How much bilge water is normal in an 2005 SV-211 Air Nautique?

[J-Fish]

I am the new owner of a used 2005 Air Nautique. I've got some water standing in the bilge that won't pump out even when running the manual bilge pump. I can hear the pump running but no water gets pumped out. It's about 2.5 inches deep at the drain plug, just covering the handle of the plug itself. I can imagine its designed to keep this much water in the bilge after running it manually, but I don't know what is normal. My thought is that it may be a clogged pump?? Other than that I'm looking to you all to help me out if you can.

[ski4evr]

There are two pumps, one accessed through a port in the ski locker, and one on the port side of the engine at rear of boat. There should be less than 1/2 inch deep after running the pumps.

[J-Fish]

Do they have to run in tandem or will either pump pump water if only one of them has water nearby? I ask because I have water near the engine but it is dry up by the ski locker. Is it possible for the pumps to be clogged? Should I check that somehow?

[CradGen2]

Take a garden hose and back flush the bilge hose. Stick the garden hose in the output on the side of the boat an turn it on. Once I had a spiders nest and the pump wasn't powerful enough to push past it.

I tried everything including spending hours replacing the pumps, for something stupid like a nest. Come to think about it happen on my 211.

[J-Fish]

I haven't tried the garden hose trick, but found something out by accident. I had been toward the stern of the boat while docked most of the day tinkering in the battery compartment working on a separate issue. I went back out earlier this evening tried the manual bilge button again and went to the bow of the boat. I am not sure if it was the shift of water in the bilge or what, but all of the sudden the bilge started pumping water like crazy. I stayed in the bow until it was done and then went back to the stern and sure enough, all but a very small amount of water was gone.

I am now wondering where the stern pump would exit the boat. I assume it would be a different hole in the hull than the bow pump. Where would I put the garden hose exactly? There are at least 4 potential locations I see in the side of the boat and I don't know which is the stern bilge pump vs ballast tank etc...

Thank you for all of you help so far. I really appreciate the quick answers too! This is my first forum posting experience.

[HS]

There is a diagram in the owner's manual but as I recall, you will find some thru hull fittings on the starboard hull. The aft bilge pump hose exits the boat via a thru hull fitting along the aft quarter of the starboard hull. Assuming you also have rear ballast tanks, it is located next to the vent line thru hull. Look for two stainless steel rings with a hole in the center. Then open up the rear locker and locate the thru hull fitting. You can trace the hose to the bilge pump. Each ballast tank vent (overflow line) has one, too, and they are larger than the bilge hose fittings. On my old 211, you can see the bilge pump by opening the access door where you can reach the T handle (plug). Your forward bilge pump is in the ski locker.

[J-Fish]

I still haven't hooked up the hose, but now I realize I have water coming into the boat from somewhere else...altogether another issue. Back to the bilge pump... Can you see the stern pump from the engine compartment without removing anything to get to it? I see the pump by the belly ballast tank, but not by the engine. The manual has only a rough diagram.

[ksarbau]

I still haven't hooked up the hose, but now I realize I have water coming into the boat from somewhere else...altogether another issue. Back to the bilge pump... Can you see the stern pump from the engine compartment without removing anything to get to it? I see the pump by the belly ballast tank, but not by the engine. The manual has only a rough diagram.

You should be able to see the bilge pump. In my '07 211, you can see the stern pump by looking down into the engine compartment on the Port side. It sides just below the outside edge of the engine if my memory is correct. I assume the '05 is similar?

If you're getting more water than expected in the bilge, it could be a leaky rub rail seal in the back above swim platform. I think it is fairly common for water to leak in there, esp if you seem to be taking on more water when ballast is full.

Good luck!

[ski4evr]

If you remove the dividers between the engine compartment and the port storage locker (walk thru) you will see it no problem. If you need to access it, that will be where you get to it.