High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

[Boats-A-lots]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

Well,.... You STILL gotta do annual Maintenance...

Which should include at least a visual Inspection of All the systems....

Always! And I thought I was doing it right! Like I said.. going back to school on this,

 

[QC]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

At the time I had no idea where the water was coming from. I headed for the shallows of the edge of the bay in case she went down.

This right here is worth discussion. Years ago on Lake Mead we were cruising along at a decent clip, two boats, side by side. My buddy in the other boat all of a sudden veered off course and headed at the same speed straight toward a nearby island. I thought his steering broke And he kept going and beached it. Turned out a coolant fitting broke. It had over the transom headers, and it was the connector that goes to the little stainless lines that cool each exhaust to header connection if I remember right. Very shallow, low freeboard boat, and filled fast. Point is, he didn't know what was happening, and shutting her off could've been a ride to the bottom even though shutting off would've been the prudent thing to do. Same thing with the OP, but that's with hindsight.

Thoughts on this particular Catch 22?

Edit: and yes, jgngrub, unsinkable solves this. Let's say we can't replace all of our boats as a factor.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

That is my worst nightmare! I am glad you guys made it back ok.

 

[NYBo]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

A lesson learned, and, almost as important, shared. Thanks for posting.:thumb:

Double hose clamps are usually seen on fuel lines, but are clearly useful on some water lines also.

 

[Boats-A-lots]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

This right here is worth discussion. Years ago on Lake Mead we were cruising along at a decent clip, two boats, side by side. My buddy in the other boat all of a sudden veered off course and headed at the same speed straight toward a nearby island. I thought his steering broke And he kept going and beached it. Turned out a coolant fitting broke. It had over the transom headers, and it was the connector that goes to the little stainless lines that cool each exhaust to header connection if I remember right. Very shallow, low freeboard boat, and filled fast. Point is, he didn't know what was happening, and shutting her off could've been a ride to the bottom even though shutting off would've been the prudent thing to do. Same thing with the OP, but that's with hindsight.

Thoughts on this particular Catch 22?

Edit: and yes, jgngrub, unsinkable solves this. Let's say we can't replace all of our boats as a factor.

Thinking back, in a panic situation... yeah, I would do the same thing. First thought was head for shallower waters while turning on my secondary pump. I didn't give it anymore throttle , just kept it the same. About 10 knotts maybe. I wasn't on a plan by any means. Had more water come in with out a doubt, I would have beached it. But it held its own (thankful for 2 pumps, or it would have sank Im sure).

My first thought wasn't if the motor running was causing the water coming in. I couldn't see where it was coming from, just seen water coming into the boat floor out of the engine compartment. Um.. yeah, I would do the same again.. Had I been in real deep water, I have my pails I would have had my son start bailing, while I got on the marine radio Ch 16.."Coast Guard, Coast guard this is..... "

But Iam curious, what would others had done.. not knowing it was the running that was causing the water coming in...

 

[Boats-A-lots]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

A lesson learned, and, almost as important, shared. Thanks for posting.:thumb:

Double hose clamps are usually seen on fuel lines, but are clearly useful on some water lines also.

So agree that anything that much of a safety issue, should not only have double camps on it,, but should not be connected at the back bottom side of the motor where you can't see it, or reach it easy.

 

[QC]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

should not be connected at the back bottom side of the motor where you can't see it, or reach it easy.

OK, you figure that one out and get back to us . . .

 

[Part-time]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

For one, I would have done the same thing, head for shore.

Just a question for those that might know...
With the engine off, would the impeller have stoped the water from coming in?
Because the disconected hose would have been below the water line.

 

[Bondo]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

For one, I would have done the same thing, head for shore.

Just a question for those that might know...
With the engine off, would the impeller have stoped the water from coming in?
Because the disconected hose would have been below the water line.

Ayuh,.... Odds are it might dribble, but No way it would flow Buckets...

 

[jigngrub]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

This right here is worth discussion. Years ago on Lake Mead we were cruising along at a decent clip, two boats, side by side. My buddy in the other boat all of a sudden veered off course and headed at the same speed straight toward a nearby island. I thought his steering broke And he kept going and beached it. Turned out a coolant fitting broke. It had over the transom headers, and it was the connector that goes to the little stainless lines that cool each exhaust to header connection if I remember right. Very shallow, low freeboard boat, and filled fast. Point is, he didn't know what was happening, and shutting her off could've been a ride to the bottom even though shutting off would've been the prudent thing to do. Same thing with the OP, but that's with hindsight.

Thoughts on this particular Catch 22?

I'd have done the same as the OP, head for shore and shallower water in case it was something else.
Being MOB in the cold north pacific waters this time of year can be deadly and bodily motor functions are lost quickly... the closer to shore you are the better off you'll be, but even then there's no guarantee of survival.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1xohI3B4Uc

Edit: and yes, jgngrub, unsinkable solves this. Let's say we can't replace all of our boats as a factor

You know as well as I do that there are a lot boats out there that're supposed to float when when swamped, but will sink to the bottom because of neglect.

There's also boats out there that don't have to float because of age or size that can be made to float for a fraction of the cost of a new one, I would justify the cost by deeming it as cheap life insurance.

If I was boating in those waters up there in a boat that wouldn't float, there would be an emergency life raft aboard my boat.... more cheap life insurance.

Depending on mechanical pumps that can fail without warning and batteries that can drain just doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

I HAD it happen to me.... I shut it down and fixed the leak... I had more notice tho because I always insist on my bilge pump discharge being on the side of the boat where it can be seen from the helm

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

Glad to hear you caught it before your boat sunk!!

What about something like this for forgetting the plug issue. I was thinking about how would you get that plug in easy or a spring loaded plug and came across this:

Bass Boat Solutions Drain Plug System

 

[Boats-A-lots]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

Interesting!! I'm one of these boaters that you see in the parking lot doing a pre inspection before I even get to the launch lane. Once in the lane I only have to unstrap, unplug the lights and ready. Once at the ramp I try and make it in the water in under 3 mins. Once at the dock (whom ever I'm boating with that day tugs the boat by hand to the furthest end of the dock away from boats launching. (while I park the Hummer and trailer).

Once I get back to the boat, the cowl comes off, I run the blower start the motor and let it run for 3 to 5 mins. If all looks well, I put the cowl back on, kick off and go boating. I've just always been anal about safety (or so I thought) about being on the water. I do maintenance on the boat every time I pull it out of the water and before I put it back in. My wife say's it's almost an obsession with me.

So, for this to happen as careful and check and recheck as I do, was a real shock to me. I never once thought about looking at the back bottom side of my engine to see if there was a connection back there that could cause not only a leak, but my boat to sink. There was one bilge pump in the boat when I bought it.. I installed a 2nd one. Had it not been for that 2nd one, I think it would have went under before I got back to the dock. Just being in shallow water could have help, but I think it would have went down. My thought was to raise the outdrive spin it around and beach it backwards. Had much more water came in, that's what I would have done.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

I've left my plug out more than once, running the speed boat, have had water coming through the lockers down in back(several gallons of water, like 100 or so), and you would be surprised at what can plug a hole to stop water from coming in. A rag, tin foil, the wax ring sure will do it too, but the quickest way to empty your boat, in unplanned situations like this (forgot plug) is to keep the the boat on plane and it will suck it out that plug quicker than you could imagine. Now if your engine is pumping the water into your boat like the guy who started the thread, no amount of speed will ever work, and bilge pumps may or may not do it either. I think you were right to go close to shore to finish your task of discovery. If one bilge pump is good then 2 must be better, I have 3, my main, a second one, up 3 inches, and finally a hand pump that I keep at all times on the boat.

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

Maybe you can tie a ribbon to the keys to be an extra reminder to check the plug? I am like you can always do the plug when I do the straps. Sometimes I do the plug before I even leave for the lake but not too often.