Leaky boat

I have an older alumacraft trophy with an i/o. When i put it in the water it has a very small leak that sort of pees in by the motor. It leaks when the motor is running and not running so i dont think it is a motor problem. I dont know where to start to figure this out. Does anyone have any ideas or know a mechanic that deals with this kind of stuff that wont charge an arm and a leg. I appreciate any help you can offer me. I know nothing about boat repair but it is a great boat and worth fixing.

It is probably the boot that seals the I/O unit. They go bad and need replacing from time to time

. I know nothing about boat repair

Your kidding me right? Your Dad taught you everything he knows and you still know nothing

Being your boat has an inboard, I would run the motor and check to see that the motor is not leaking to start with. If it is not the motor it could be the livewell pump motors that have cracked or hoses that have come loose. An easy way to see where it is leaking is too fill the bottom of the boat up with water. Just get the water high enough that it can cover the actual hull’s width.

It sounds like it could be your shift cable or drive shaft bellows. These are the expandable rubber tubes that connect from your transom to the outdrive unit. It is not something you should put off. Water in the drive bellows leads to rusty u-joints and gimbal bearing. If it is your drive bellow yours are most likely rusty already. The easiest way to diagnose is to the pull the drive off. If the bellows are full of water you found your problem.