Audiofn

Chris: This is NOT a rule unit. It uses no power at all. Just a float and the town water. It is not very efficient as you will use a LOT of town water but what would you rather do, clean up or just pay a high water bill

This is one example of one that I found.

http://www.aymcdonald.com/ProdList_P...p=95&sendCat=9

rdoactive

Oh yeah, and if you want a $10 solution to worrying about leaving your boat in the water, try this.
Buy a float switch for a bilge pump. Set it up higher in the bilge than your regular pump/switch. Wire it to your horn on the batteries separate from the bilge pump batteries.
If your boat takes on water, the bilge pump battery dies, etc...
the whole marina will know abou it right away.
My $0.02
Gary

Audiofn

Rdoacgive: Good solution but if the batteries are drained from the bilge pumps how does the horn work? You could just add a small battery for the horn...

rdoactive

I wrote:
"Wire it to your horn on the batteries separate from the bilge pump batteries."

But I guess that only applies to twin engine boats. Or triple engine Fountains?

Chris Sunkin

I missed the "hook up to water" thing!

We have some of those venturi pumps- they use air, not water. Work great but yes, they are terribly inefficient.

Audiofn

It's cool I guess non of us can read today

wananewboat

I had a friend that had a low sitting fountain that he had purchased used in NH from a dealer. It sank at his dock from water coming in at the rear rub rail that the dealer couldn't find after the boat had gone back two times for water.

The sad part was the boat had already sunk on the previous owner and the dealer never disclosed that. After a long court fight, my friend made out very well.

US1 Fountain

iTrader: (1)

Yeppers! I see this problem (water in the bilge, but from where?) come up every so often in the Fountain forum. Both my 27 and 32 leaked water at that rear joint. The 32 was more evident because the rub rail is in the water. Removed the rubrail, sealed the hull/deck joint with 5200. Dry as a bone now. Mine leaked sevaral gals an hr before I sealed it. The rest of the joint is FG'd from the inside making it water tight, but do to the swim platform, that joint is unaccessable from the inside, so Fountain uses a sealer on the outside. Problem is, they are very scarce in using the sealer.

Also, the bilge pump discharge thru hulls are right at the water level. Mine are looped to prevent water from rentering from the lakeside. That is an area to be looked at to make sure the loops are as high as possible.

And finally, the rear blower vents holes........
They are misleading. Those aren't just holes going into the bilge at near water level. They are tubes that go upwards right along the bottom of the gunwhale well above the water level. In fact, I'd have water entering the engine compartment from the hatch opening before water would be high enough to come up those vent tubes at enter the bilge.

On this particular sinking, I'd look close at the rub rail joint 1st providing all hoses and mechanicals are fine.
Just my thoughts.

bobonthis

The bilge hoses are looped because, yes it does sit very low in the rear being that it is a triple engine boat. Our money is also on the rub rail. That will be coming off and all the proper procedures will be done to seal it up. It has to come off anyways considering it was tore up from sitting on the bottom. This is where we will start and keep going from there. Thanks for everyones input and we are still doing our best to find the problem, but time is not on our side right now. We are getting ready for the Lake Cumberland Poker run and we just dont have time to work on the boat much. The good thing is the motors and mechanicals are fine.

JasonSmith

Matt, could the boat just have been hit by some big ass waves in the dock?