Boat taking on water
 

I went to the boat this morning and the auto bilge failed. Engine compartment filled with water to the level of the bottom engine pulley. Engines won't even attempt to start. Is there something like a circuit breaker reset? How do I get this started. I do have battery power. This is an active thunder w/ 450's. Thanks

if the starters are under water you may be shorting out when trying to start....either get the boat to of the water and drain it or get a portable pump in there and pump out the water asap

Batteries dead? Bilge may have ran enough to kill them

Water is pumped out (manual bilge pump works). Batteries hav a charge. Water has now been pumped out about 90 min now.

This is supposed to be for a 496 Mag, not sure it will be the same for the 450s
[IMG]http://i1342.photobucket.com/albums/...pswqdtpo3n.jpg[/IMG]

On my 496 master breaker was on the transom. On my 260 it was on the throttle/shift cable plate. Never had to change one or the breakers on the starters.

Do the gauges move when you turn it from "off" to "run"?

Gauges do move. All electrical system seem functional. It is almost like a kill switch was been tripped. I don't know if this boat has one (this is my 2nd time on it). I've looked for some sort of reset switch, have not found one yet. I found a leak between the bottom of the drive and the transom. Will 4200 work to patch this (under water?).

Normally the words "patch" and "boat" don't play well together. Might fix the problem (momentarily), but how well are you going to sleep thinking about your boat sinking? A starter under water usually means "done".. Good luck with the fix.

If it was a starter, would it at least try to start?

Ah the joys of learning a new/old boat - Turns out the gear shift cables are misaligned and although they appeared in neutral they were not in neutral...hence, absolutely no attempt to start the engines.

used some 4200 to temporarily patch my leak until I can pull the boat, unfortunately my trailer is locked up and I can't get it till monday. Ironically the leak almost stopped with the drives down, it is with them up that I had issues.

I'm off to install a new float switch on the bilge so water will be pumped out before accumulating.

So it is safe to say you totally ignored my advice to hire a marine surveyor before you bought this boat.

If it leaking with drives up or turned. It probably the bellows

Shift cable boot or driveshaft bellow.

Is it in salt or fresh water?

did he already post somethings rotted with boat ??? rotted transom and or bad transom seal - also possible tear in the u joint bellows.

Some men you just can't reach, which is the way he wants it. Well he he gets it, a sinking boat.:poopoo:

like I said - if you are asking about a water leak ?

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/g...stringers.html

Before someone gives you a nickname like Scott Sunkin, I think you'd better bite the bullet and get that boat off to a good shop. Have that leak investigated (silicone is an emergency repair to get the boat home) get another opinion on that transom and have someone check your issues with overheating.

It may cost you a bit, but spending money now can save you money further down the track. You knew when you bought it you could have to throw some money into it, and you were right!

Good luck
RR

Is this thread for real?

Padraig

Get. That boat out of water asap!!!

Yup, and the other 20 or so threads he's started recently.

sounds like a project boat and should of, would of and could of but did not.

bet the rotted transom is pouring water in like a sieve causing even more problems and money on top of.

did Darr buy a boat.:D

Lol you guys are brutal.









Brutally honest :whistle:

Yes this boat was purchased knowing it had a bad transom and likely stringers, this was also reflected in the cost. I did not neglect advise on a survey, I pretty much assumed the worst news a survey could deliver (and a survey is only as good as your surveyor and those seem hard to find).

Anyways, outside of water the transom was/is strong. In water there is a leak at the bottom of the outdrive (probably one of the softest spots on the transom) and it becomes a very slow leak with the drive down (the drives had to come up after being docked which is when the leak started and we were already packing up so it went unnoticed). Solution, put the drive down.

The other related issue here, the automatic sump pump failed. I had a replacement sump & float pre-purchased to install as soon as I got the boat, but I didn't get to it fast enough...these were installed tonight and the bilge has remained dry.

Plan had always been to throw this boat in the water and see where it stands.. Ideally it can be used gingerly this year and then sent off to have the back cut off and replaced off season. I want to use this at least until my other boat gets out of the shop.

So, first day out on a "new" boat is always an adventure. Although there were some moments of panic, I found the challenge entertaining (as I do your comments LOL!).

Is it leaking through the transom or is it a bad lower shift cable boot or bellows boot? Both of those will leak worse with the drive up.

Like I said before in your other thread.

If the transom is that soft that the transom plate is pushing through the transom at the bottom and causing leaking ,you will smoke the couplers with in hours.

Did you trim the drives down and bounce on them like I had mentioned?

Hope you got that boat for a song if it is that soft already .

Either way, you knew all that when purchasing the boat, meaning you could have surprises! So as you said, use it and see where it stands, but make sure you dont rip off the drive with a part of transom because it is soft, and make sure it does not go down for a bigger of a leak you think there is, and enjoy the boat for what it is right now, and do the big job this winter!


Its all good!!!

So you get a cheap boat that's rotten, not just a rotten hatch or something but the guts/foundation/core of the boat, and you still purchase it and people tell you the fix is not going to be simple and will result in an expensive boat which defeated your whole purpose of getting it in the first place and now it's taking on water...good grief.

I'm sorry I'm negative on your threads, most of us have been in this sport much of our lives, we sort of know the problems good boats have let alone project boats or boats with major issues. It's like purchasing a house that termites have sawn in half and you're going move the grand piano in and see how it does until it starts to fall through the floor and you ask if a 2x4 or 2x10 is the proper support for it and after the structural work is done the kitchen appliances start to break and you get 'em fixed and then the 2nd floor bathroom leaks into the kitchen then that water flows over to the floor under the grand piano and rots it out and it starts to fall through the floor again taking the new kitchen and bathroom with it. That's pretty much life with a project boat IMO.

Good luck, maybe it's just a broken bellows, which is not fun to replace but that transom...

Man.....id be deleting all this evedince from this and previous threads. If and WHEN your boat sinks and your insurance man is googling 32 active thunder to find comps. there's a decent chance he may stumble across your threads of stupidity, neglect, and even history of the boat not being all that structurally sound from the day the policy was opened.

This is all assuming you've got insurance? I know most companies require a current survey for boats of this vintage to cover their asses on situations just like this.
To protect people from themselves.

Sorry to say it dude but you're one of those people that reads " CAUTION CONTENTS OF CUP IS EXTREMELY HOT " but still wonder why when you spill coffee on your dick it gets burned.

Good luck man !!!!!

Relax people, he already said he was going to repair it.... I'm sure he's just waiting for that Nigerian prince to receive his postal money order and process the lottery claim. These things take time! Gee whiz.

Hopefully Scott has really thick skin, because when you come on here and state you just bought a boat with a HOLE in it, then ask "Why is it sinking?", you are in for a ride......

The Prince promised me first. My first call will be to Dan at OL for a nice little SV of some type, then I'll start to worry about which Viking model I'm going to order.

Man you guys are being hard on him, He doesn't seem like an idiot that just wants to go boating, he knows what he bought, knows what work its going to need and bought it at the "right price".

Atleast he's keeping an eye on it, how many boats are out there and people have no clue about there soft transom, yet load it full of people? How many of these boats go out in a lot bigger water then what's in MN with these soft transom?

All these negative comments are what are killing this sport and driving people away from it.

Agree with the above ^^^^ The op has himself a bit of a project and he new it when he handed over the cash.

Scott, take the advice and get this thing looked at. You might be sitting on a couple of minor repairs or it could be a potential disaster. If it's the latter, you'd better find out quickly.

BTW, I kinda like the cynical comments, they keep me from going insane. Hope Scooter doesn't take them too seriously.:)

RR

If you read my opening question in this thread it has nothing to do with the transom, it asks about starting engines and the possibility of there being a breaker that was keeping both from starting (first step to getting this out of the water is being able to move it).

On topic of a soft transom, haven't we beat this one to death? In some of my other threads I have stated the problem is known and will be getting fixed off season. Before even putting this in water I did my best to jump up and down on the drives looking for movement, when none was detected I decided to put it in the water. We also learned in those threads that a very high % of boats 15-20+ years also have bad transoms that people just are not aware of. I do not believe this is a highly unusual situation...have you checked your transom today? :D

I'm starting to understand the tone of this forum/site and I do have thick skin when appropriate. It does however get to be a bit difficult to respond when comments tend to drift off topic.

Deleting the evidence of these questions cracks me up, that is a guilty and negligent move if I ever heard of one. First, you cannot delete from the internet, you may be able to fool yourself into thinking you can, and good luck with that. Secondly, all of these questions are being asked in order to learn how best to deal with a given situation, the intent is to reach out for expert advise and act on it where applicable. You can also see in one of my other threads that yes, the boat is insured.

Let's face it, any boat 15-20 yrs old is, was or probably should be a "project" boat....there are exceptions so you don't have to call these out for me.

The vision I have is that by this time next year, the transom/stringers are replaced and this is of no concern....but i know there will be a "next thing" shortly thereafter that will need to be addressed.

I do understand I tend to approach things in a manner often different from others, however I would like to believe there is a method to my madness.

Well, it's time to walk out to the dock and see what's in store for today. I'm kinda bummed out the local west marine doesn't even carry sea pump rebuild kits because I was looking to rebuild my first today, thankfully I can get one faster from amazon.

So keep it coming, please try hard to be a bit more positive, but if it isn't possible, so be it, I still want to hear your feedback.

$135,000 25' Colbalts, an aging demographic, and weak middle class are killing the sport.

His boat almost sank, that's a pretty big deal. He said he was going to drive around a boat with known structural issues...that has the potential of not ending well.

I don't wish ill of the guy, it just seems a strange way to go about your first boat with issues. We need people like him in the sport, project boats are a way of life now with all these aging boats, but be safe about it. In the end it's all about leaving and returning to the dock safely.

Maybe I'd have gone about it a bit different but you're in it now Scott...best of luck and check that bellows.

I gotta believe it's a given that he is thick skinned . Being he is Thickheaded not listening to people telling him to not buy the boat to begin with.

To each his own.

I Have done my fair share of stupid purchases in my lifetime also, many of them being boats.

We don't know the purchase price of the AT.
That said, just because the boat needs some rot repair, doesn't make it a fools buy. If any boat with a soft transom and/or stringers was non viable, there would be very few boats around.

I bet there is a very large number of boats in service with soft transoms and bad stringers and the owners think they are solid.
The OP's boat looks to be a good start and, if he doesn't get run off, he may just keep at it and bring it back to "like new" condition.

Or its people buying 15-20yr old boats that need work coming on here asking for help and getting blasted that is killing our sport.

If you have read any of his other threads he knew what he was getting himself into, I would hardly say engine up to the bottom of the crank pulley is almost sinking. Standing in a foot of water is almost sinking, I have done!!!!

I have looked at plenty of boats that need transom repairs, I have bought a few of them, and have turned into good investments, Yes I said boat and investment in the same word, just don't tell the water gods!!

Cummon, give this guy a break. He is one of the most entertaining posters this summer. Including his Avatar, Attitude and Acquisitions.
Scott keep up the good work!