My boat is puzzling me. Here is the situation:

- At the start of the season, I put a new battery my boat, launched it from my trailer, and drove it briefly, then docked it at the slip.
- A week later I took it out, drove around, then the engine started smoking. I turned it off, and got towed. I took it out on the trailer and took it to my mechanic. He said that the alternator belt had been slipping, he replaced it. I took the boat back and it sat in my driveway for a week.
- Yesterday I launched it from the ramp again, and the battery was dead. And the bilge was full of water. So I pulled it out again and took it back home.

So I will recharge the new battery and try again. Question one is, why was the battery dead? Was it because the alternator belt was not working, then when I was sitting in the lake for two hours, the bilge pump flattened it? Then when it died the bilge filled with water?

But how could the mechanic be working on the belts, and not mention the bilge full of water? And not check that the battery was not flat? I should have checked the battery myself, but he is the mechanic. I guess I will charge the battery and try again, but I would like to be able to check that there is not something else that flattened the battery.

What kind of batteried. With it sitting after you charge it put a volt meter on the batteries. If it is lower then 12 volts you have a bad battery. I just got two bad batteries from Die Hard. Did he leave the battery switch on maybe? Have you been getting all the rain we have? Bilge pump could have killed the battery. How much water was in the bilge? I can have a bit in there before my pump comes on.

Thanks, it was a new marine battery. I am going to take it in tomorrow to the mechanic, he will recharge it and check it. I don't think I had any devices on, but I can't be certain. The bilge had water up to the middle of the oil pan, more than I would want to have. We had lots of rain, but it has a new cover.

Save the money you'd pay a mechanic and put it toward a battery charger.

Ya there is NO WAY you want water up that high! If you left the plug in my guess is that the battery got pulled dead with the rain? Mine did however do the EXACT same thing this spring and it was the bad batteries.

Some covers are not very water proof. Mine is old so it really is only good to keep stuff off and the sun away. Rain goes through it no problem.

I'm not sure I understand. You said that it was parked in your driveway for a week and filled up with water while it was out of the water on the trailer? Was the plug out? No battery switch? Yes your mechanic should have sent you away with a new belt and a fully charged battery.

Thanks for the input. The battery is now charged, and it appears that it got flattened by something being left on. So the remaining mystery is how it filled up with water. It is still raining, so the boat is still here, so we'll see whether it fills up again, if the cover is at fault. It is a new cover, how can it not keep the rain out? What are you supposed to do when the boat is in a slip, to keep the rain out? You can't use a tarp at the marina.

Is it a full cover or cockpit? I can get rain water in my bilge (heavy rain) through my side vents when I have only the cockpit cover on.

I think I know where the water is coming from too, you are right, it must be the vents. Today after a week in the driveway, the bilge was full of water again. I guess I need to cover the vents? Thanks for the suggestions.

I think on the trailer u should pull the plug and lift the boat in the front.
Water is not good IN THE BOAT !!!! If it finds a small crack it will rot all the core .

Just my 2 c