Boat Swamped in Storm - Next steps?

[YYC_Boater]

Help!

I have an old Imperial boat, a late 70s 15 foot open bow fiberglass trihull, that I just use for weekends on the lake and general fun. A storm rolled in on the lake this evening with little warning and by the time I got my trailer in the water it was impossible to load, the waves dragged it down the shoreline and completely swamped the boat. It sat on the shore getting pounded by waves and filled with water up to its cap for about an hour, after which I was able to hook up a water pump (pure luck a guy there had one) and drain it and get it up on the trailer.

So all told, complete submergence of the boat for about an hour, the outboard did not go under.

Could this awesome community provide me with some recommended next steps? The boat isn't worth much but i love it and use it regularly. It's sitting on the trailer now and I'll go through the wiring and will see if the motor survived as I expect it did. But what about the boat itself? There are a few gouges to the hull from rocks, as far as I can tell they are gel coat and not through the fiberglass, but the gel coat is chipping away where it got hammered. Should I be worried about the foam they used in this old boat above and below the floorboards? As for the electrical, anything I should do specifically? The only components I have other than the gear box is lighting and a bilge pump.

Really, she looks to be fine but that much water can't be good for any boat, even if it was just an hour. Any tips or next steps here would be greatly appreciated.

 

[racerone]

Get the motor running an hour ago.-----If water got inside the motor it can start corrosion damage in a few hours.

 

[Scott Danforth]

get the motor running ASAP

you may need to replace the wiring in the boat. maybe not now, however within a year it will all be corroded. they did not used tinned marine wire back then and the water will have wicked up the wire inside the insulation.

the boat is the least of your worries. your foam and wood in the boat was long ago wet (common issue with boats older than 15 years). it is just a lot wetter now

 

[Chris1956]

Freshwater is not usually a problem. Get the motor running and let her idle for 45 minutes to dry her out.

Let the rest of the boat drain and dry out. Electronics like depth finders and radios may have been damaged, but the engine and boat wiring harnesses should be fine. I expect the controls and control cables will be OK as well. If they get stiff, they will need replacement. Ditto on the steering cable.

 

[YYC_Boater]

Thank you! I'm going to try and get the motor running this morning, it's a 1978 Evinrude 55hp and has never failed me. The boat doesn't look as bad as it did when I was in full panic mode trying to drag it out of the water, but she is very wet.

The batteries were completely submerged obviously, do you think these are ok to use? My AGM trolling motor battery I would assume is fine, but the starting battery is a flooded marine type. Is there any risk to this type of battery?

This forum has been a big part of my life, although this is my first post, the search function has been amazing, so much unbelievably valuable information here from awesome people. Thank you again.

 

[Chris1956]

When the batteries fail, replace them. They are probably OK for now, as you are supposed to put fresh water in them occasionally. Hopefully the vents are small and kept the acid in.

 

[froggy1150]

When you try to start the motor pull the plugs,drain the oil,fill the oil,spray oil in the cylinders, crank with plugs out while relubing pistons, pull carb float bowl off and remove water, reassemble and then try to start. Run for awhile then drain oil and refill again. Run some more and drain that oil. If that oil doesnt show milk you are good. If it does .... do it again

 

[racerone]

Froggy----This is a 2 stroke motor.-----There is no oil sump to drain on this thing.------These motors can be submerged for weeks.------Then when recovered . they are exposed to air you have to get them running immediately if not sooner.---Or seek help to get the water out.-----Failure to do so will lead to searching for another motor.

 

[hugh g]

Everything under the floor will be wet & will never dry out. The topside of the deck may eventually dry out but the underside will eventually rot. If the deck is carpeted I would get rid of it. If you plan on keeping the boat plan on eventually replacing the floor, foam & possibly stringers. The chips in the gelcoat you can fill in with MarineTex if they're not too deep.

 

[YYC_Boater]

Thanks gents. I let her bake in the sun this morning and got her back in the lake to get the motor running asap as suggested. Fired up right away and idled for 45 mins, sounded as normal. Bilge was tossing about a cup every half hour, might be more than I remember but hard to say. Then I went to throw it in gear and it died and now turning the key does nothing. I'm guessing battery? Or battery cables? Pulled her out of the lake and will do some more work when I get her home in a few days.

I've considered pulling up the floorboards and inspecting the foam and stringers for quite some time, so perhaps this will be my fall project.

In the meantime, I'll report back with questions as I get the motor sorted.

 

[eSail]

If you feel comfortable to post some photos, folks could give you better advice.

I suggest you head to Homedepot / Lowes and buy a moisture meter. Start monitoring your varies surfaces for moisture and keep a log. It will tell you about the progress of moisture in each surface and area and thus help you plan a better remediation.

Not sure about your condition and climate but may want to invest in fans and dehumidifiers.

Airflow alone helps a lot. I like box fans, they are cheap with a high air flow.

If you want to prevent developing of mold in fabric / cushion, dry them fast.
While at Homedepot/Lowes grab a Concrobium Mold Control and a sprayer.
You can spray your fabric or carpet that you want to (keep and) protect from developing mold!


This product kills mold by mechanical crushing of molds while drying AND importantly leaves a barrier that makes it harder for mold to grow on the treated surfaces.
But drying any surface with organic matter content should be the first step to prevent mold growth.

wish you the best with the recovery.