87 v step Cuddy Cabin

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Fshndad

New member
Hello, I just bought a 87 Wellcraft V20. Does anyone know where the floor fish box drains too? I see a bilge pump in the fish box and a drain. When I remove the plug it all drains but not much coming out to the bilge area in the stern.Just a few drips. I have the front raised to help with draining.
 
Fshndad said:
Hello, I just bought a 87 Wellcraft V20. Does anyone know where the floor fish box drains too? I see a bilge pump in the fish box and a drain. When I remove the plug it all drains but not much coming out to the bilge area in the stern.Just a few drips. I have the front raised to help with draining.
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Welcome!

Mine drains into the forward section of the bilge. There is a plastic pipe running from that forward bilge under the foamed-in fuel tank into the aft bilge. The pipe/tube isn't very big in diameter, maybe 1", and can easily clog with debris.
 


This is a shot of the fuel cell cavity , the pvc in the bottom is the drain between the two bulkheads. This is probably clogged up like pipe is saying. That is, assuming your fishbox is forward of your tank, some are not

And yes, i was wearing crocs
 
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If you are going to actually put fish in that fish box it is essential that you make sure the drain to the back bilge area is clear of all debris. Dead fish parts and blood has a very aromatic smell after just a few hours in the sun, and even more so days later. Even more important than that though is the fact that the underside of your deck and the stringers are wood, and wood NEEDS to be kept as dry as possible to avoid rotting. Standing water in a bilge is one of the greatest contributors to rotted wood. As the water evaporates the wood, which is porous, absorbs it and over time it causes rot. In fact, when the boat is stored for any length of time it's a good idea to open all hatches to allow air to circulate under the deck to keep the area dry. Some people even go so far as to put a small fan under the deck to circulate the air to enhance the drying.
 
The forward end of that pvc pipe is definitely clogged with chunks of debris, especially little pieces of the deck bonding adhesive.
In my opinion, everyone with a V20 should gain access to that end of the pipe (cut an access into the bottom of the fishbox).

Your 30 year old boat is a beauty but it needs to get all the pass-thrus in the stringers and bilge cleaned out. remove the rod boxes to gain access. You need long arms...

Also, (I preach this all the time) the fuel tank compartment is designed to be DRY. It does not drain to the bilge. You must seal the hatch with silicone.
 
Thanks everyone for your input. double check, but if I recall when I looked at the drain hole I saw fiberglass, which I suspect the pvc pipe is missing.

I'll double check tomorrow.
 
Fshndad said:
Thanks everyone for your input. double check, but if I recall when I looked at the drain hole I saw fiberglass, which I suspect the pvc pipe is missing.

I'll double check tomorrow.
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The fish box drains to the forward section of the bilge. It is not connected to the pvc pipe. That is the problem. Everything that goes down the drain of the fishbox,cuddy drain, and anchor locker, has to pass thru the pvc pipe to get past the fuel tank to the stern bilge. So there is 30 years of crap in there blocking the pipe.
Check these threads...
http://wellcraftv20.com/community/showthread.php?t=20940&highlight=fishbox
http://wellcraftv20.com/community/showthread.php?t=21320&highlight=pvc+pipe
 
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