps.....after a few years the plastic weakens and the fittings crack.......which in turn causes the leaking. Since I fixed the pumps, only a couple of ounces come out after a full day. I would check there...

Sam

No water from my Gambler if I do not use the livewells or have ice in the cooler.
If you fill your livewells you will get water from it sloshing of the top of the wells.
You could also have a fitting leaking.
Water dripping from trim tab, the livewells drain out of a fitting just above the trim tabs.
JAZII

Could be coming in around the rub rail while you're loading your boat and the rub rail is under water.

when I remove my plug there is a little water that comes out every time...BUT when I turn on the bilge no water comes out ???


I replaced all the pumps this last year...

Anything else people can check about water coming in?

My bilge pumps (01 2100) are under the center console and unless your boat is level instead of bow high, withenough water to pick up, the bilge pump wont pick up the water.

There was a guy at the ramp a few yers ago with a Gambler and we got to talking and I mentioned that my boat (a 92 206 then) took on some water somehow, even when I didnt use the livewells. He pulled his boat out of the water and his did the same thing. He's the one that told me about the rubrail possibly leaking if its submerged for a few minutes. If a rivet or two is loose, the water gets right in while you're trailering.

I get a good bit of water everytime, some from backwash. Dont have the rigging tube' gonna have to make one soon. Then some comes when i wash it, it will hold water inside of the back transome area then come out if i dont tilt the boat nose down and let it drain. Pretty sure i get some thru the rear vents also from backwash.

It appears a little water is a normal thing. The one I'm worried about is the water dripping from the trim tab plate. It is dripping from the round plate with the four mounting bolts. It seems as though the water is inside the the trimtab assembly and slowly leaking out. The next time I'm out I'll leave the storage units at home and do a little CSI under the lids. Thanks all for the comments.

I don't see how you could be holding any water in that area.
The trim tab assembly is just a tube that's mounted through a hole that is cut into the hull. Maybe one of the tab actuactors is leaking?

JAZII

I'm gonna get wet again this weekend and really check everythingout again. The drip from the trim tab plate was still dripping after a 1 hr drive home so the unit is holding water somehow. I've never removed a trim tab assembly so I don't know what to expect. Where is the actuator located? I guess knowing exactly how the tabs operate would help alot. Any info before I take things apart would be great.

Like I said before, make sure the water you see dripping from the "trim tab" is not coming from the livewell drain hole that is directly above the "trim tab".

The trim tab actuator is a sealed one piece unit, that is mounted in a hollow metal flanged tube that is mounted through a hole in your hull.

I DO NOT think you need to take the trim tab actuator apart. You would have to have 8" to 12" of water inside your boat, to be above the sealed mounting flange of the trim tab actuator tube.

JAZII

Thanks Jaz. I'll look real close tomorrow. It did appear that the leak was coming from the actuater tube, like water was inside. The rod itself had water on it while the opposite side was bone dry.

I looked real close Saturday. There's water leaking into the hull from the passenger side trim tab...not alot but a steady leak. It appears I need to tighten the mounting bolts or remove them and reseal the mounting plate on the outside. All the pumps and hoses were dry. If I remove the mounting bolts, will the actuator tube move enough for me to remove the old silicone and reseal the mounting plate? I don't want to remove anything if ther's a chance of throwing the trim tabs out of wack.