I have a 1998 18ft skeeter which is new to me and after fishing for a few hours and pull the drain plug several gallons drain out. That should not happen right? how does one determine where the leak is located? I checked the bottom of the boat for any obvious signs and it all checks out. any ideas would be helpful.

you can put some water in the boat while on the trailer with drain plug in and look for water leaking out around fittings.

Also could be the tube running to the speedo, a lot of them use water pressure and can break. Same if you have a water pressure gauge....

Thats a good idea. thank you. what is the speedo tube and where is that typically located?

Usually a rubber or plastic tube running from the speedo back to the transom, the speedo pickup is usually in the lower unit of the motor but sometimes is a seperate pickup screwed to the transom.

If you have to reseal a fitting don't use regular silicon sealer, it will lose it's seal over time. 3M 4200 sealer is best, 5200 works but is very permanant, can take gel coat with it if ever removed.

awesome! thank you so much!

No problem. If no leak is found another possibility is that a livewell pump may be leaking or the tube to the livewell or fitting could be leaking. If you have a built in ice chest they usually drain into the boat. My front livewell, if full, will splash water into the bottom of the boat.....

Does it leak more with livewell pumps running? I run a bait tank off my front livewell and run it constant with bait in the tank. I know I have a leak somewhere in the line to the front livewell because I run the bilge pump now and then but only when using the bait tank.

I just made a repair to my 96 Skeeter. The hose clamps to the livewell drains had rusted away and their wasn't a water tight connection. Causing a slow leak. You want to check to see if everything down there is clamped tight.

I have better luck removing what I need to so I can see, then putting the boat in the water at the ramp, turn pumps on and look at everything in the bilge, livewell pumps, valves and the bolts holding the motor on the transom. Had one that the livewell control valve had cracked from freezing and was leaking pretty good.