Bought a 2022 23LSR Tritoon with a Mercury 150 from the dealer in April. The boat was one of their boat club boats. Noticed the boat was listing to starboard both when docked and when underway. Waterline confirms it sits about 2" lower in the water on starboard. So far, the dealer has drained water from all 3 compartments, but not enough to cause the listing. Most recently about 2 gallons from the "center" compartment. If not water in the toon, what else could cause listing? This also affects handling because the boat is always leaning starboard, even when turning to port.
Listing (leaning) starboard
- Thread starter agperri
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BigKahuna
Well-Known Member
Only thing I can think of is weight distribution. How many batteries do you have and where are they located. Do you have a lot of stuff stored on that side? Skis, vests, anchors, coolers?
Just a single battery. It is on the starboard-side, but even with multiple people sitting on the port-side it still lists. It's almost like the starboard toon is smaller or less buoyant. Dealer is stumped too, hence my post to see what else it could possibly be.
SEMPERFI8387
Moderator
How’s he “draining” the water. These don’t have drains so he must be going in the top plug. It’s possible he’s not getting all the water out.
Jack M
Moderator
Has you dealer found the source of the water getting in ? If so ,has it been repaired after draining ?
Jgedeon
Well-Known Member
We have a loaner 28 QXSBA that we noticed always has a lean to the port side. It's due to all the batteries (3), the galley water tank, and refrigerator all on the port side. We moved some heavier items, mainly the cooler, to as much of the starboard side as we could and it has helped but still notice the lean while underway.
Interestingly the starboard toon *does* have a drain plug which they initially unscrewed and a little water came out. After I brought it back because it was still listing, I insisted the toon had bulkheads at each weld, so each compartment needs to be drilled and drained separately. At this point they've drilled, drained, and pressure tested each compartment, but not much water has come out and they haven't found the source of the leaks.
No leaks have been found or repaired.
Jack M
Moderator
Has your dealer checked the welds ? I had a burn through on mine . If I remember correctly, it was on the keel.
Vikingstaff
Moderator
So initially the dealer didn’t know it had bulk heads and is toons are compartmentalized? If so, that would be worrisome. Should be common knowledge on the Benningtons.
Honestly, given what you describe, it doesn’t seem like a weight distribution issue. So that would only really leave a leak and water getting into those pontoons. I can appreciate why everyone is stumped given the lack of significant water being drained out of them.
Since they got some water out, clearly there is a leak of some sort. So after draining, and testing, they can verify NO water left in the pontoons? Is there any chance that the way they are draining it isn’t getting at most of the water? For repairs, are they sending it to a skilled aluminum welder or just “giving it a go“ in house? I’m puzzled too given what you have shared.
As for the source of the leak, do some searches in the forums. There are some of us that have had a leak issue over the years, had them repaired, and haven’t had problems since.
There seems to be a coupe common causes. Our leak issue in 2020 was related to the welds along our port side performance foils. I think the most common source is weld points. For us, our port tubes were drilled, drained and plugs put in. Then they redid the wields along the entire performance foil and no problems since. The leaks were incredibly tiny pin-prick type leaks along the wield points. You would not have seen them at all if not for water draining out through them because the tube would fill up significantly past that point…so it would drain down to those wields when I put it up on its Sea Legs.
I think a couple others had some water getting in from the top of their tubes along the “M” brackets in an older model/configuration. In the end, if they cannot fix/prevent the leaks from happening, then draining and plugging is not solving that issue. For the life of me, I don’t know what else would cause such a noticeable list…
Honestly, given what you describe, it doesn’t seem like a weight distribution issue. So that would only really leave a leak and water getting into those pontoons. I can appreciate why everyone is stumped given the lack of significant water being drained out of them.
Since they got some water out, clearly there is a leak of some sort. So after draining, and testing, they can verify NO water left in the pontoons? Is there any chance that the way they are draining it isn’t getting at most of the water? For repairs, are they sending it to a skilled aluminum welder or just “giving it a go“ in house? I’m puzzled too given what you have shared.
As for the source of the leak, do some searches in the forums. There are some of us that have had a leak issue over the years, had them repaired, and haven’t had problems since.
There seems to be a coupe common causes. Our leak issue in 2020 was related to the welds along our port side performance foils. I think the most common source is weld points. For us, our port tubes were drilled, drained and plugs put in. Then they redid the wields along the entire performance foil and no problems since. The leaks were incredibly tiny pin-prick type leaks along the wield points. You would not have seen them at all if not for water draining out through them because the tube would fill up significantly past that point…so it would drain down to those wields when I put it up on its Sea Legs.
I think a couple others had some water getting in from the top of their tubes along the “M” brackets in an older model/configuration. In the end, if they cannot fix/prevent the leaks from happening, then draining and plugging is not solving that issue. For the life of me, I don’t know what else would cause such a noticeable list…
DVW
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I agree with reply above. Unless the dealer drilled six bottom drain holes it is very possible they did not get all of the water out. The deck is less than 3 inch's above the top vent/pressure test port. This makes it difficult to push a flexible tube down to the bottom of the toon. A flexible siphon tube will curl while a straight tube will kink. In the past I have resorted to drilling a access hole in the deck directly above the port. That works but drilling thru the floor hard to stomach.
@Vikingstaff thank you for the information. I had actually read through your post about your issue previously. I think that's how I realized the toons are compartmentalized.
I heard back from the dealer and they put a dual-battery in and think that helped 85-95%. I'm still not clear if that means there is one battery on port and one on starboard, or if they moved the battery from starboard to port and added another one. I haven't seen it yet to know if this indeed improved things.
Sounds like they are also going to replace the starboard toon since it obviously does leak but they can't locate the leaks. I guess we'll know for sure then if there was somehow more water hidden in there. Watch - then it will lean port-side
Great question and also one of my fears. How can you tell?
I assume that’s something the dealer or Bennington would have to check. I‘m guessing that they would use a laser and possibly a jig.
Vikingstaff
Moderator
Shhhh….don’t jinx it!I guess we'll know for sure then if there was somehow more water hidden in there. Watch - then it will lean port-side
Fingers crossed. Replacing toon, along with perhaps rebalancing with battery(s) certainly should do the trick.
Jack M
Moderator
In 2015 I waited a couple months for a replacement,2022 it was 9-10 months