Do you get water in compartments?

[BigKahuna]

Thanks Big Shooter. I was wondering about drilling it out but will avoid that. My dealer has been very supportive and I can't say enough about their commitment to make this right. I sent a ton a pictures and they are responding. They also indicated that I should treat my Sunbrella Fabric with Sunbrella Restore Fabric Protector & Repellent or 303 Fabric Guard. View attachment 34467

I've used Starbrite waterproofing spray with much success! Water beads up like a newly waxed car and runs off. When it doesn't bead up anymore is when you know it's needs to be retreated .....Good stuff!

 

[dshannon11]

I've used Starbrite waterproofing spray with much success! Water beads up like a newly waxed car and runs off. When it doesn't bead up anymore is when you know it's needs to be retreated .....Good stuff!

I second starbrite. Awesome stuff

 

[big shooter]

What is the "part below" you are referencing here? I'm familiar with the hole in the top of the seat compartment in the channel (you have pictured above) but not the part below. Are you referring to a drain tube - like the one under the helm? I have no such tube or any other parts below that hole.

We've had a lot of rain in the northeast lately and I'm consistently getting 2"-3" in the stern portion of the large port side bench seat compartment on our LSRC. I wonder if I'm missing a part and the drain holes are sending the water directly into the compartment.

I am not 100% sure. I don't think it is a drain tube. What I think it is: the seat compartment is in 2 pieces, one piece is the sides and bottom, the other piece is the top. There is drain hole in the top that is supposed to let water go down behind the seat compartment and just go overboard. In the seat compartment you can see a vertical part molded in (circled in blue in my pic)

The entire seat compartment must have a flange on the top so that the seat top has something to rest on. If the seat top and vertical part are not aligned the hole in the seat top will be sitting on the flange of the vertical part. And water will not be allowed to go down the outside back of the seat compartment but instead will flow into the seat compartment, probably under the cushion itself.

You can see in the 2 pictures here, one drain hole is completely open, the other is partially blocked with the top part of the seat compartment. If you cannot stick a pencil in the hole, then it is blocked. And when the channel fills with water it will overflow into the seat compartment. The picture someone posted earlier looked completely blocked to me.

If you can move them around and get the holes aligned you can drive a sheet metal screw next to the hole which keeps them aligned. You may also be able to just drill a new hole in the seat compartment flange, but without seeing what the backside of the seat compartment actually is I would not do it. However if you cannot get them aligned that may be the only option. Just make sure you don't drill a hole that lets water get into the seat compartment, that will make your problem way worse. The hole has to go into that vertical part molded into the compartment (the blue circle).

Proceed with caution, I am only guessing since I have not taken the seat apart.

 

[JLM007]

Thanks for the thorough explanation, big shooter. I think you're correct in that the bottom hole likely just drains into the deck and eventually, overboard. All of the holes are aligned on my compartments so let the troubleshooting continue! Thanks again.

 

[big shooter]

One other design flaw in the seat compartments is on the seats that have 2 cushions. The divider in between doesn't have a water drain like it does in the back. So water that gets between the cushions will go into the compartment.

 

[Pbakk]

I checked my pontoon and the water holes in many of the compartments don’t line up. One hole in the back actually drains on top of battery switch and the other drains on top of the electronic controller for Ultra Legs (Sea Legs). I will need to look at drilling out the holes, installing screws to hold the hole alignment, and or working with the dealer. Thanks.

 

[LaurencetheAdventurer]

I am not 100% sure. I don't think it is a drain tube. What I think it is: the seat compartment is in 2 pieces, one piece is the sides and bottom, the other piece is the top. There is drain hole in the top that is supposed to let water go down behind the seat compartment and just go overboard. In the seat compartment you can see a vertical part molded in (circled in blue in my pic)

The entire seat compartment must have a flange on the top so that the seat top has something to rest on. If the seat top and vertical part are not aligned the hole in the seat top will be sitting on the flange of the vertical part. And water will not be allowed to go down the outside back of the seat compartment but instead will flow into the seat compartment, probably under the cushion itself.

You can see in the 2 pictures here, one drain hole is completely open, the other is partially blocked with the top part of the seat compartment. If you cannot stick a pencil in the hole, then it is blocked. And when the channel fills with water it will overflow into the seat compartment. The picture someone posted earlier looked completely blocked to me.

If you can move them around and get the holes aligned you can drive a sheet metal screw next to the hole which keeps them aligned. You may also be able to just drill a new hole in the seat compartment flange, but without seeing what the backside of the seat compartment actually is I would not do it. However if you cannot get them aligned that may be the only option. Just make sure you don't drill a hole that lets water get into the seat compartment, that will make your problem way worse. The hole has to go into that vertical part molded into the compartment (the blue circle).

Proceed with caution, I am only guessing since I have not taken the seat apart.

I took a closer look this weekend - your are 100% correct. The drain holes are "aligned" with the seat support column structure, which means the water drains directly onto the deck and under the gap in the side rails - my Benny had no holes in the deck. Most of mine were well aligned, but some were not. I think these are drilled after installed based on the random locations, but then as the boat settles some get mis-aligned. A simple re-drill would optimize the draining.