WATER, WATER AND MORE WATER. Transom leak at exhaust, Please Help.

[covertcombatant]

So it doesn't seem to be leaking from the heater. Might go get 5/8 heater hose plugs and just plug it anyway.
Under the drivers feet is where there is quite a bit of water. When I push on the floor under the black plastic tray, you can hear water. Carpet almost up to the front of the bow is wet. Nothing on the side is wet up the wall.

[Jetlink]

Is your bilge hose all intact? I know it sounds like a silly question but that area is below where the bilge hose is routed. Also, if you have wet carpet under the helm side of the ski locker divider, that foam goes all the way up to where the chines start from the bow and run down below the floor. That is usually where a bunch of water will pool in the foam and just sit there and fester because it has nowhere to go.

[covertcombatant]

I did check the bilge hose when I was under there and saw it. I laughed cause it would have been funny If it was that easy. But it's me and nothing could be that simple. Going to take it back to the launch ramp in a little bit and see if I leave it at a steep angle if that water drains that way. I'm wondering if it filled with water when the previous owner had it. And it's just stuck up there. I'm hoping that's the case and I will maybe put a 3 inch hole under the bow and suck all the water out. I don't know what to think right now.

[2500HD]

A couple of other thoughts are the caulking between the cap and hull as well as the bow loop for tie down on the trailer. I had a boat that the loop was not tight and it let in a surprising amount of water.

[Jetlink]

Good luck sucking up any water with a wet vac. You could spend months applying suction and still not get it all out. The only way to remove water from foam is to remove said foam. Sorry if that is not what you were hoping to hear but that is most likely the case.

[covertcombatant]

Thanks 2500 I will check that when I get home.

Jetlink, I had a sneaky suspicion that was the case. I'm just really surprised by the amount of water in the boat with what seems like no rot anywhere. Everything feels pretty damn solid as far as the floors and the stringers. So I don't know if the problem is recent or has been there for awhile. Thanks for all your help.
Is there any chance that the exhaust can leak from where it connects to the pipe that runs under the floor? Is that solid or is there connectors under the floor that can fail?

[Jetlink]

I'm just really surprised by the amount of water in the boat with what seems like no rot anywhere. Everything feels pretty damn solid as far as the floors and the stringers.

I'll stop you right there. There is rot, the problem is that the very thing that caused the rot is also masking it right now. If I were to bet, your floor feels solid because it was either redone, just the floor or you are walking on rotted wood that is now being supported by the water logged foam. Do your engine bolts tighten into your stringers?

[covertcombatant]

Motor mounts "seem" solid. You can torque down on them and it bites into the wood. Same with the transmission mounts and the gas tank straps. Everything has been sealed with some sort of caulking or epoxy where the bolts go in to the wood. I bought this from the original owner and have the original purchase receipt from the Los Angeles boat show in 1988. He never mentioned of the floors being redone, I'm going to call him today and ask.

[K_Dubbs]

Did you find the leak? If not take the boat out have some fun let it fill up. Do not pull the plug or run the bilge(if you fixed that yet) Dry the outside of the hull and wait until you find the smoking gun. First suspicion is check all the running gear. If after some time it does not reveal itself it is coming from inside the boat I.e. exhaust manifolds, water pump heater..... good luck keep us posted

[Salty87]

Temperature of the water will tell you if it's coming in from the lake or engine/exhaust. You could also fire it up on the hose and see if the level gets higher. If it's not the exhaust then it's the lake otherwise the engine would pump water into the main bilge channel. Do you have flaps or traps on the transom? The platform brackets on a comp are probably below the floor level. Check the brackets to see if they're attached to the transom solid or if they're a little loose.

As to removing the water, unfortunately your foam is never going to let all of it go. The foam isn't a solid block filling all of the space under the floor. There are voids and depressions that will trap some of it. The foam doesn't stay closed-cell forever, too. At this point try to suck as much out as you can. You could drill holes in the stringers but neither of these options will get all of it.

It sucks but it's rare to have an old Supra that doesn't eventually need new stringers. You could get years of use before you need to face that situation.