maiden voyage - questions

[Big Wig]

Well, I took out my boat for the first time yesterday. For those who might have missed the thread, I recently bought a barely used Key West center console

My brother nd I put the boat in the Merrimac river in Salisbury, MA and ran it around for awhile. The boat runs awesome - 30mph no problem. Then we went out the mouth of the river and trolled for awhile. I got a striper and a bluefish and he caught a striper... good fun!

So anyway, the boat was mint except the scupper holes for the self-bailing cockpit seem to let a lot of water in and our feet were really wet. Is this normal?

After we pulled the boat out we went to a carwash 10 minutes away and throroughly washed the boat down. When I got home I hooked up the muffs and started the motor. I learned earlier yesterday that the motor won't pump water right away (thermostsat) so I made darn sure the muffs were in the right spot, cranked the water and let it run. In about a minute, the motor started pumping water. About a minute (or less) later, the boat started making a wicked buzzing noise like some kind of alarm! The motor was still pumping water and I checked the oil and it was almost full. What would this be? I shut it off right away but when I re-started it, the buzzing was still there... I'm totally freaked! What really stinks is that I didn't get to flush it for long - I hope my motor is OK.

Can someone help me out?

Thank you
Jay

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: maiden voyage - questions

Nice boat!

Where was the buzzing coming from? Was it a steady buzz, or intermittant.

As for the scuppers, you either need to get the ball-type, or use plugs from the inside when not underway.

Also, that hydrofoil on the motor could hurt your performance; a set of trim tabs is a much better way to improve planing and handling.​

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: maiden voyage - questions

Here's a picture of the ball-scupper valve. They seal completely when you're at rest.

 

[Big Wig]

Re: maiden voyage - questions

Thanks Studlymandigo!

It was a steady buzzing coming from the console.

The ball scupper valves seem like the ticket - I'll look into that.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: maiden voyage - questions

you may be running hot, the pee stream, should start almost immediately, the stream is the indicator the impeller is pumping, not a sign the thermostat is opening and cooling the engine. may be time for an water pump service. especially if you don't know when done.

 

[Big Wig]

Re: maiden voyage - questions

OK, thanks. That's a drag. It worked great all night when it was in the water.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: maiden voyage - questions

An impeller change is easy, and it's something you should do as part of your annual maintainence; many will say you don't have to do it that often, but for me it's cheap insurance and peace of mind.​

 

[Big Wig]

Re: maiden voyage - questions

I talked to a mechanic at the dealership where I bought my boat. He suspected that my water pressure was too weak or the muffs weren't tight enough. I used a different hose (less tendency to kink) and squeezed the muffs to tighten them up. I started the engine and the pee stream began almost immediately. I ran it for several minutes with no problem at all. I think it's OK!

I will definitely look into changing the impeller before next season.

Thanks again
Jay

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: maiden voyage - questions

Congrats! The mouth of the Merrimac can get nasty eh? That can be a challenging spot at times.