I am hoping someone can help. I have a 115hp 99 Johnson on my hydra sport. The engine has maybe 250 hours on it. I've used it several times this year no problem. Last trip I look down half way through the trip and the water pressure gauge is flat at zero. It was working earlier in the trip I know. No water out the pee hole. <br /><br />I am 10 miles from port 1 mile offshore. I make a slow run into the shallows for safety. No horns, engine feels cool. I then made a run to port thinking maybe the gauge is shot or the pee hole plugged. Just short of port the engine gurlges three times as if it is out of gas and dies. After that it will turn over but not start. <br /><br />Towed in at this point the engine is now cool. Hook up ear muffs and then tried to crank it, it will not crank over but sounds like it wants to start. <br /><br />Mechanic looks at it today. Says the water pump looks okay but had some sand in it? Says there is water on the plugs and I should check with Johnson about warranty. It is out of warranty, no question there. No other diagnosis. 1 other time last year the engine got hot when the intake of the water pump was blocked, it overheated and shut down but was fine after that. There was no warning, no light or beeping prior to the engine dying. All 4 lights come on and shut off after the self test when the key is turned. <br /><br />Basically it seems like the mechanic is saying the water pump and impellers are fine. Why then would I have no pressure, where is the pressure monitored and was this related to the engine cutting out. When the engine overheated or tripped the sensor previously it just shut right off, this time it gurgled to a halt. Could this be an electrical issue? As a side note I am now informed that a guest on my boat left a small book of charts up in the anchor compartment a week earlier. The chart is gone, presumably it slid back under the deck and is now in the bilge. Could this have caused a problem?<br /><br />Each year the boat is properly winterized by the mechanic. It had run well this year prior to this afternoon. All time is spent in salt, it is run with the muffs under fresh water for 10 minutes after each trip. <br /><br />I am a novice boater and web user. I am really desperate for ideas before I end up getting hit with a huge repair. First step is to hit a Johnson mechanic.
