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Hello,

I have a 1996 Crownline with the Bravo One outdrive. The boat is
taking on water when I'm just sitting on the lake. The water is not
coming from the engine. I have been trying to keep an eye on what
conditions the boat takes on the most water and it seems like when the
lake is calm and the boat isn't rocking much, it takes on very little
or no water. However when it gets rougher and the back of the boat
starts rocking more, quite a bit of water comes in. My exhaust
bellows had a hole in it, so I just took the boat to a mechanic and
got all three bellows replaced and I'm still getting a leak. When I'm
cruising and there is no water pressure against the outdrive/transom
area, no water leaks. On this boat, I have the Captains Call exhaust
with the choice of through-hull or through the outdrive for the
exhaust. I also have trim tabs installed as well. I am looking for
suggestions as to what may be leaking, or where specifically to look.
This has been really bothering me and I'd like to get it fixed before
it causes bigger problems.

Could it be a leak where the trim tab hoses come through the hull?
Seems like they are at the right level where they are out of the water
when it's calm, but submerged when I have a few people sitting on the
back of the boat in rougher water. Or is this not likely?

Any help is appreciated.


You need to approach this from a different angle, literally. If water leaks
into the bilge from a specific location, there's a better than average
chance it will leak back out at the same location. The following assumes
you have the ability to put the boat on a trailer or to remove it from lake
by some other means such as a hydro-hoist. With the drain plug installed,
fill the bilge with water from a garden hose. You will need to temporarily
disable any automatic bilge pumps. Fill the bilge as high as possible
without involving the starter or any other electrical components in the
bilge. You should be able to see water trickling down the outside of the
transom. The source of the trickle is your leak. Common leaks include the
drain plug itself (or in its attachment to the transom), any number of
internal outdrive parts, and the transom seal. The transom seal is between
the gimbal housing and the transom.