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  1. #1
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    May 2023
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    Lacombe, LA
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    5

    Water draining thru foot control tray is trapped in bow in front of floatation

    Has anyone else experienced water trapped in the bow of their 2020 Tracker Tournament Edition Pro175TXW? I was replacing the magnetic switch control on my MinnKota Trolling motor and I removed the recessed foot control tray. I found water had been trapped in the bow forward of the tray and in front of the large blob of expanding foam for some period of time. I used a shop vac and removed the water, dried it out over a few days with the tray removed and then began looking for a drain tube under the expanding foam that would allow the water draining through the tray to drain under the double bottom to the stern of the boat. I am unable to find any kind of a drain tube or passage way. I tried calling the factory to find out what is supposed to be the method for water passing thru the tray pan and into the forward hull area to flow to the stern bilge area. They would not give me any information, idea, support or explanation. Call the dealer and bring it in is all they would tell me. I could not believe someone would be unable to tell me if there is supposed to be a drain tube under the foam floatation or something otherwise how else would trapped water ever drain to the stern. I am unable to see any drain method and even after vacuuming when dry and using an inspection mirror I can’t see anything but a solid water block caused by the floatation. I plan to look further with my friends borescope but do not expect that to reveal anything further.

    If anyone else has had this issue or knows a resolution I would certainly appreciate it. If I even knew where they normally have a drain tube I could begin carefully removing some foam to look for it. Any suggestions are appreciated.

  2. Member Extremeboating's Avatar
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    May 2021
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    Concord, CA
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    484
    #2
    Unfortunately this is more commonplace than you realize for these damn Tracker boats. For whatever reason they lack the foresight to understand that the bilge area forward on the bow needs a place for water to drain when and if there is water intrusion. What they wind up doing is just spraying a bunch of floatation foam in there Willy nilly without protecting a small passage way at the bottom of the hull to allow water to tunnel itself to the rear.

    I had to wind up taking matters into my own hands and cut out a large V right where the foot pedal tray I installed on mine is. It took a lot of work and a lot of different methods of cutting through the stuff as it bonds itself to the hull in a really ugly way. I wound up cutting through SO much of it that went even beneath a storage cubby on my Classic XL... Needless to say, you may have to wind up doing the same thing yourself to yours because the water will never go to the rear of the boat otherwise and it will wind up just sitting there pooled up in whatever spot it chooses to sit in.
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    IG: extremeboating



  3. Member
    Join Date
    May 2023
    Location
    Lacombe, LA
    Posts
    5
    #3
    I’d like to Thank You for your reply. At least I know it is a common problem and NOT just the boat I have. I thought about attempting to cut about a 1” channel in the foam below the tray in the centerline from front bow area toward the center storage locker. I may even look into capturing the water draining through the tray into a drain tube that maybe I could run below the storage compartments if it would drain that way. Maybe with a borescope I could see if there would be a channel for the drain tube to exit into. I dread cutting into the foam floatation and cutting into a wire loom or something I couldn’t see. I’m think about heating an old knife or hacksaw blade to melt/slice into the foam to create a channel for access. I’ve shaped and cut foam using a hot wire before.

  4. #4
    Even if you cut a channel in the bow foam, there's nothing to connect that channel with the bilge unless you do some serious surgery through he subfloor to link your new channel to the existing floor drains.

  5. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2023
    Location
    Vidor, Texas
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    1
    #5
    recently bought a used pro190TX and in the process of doing some wiring i could see water mark under the foot pedal tray. sprayed in foam and no drain. im going to cut the foam down to the hull, i hope the middle chine isn't full of foam, anyone know??? i guess we're not supposed to fish in the rain. any help appreciated

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