Oil in Bilges

I inspected a boat a few days ago and noticed that there was oil in the forward cabin bilge area. Quite a surprise and a good find so I turned off the forward bilge pump automatic float switch and went to work to determine where the leak was coming from.

Using a paper towel, I dipped it into the bilge, removed it and inspected the towel – the oil was for the most part, clean but mixed with a little bit of old engine oil.

Was the oil changed recently and someone was just sloppy and not cleaned up? Well, I had to find out what was going on.

A mechanic was in the engine room inspecting and testing the engines and told me that he also saw an oil leak under the port engine. I asked him if the oil was clean or dirty – he said “dirty, how could it be clean?”

So now we have the ingredients of a mystery, this will be interesting I thought to myself. So I went back to the forward bilge and lo and behold, the level of oil and water in the bilge had risen.

OK, back to the mechanic asking him how much was leaking, “Just a little”. Alright, this is getting interesting – the engine is leaking when it is operating and oil is accumulating in the forward bilge – more clean oil than dirty.

The buyer is now worried, the mechanic is saying that the engine may need to be removed from the engine room to repair. The selling broker and the seller’s representative are worried and I want to figure out what’s going on. Mechanic takes oil samples and leaves.

I check the engine oil levels – they are OK, a little low but no medium or large leak happening. Conversations about buying or not buying the boat are starting.  Fear, uncertainty and doubt are raising their heads with the buyer.

I get into the engine room and notice that when more than two people are on the port side of the boat, clean oil is leaking from the outside (outboard) stringer and running slowly into the bilge. So it didn’t have anything to do with the engine operating or not. Strange, maybe there was an container leaking somewhere aft so I inspect the aft port engine room and sure enough six, one gallon oil containers were stored and stacked up on one another. One of the bottom containers was cracked and leaking from its moving around when the boat was underway.

So the leak was found and spilled oil cleaned up. Case closed, now I could get onto the rest of the boat which is another subject I’ll write on. Plenty of electrical issues.

So, whatever you do, don’t store containers of oil (or anything else for that matter) in your bilge unless it is secured from any movement and have some kind of chafe and / or cushioning protection around and under them like absorbent pads or similar.

Pumping oil overboard (intentionally or unintentionally) is a state and federal offense that carries big fines and is terrible for the environment. Keep oil absorbent pads in your bilges.

Speaking of the oil pads, I was on a boat last week that had so many oil pads that they actually covered the bilge pump float switches. So there was no way that the bilge pump float switch could operate. And, the bilge was full of water up to the cabin sole – scary stuff. Owner was surprised as I was. He had an oil leak and instead of getting it fixed, he kept on throwing oil pads down into the bilge. Interesting.

Take a look in your bilges every time you’re aboard – you may find an oil leak, debris, high water, lost pen, wrenches, gold doubloons, or who knows what else. Keep the bilges clean and clear.

While you’re at it, install high water bilge alarms – they could save your boat.