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I have a 2009 16.5 ft Lowe FM and she is currently in a dock slip and has been all summer. Is it normal to have water in the bilge after a couple of weeks? I am assuming the water came from the rain we had almost 2 weeks ago, there were a few heavy downpours. I pump it out, and then I use the boat, and I don't take any on while out on the water. Should I be worried at all?
Also, my fish finder tends to lose it's reading while in motion. The transducer was mounted on the transom by either the Manufacturer or a technician at Orleans Boat World and it seems like it is where it should be based on the Manual for the FF. What causes this? Sometimes it will give me a ridiculous reading like 233 ft, and I know I am only in 15 feet of water. The transducer is level too.
I wouldn't worry about a bit of water.. especially if you are not getting any in when you are running..
As to the depth readings.. when you are in motion the boat and/or motor are disrupting the water flow introducing air, bubbles and general chaos:) The transducer give false reaings when it is forced to "look" through this disrupted water. While you can play with moving the transducer to other locations until the problem goes away, in my experiecne it is difficult to find a spot that totally eliminates the issue. If you think that you need the depth finder to help you avoid running aground, by the time you note a low water level you are likely alredy on top of it. (experience speaking). Better to take the time to reviewthe problem areas of the lake and turn load these iton the system if possibel and then turn the proximity alarm on.. or buy a fishfinder/GPS with the capabilty to add in lake specific maps.. these work great.
if you don't have an automatic/sensing bilge pump, then yep, would be normal to have some water in there...even with a cover on, it is possible that some will get through.
as for the fish finder...do you have the 'navman' fish finder? not that it really matters I guess, just curious 'cause I have the same boat (2007 instead of 2009)...and I have the same issue once in a while...it tends to be that the transducer moved, or because there is weeds on it..I've also had to re-tighten the transducer because it became quite loose so would move around.
I know you mentioned that yours is level when you check it, just figured I would thow in my experience..
I would agree with the 2 previous replies that the water in the bilge is nothing serious. However it sounds like your boat can sit in the water for extended periods unattended. I might look to change out the existing bilge pump for an automatic one just for peace of mind.
I would also try lowering your transducer in 1/8 inch increments and ensure that the trailing edge is slightly lower than the leading edge. This gives the best chance for smooth water flow over the transducer at speed. Also make sure your transducer is clean. I keep my boat in the St Lawrence and the slime builds up pretty quickly. A simple rub with hand usually does the trick.
First...all covers leak so water after rain is normal
Now for loosing bottom...welcome to boating.
You can try lowering the transducer and play with the sensitivity settings or even adjust th eping speed...it goes on and on.....just keep trying but you are not likely to get 100% bottom all of the time.
an automatic bilge will give you great piece of mind. I've heard of the float switches failing so i would recommend getting a bilge with a built in float. I have one and it has never let me down. they are $63 at CTC
Re: Erratic Readings - I had the same problem with an Eagle FF on my Princecraft 17.6. I replaced the old unit with a Hummingbird 898Si Combo expecting to experience the same erratic reading problem at speed. On the advice of a LeBaron's staff member, I installed 2 transducers, 1) the Si, Di one is about 4" above the bottom of the hull so that it is out of the water at speed and the"regular" transducer I mounted as per the installation manual specs. After a very short session of testing and adjustment, it provides accurate measurement at speed.
May I suggest you trail and error the vertical placement on the hull and the angle at which the transducer is relative to the bottom of the hull in it's current placement position. Start with the horizontal middle plane being at the bottom edge of your transom and adjust the angle relative to the bottom of the hull. If all possible angle and height adjustments do not result in success you might have to consider moving the transducer father away from the motor or away from rivets and such which might be causing flow interference along the hull bottom. You can eliminate your problem!
Sounds like the signal from the transducer may be interrupted at times and the demo mode kicks in for a second.
Clean the face of the transducer with mild soap and water as well as checking the transducer connection at the fish finder to make sure it is clean. Make sure the wire isn't broken (vermin like to chew them). My Humminbird connecter turned green with corrosion within 4 months of purchase even though they are supposed to be gold plated.
