scary... boat started to fill with water today

[ready2]

My wife, son and I were out today on the boat on local lake. Been out a couple of times already this season. Launch like normal today... however after fishing for about 5hrs noticed some water coming into boat near the back of boat, wasn't too concerned because it wasn't flowing or gushing in... Fished a little longer, finally decided to start motor and move again. Upon putting it in 3/4 throttle I noticed more water started to rush in. Scared put it in full throttle moving toward shore... more water rushed in. Wife suggested slowing down, did so and the water stopped...

Got to shore safe, thankfully without sinking (good thinking on wife part). Drained water from drain plug... lots of water.
So my question is what the heck went wrong this time?

No problems launching or cruising the lake full throttle in the past...

My hunch is
1. need new drain plug (it is pretty old)
2. motor is too low or too high

Boat is either a 85 Rinker
Manual tilt on the motor (adjust motor by hand)
No bilge pump

Any help or suggestion is appreciated it.
Close one today....

Ready2

 

[the vision]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

Try a new plug. And for Heavens sake get a bilge pump!!!!!

 

[DBreskin]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

If everything is working properly, you should be able to operate the boat on plane WITHOUT the plug. If water is coming in when you're on plane something is definitely wrong.

If your transom is damaged/broken, the force of the engine pushing against it may open a gap. When you slow down and stop the force, the gap closes and less water comes in. Try pushing down on the skeg while the boat is on the trailer and see if there's any movement in the transom.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

If your plug is on the transom water won't rush in under power, as a matter of fact it will drain from your plug if the plug is bad.

You can pull the bilge plug in a boat while under power and all the water will drain out of the boat.

Get a bilge pump, or even 2 and start looking for your leak. I would guess your boat has a half arse patch on it somewhere that has failed and is causing the boat to leak while under power.

 

[foodfisher]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

Pitot hose connected?

 

[Maclin]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

Does the boat have live wells?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

sounds like a leaking/broken seacock valve on a through hull for livewell/wash downdown, and/or broekn hose or similar connection to same. Not the plug.

ETA I take that back. Someone posted a while back about an old boat with the plug on the hull (floor) and not the transom. What a dumb idea. Might be that. OP where is your plug?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

Take a look at this thread R2.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=543698

 

[sublauxation]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

Did more water actually rush in or was it just moving to the back of the boat as the bow went up when under way?

A couple weeks ago while out a friend's boat started filling up. His live well overflowed because the timer stuck on.

 

[Ike-110722]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

old boat with the plug on the hull (floor) and not the transom.

Not necessarily. There are boat drains that use the boats forward motion (venturi effect) to drain the bilge. They are usually mounted through the hull at some low point. They are opened only when the boat is moving and closed before the boat stops. They are common on small sail boats and I have seen them a few times on small outboards. They work well. But you have to remember to close the valve be for the boat stops. I have never seen one with a ball type check valve which would prevent water from coming in when the boat isn't underway.

As for the posters problem, I would suspect a leak somewhere forward that is forcing water in when the boat starts moving.

Also you have learned a valuable lesson. Boats are built to keep the water where it belongs, outside the hull. If you notice water when it is not normally there, something is wrong. Do not ignore it. To many people have had to be rescued because of this. Water inside the boat is not a good thing and should never be ignored. Also I concur, get a bilge pump. A big one. Make sure it is wired directly to power. If you have a battery switch you want the bilge pump to still be on when the switch is turned off. In other words you always want it in the on position so that any water that trips the float switch, starts the pump.

 

[ready2]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

thanks for suggestion. Yes will for sure get a pump

 

[ready2]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

Thanks for all the replies. yes definitely will get a pump.

 

[ready2]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

It's on the bottom of the Transom

 

[ready2]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

actually rushed in when boat started moving. no livewell

 

[ready2]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

In addition to getting the pump. Should I replace the whole drain plug system? I suspect that is or part of the problem as it looks old... (will post a picture). Or should I leave that to the professionals? and if by myself is there links that shows me how? thanks

ready2

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

Define where it rushed in from? There actually could have been water in the hull and when you went faster it rushed towards the stern. It could have been residual from improper storage.

Make sure you have the bow of the boat up as high as possible (on the trailer) and remove the drain plug.

 

[pootnic]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

I agree with this last statement.
Water was probably laying flat in your boat and as you gave it throttle,it just looked like it was rushing in.Should of left some of the water in the boat(with plug),put it on your trailer and try to see where it would leak(seep) out.Could be in the bow for all we know.

 

[saxrulez]

Re: scary... boat started to fill with water today

I agree with this last statement.
Water was probably laying flat in your boat and as you gave it throttle,it just looked like it was rushing in.Should of left some of the water in the boat(with plug),put it on your trailer and try to see where it would leak(seep) out.Could be in the bow for all we know.

The way you are describing it, I would suspect one of 2 things.

A) Transom is flexing under load(rotten) and is letting water rush in very quickly.
B) You have water sitting in the boat hull from somewhere else and when on the throttle all of the water is rushing towards the back of the boat.

I would definitely inspect the transom thoroughly and try the above idea.