Hull / Deck / Drains / Bung?

[Superjetjim]

Can someone please explain how the Ribeye 600 is made up? Is the hull / deck a sealed cavity? If I have water on deck (when jet washing for example) it drains to the rear of the boat through two semicircle ducts either side of the rear bench seat - but where does it go then? If I take the bung out it drains but is that draining the entire under the deck cavity or just the rear? If I open the elephant trunks does that drain the same bit as the bungs, just faster?

I also cleaned out under the console and some water went down the cut out in the floor - will this have now drained out of the back?

Sorry for the newbie question!

Jim

[boristhebold]

Any water getting into the boat 'should' find its way into the bottom of the boat, an area known as the 'bilge', this can be cleared by removing the bung or by a bilge pump.

It is normal for water to find its way into the bilge through rain, sea water spray, jet wash spray or waves breaking. People sometimes are concerned with the amount of water that is in there even if boat is onshore, however boat covers arn't perfect for keeping rain water out and hence you can be surprised with how much collects over time.

The elephant trunks are desigined to clear large quantities of water from the boat, usually after youve smashed into a large wave and its broken over your boat, it does happen, or if through a hole you get alot of water inrush. You open them and through forward motion the water should clear through them, its a kind of emergency use to get the water out quickly or most of it and give your bilge pump some time to be effective to get the rest out but it does relay to some extent on some forward motion.

So if your boats been built well all water should find itself flowing into the bilge.

[jeffstevens763@g]

i would ask rib-eye Jim but i would say they all drain into the wet well and out through the trunk,bung & bilge pump if you have one.on my rib-quest they did and the cable duct was self draining too, not an expert but there must be a drain as far down as poss i would have thought for condensation within the hull, mine had two bungs one to sea and one draining the hull into the wet well.
you could blow down the duct with an air line putting a rag over so the air goes out the other end with the water for a quick check.

[Nick Hearne]

Any water that gets under the deck is cleared by bilge pump, inspection hatch at back opens up to a holding tank wich has a deck bung just behind it. Rain water if bung is left out draines in to this, the tank has a screw in bung at the bottom I leave mine out so water draines strait to the bilge and is then pumped out by bilge pump. If you leave screw in bunge in it has some advantages as all the sand & dog hair in my case is trapped in here and can be cleared easily throw the hatch and excess water is draned off the top trough the under back seat compartment but it will get anything in the bottom of it wet!
The 2 scupper holes ether side of the back seat base if left open will let a little bit of water (half an inch) in not a problem unless you have also left the deck bung out as the open scupper are now letting water in and it is draining through the holding tank and the bilge pump is constantly having to clear it!
If you have elephant trunks fitted you may not have the problem as they can collapse and limit the water coming in!

[Superjetjim]

Dont rule out Lake Garda, we're going next year, looks the nuts

Camping Fontanelle - Moniga del Garda, Garda Lake - Gardalake.com

[ribber]

As Nick has said you have two bungs.
One in the transom externally , obviously, and one in the rear well low down and difficult to reach.

Any water getting below deck will be trapped until you undo this inner bung. Water from the forward anchor locker will run under the deck also and get trapped there as well.

When on trailer there is no problem of tilting boat back with both bungs undone, anchor locker open and air circulating to dry everything out over winter.

When needed to do it during wet summer and not being able to get on to trailer or beach it, I undo the inner bung when underway at lowish revs, bow tends to rise quite high thus tipping/draining water back to the well, so the bilge pump kicks in and gets rid of it.

I would guess it's quite important to get rid of this water as the make up of the hull would probably be ply of sorts and guessing not all bits of ply would be covered/sealed in fiberglass. Eventually making the ply waterlogged and ready to breakdown.

[ribrova]

I have a similar sort of problem. My RIB stays in a marina for the summer months and when it rains, it traps water (which gets dirty) because the scuppers are closed. If I leave them open, then marina water gets in. What I'm wondering is if it would be possible to divert the scuppers to the bilge (which has a pump) when in the marina. Well, I know it's possible with a bit of creative piping but wondered if anyone thinks it's a good idea or has done similar.

[Nick Hearne]

[QUOTE=ribber;689790]
"
Any water getting below deck will be trapped until you undo this inner bung. Water from the forward anchor locker will run under the deck also and get trapped there as well."

Not in mine, only water to get in to holding tank is from the deck water, anchor locker draines to bilg and is pumped out by auto bilge pump


"I would guess it's quite important to get rid of this water as the make up of the hull would probably be ply of sorts and guessing not all bits of ply would be covered/sealed in fiberglass. Eventually making the ply waterlogged and ready to breakdown."

Agree with drying out the bilge But there is no ply in the construction that I know of floor is a moulded deck only ply on mine are the seat base!

[Superjetjim]

Thanks guys, but I can't find this second bung - had a look under the seat etc - do I need to take the 10x odd screws out if the vertical back panel behind the seats to find it? Surely not?!!

[ribber]

My ribeye is quite an old one now, 2004 ish. So may be different design now.

Yes there was a fibreglass back panel behind the back bench seat. Behind that was the bilge pump sitting in the well. In that well I have to reach down to the bottom of the well and fumble around for the inner bung, full arms reach when seat box in the way. You can see the hole for external bung from there to the transom.

When I had problems with the bilge pump, which was quite often because you have to clean the float within the pump (gets stuck with sticky residue from slimy stagnant salt water stopping the automatic function), I left off the panel completely. It allows air to circulate and stops the build up of black slime and rotting damp smell. Also allows maintenance of pump and access to inner bung.

Again sorry if my ribeye is not the same design as others but I don't see that it can be that much different.

[Superjetjim]

Originally Posted by ribber

My ribeye is quite an old one now, 2004 ish. So may be different design now.

Yes there was a fibreglass back panel behind the back bench seat. Behind that was the bilge pump sitting in the well. In that well I have to reach down to the bottom of the well and fumble around for the inner bung, full arms reach when seat box in the way. You can see the hole for external bung from there to the transom.

When I had problems with the bilge pump, which was quite often because you have to clean the float within the pump (gets stuck with sticky residue from slimy stagnant salt water stopping the automatic function), I left off the panel completely. It allows air to circulate and stops the build up of black slime and rotting damp smell. Also allows maintenance of pump and access to inner bung.

Again sorry if my ribeye is not the same design as others but I don't see that it can be that much different.

Perfect I'll check it out - mine is the same age as yours!

[Nick Hearne]

Oh I thought you had a latter one, post 2005 I think it was it was changed quite a bit, lost the rails in the deck and back bench seat box changed too!