URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

[Flemith]

Well, I went on vacation and came back to find out my boat sunk in a storm from my neighbour at the lake.
I already know what I'm going to do about the motor. I just need some help with how I should get the boat out of the water. There will be an abundance of people out at the lake this weekend to help. Also, the spot where it sunk is about 3-4 feet deep.

Thanks in advance.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

what type boat? aluminum dingy, or 25 foot cuddy. makes a big difference. is it docked on out on a mooring?

 

[Flemith]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

what type boat? aluminum dingy, or 25 foot cuddy. makes a big difference. is it docked on out on a mooring?

It's a 14' fiberglass boat from the 50's/60's.
It was tied up to my dock before it was sunk, I haven't been able to see it yet. It's mostly sand where it sunk but my lake is very rocky. I fear there might have been a rock underneath it when it sunk that could have possibly punctured the hull.

 

[Bondo]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

Ayuh,... You might have to drag it up to the shore,..
But either way,...
Bring a Big Pump with you to pump out the water in the hull...

 

[Flemith]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

Ayuh,... You might have to drag it up to the shore,..
But either way,...
Bring a Big Pump with you to pump out the water in the hull...

There's no way it'll be coming up the shore unless I want rocks to penetrate the hull.
My father likes bailing the water out of the boat by hand. I don't have a pump.
I will have about 10 people at my disposal this weekend, and a bottle jack i could use as well.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

well, you cetainly have your work cut out for you. Mechanical devices work best in these instances. Good luck with manpower!

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

Bottle jack?
You will put the jack under the boat??
If so...umm would not the jack go through the hull?? More so than a rock dragging against it?

 

[Flemith]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

Bottle jack?
You will put the jack under the boat??
If so...umm would not the jack go through the hull?? More so than a rock dragging against it?

Theres a motor mount on the back of the boat that I don't use, I'd put it under that with a 2x4 or 2x6 in between.

 

[abj87]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

first things first is to dry out the engine!!!!!

 

[wca_tim]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

I suppose this is an argument for flotation foam? and definately not trying to be a smart alec!

At least it's a small boat. There's one that sank at the doc near one of the places I boat that they obviously didn't know what to do with so it has sat there for a couple years now (ca. 30 foot).

I don't see how the bottle jack is going to help. Have you called a local marina? never know what they might (or might not) be able to do.

If the motor is not too heavy and you think you can do it, I might take it off and work on it on a stand while you think about the rest. the loss of weight will make the other easier to deal with also.

 

[Mark42]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

Seeing as it's a 14' fiberglass boat from the 60's, it probably only weighs about 600 lbs without the outboard. I would bring about 6 or 8 2x4's and enough people to man them as levers to try to raise the boat to the surface. Then bailing might get it to float. Could also try using cinder blocks or jack stands to help prop it up as it is raised.

Or, get a few sheets of plywood, a some 3 or 4" pvc pipe and some rope. Use the 4x4 to start dragging the boat out of the water, and put the pvc pipe down as a set of "tracks" to drag it on to protect it from the bottom.

There are a number of solutions, you just have to find the one that works for you.

 

[Bondo]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

I don't have a pump.

Ayuh,... Buy, Rent, or Borrow a Sump Pump...

You only have to raise the hull far enough to Stop the water from pouring in,...
Then pump it out....

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

i agree with bondo, lowes and home depot rent them. raise the bow first, that way water will go over the transom.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

It sounds from your description that the gunwhales are at or near the surface of the water. If you have a boat you can tow with, hook a line to the bow eye of your boat and slowly tow it out. It will intantly rise to the surface and water will start pouring out the back. Enough water will pour out that it should float. You need to pump out the rest. Did this all the time when I worked for Sea Tow, works like a charm.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

 

[highN'dry]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

Leave it there and get another boat?

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

use a 4 x 8 piece of plywood and drag the boat up on it on shore to finish pumping it out

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

If you can get your hands on a bunch of old truck inner tubes, you may be able to float it to a point where the rails are out of water. Pulling the engine off of it first might make that easier.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

I saw them pump 45,000 ping pong balls into a boat on mythbusters and it made it float.

Seriously. If its a little boat a pump may be the best answer. For a larger vessle rent some airbags and slings. An airbag on each side with a sling between will bring her up. Then pump it out once the gunnels are at or above the waterline.

 

[Bass Tracker TX17]

Re: URGENT! Boat Sunk, Help Please!

I think mark 42 has the most viable solution.

If you have that amount of help then block it up.

Don't know how big a motor you have but removing it could be a big help.

3 to 4 feet of water means the hull is not that far under.

I will tell you that a buddy of mine got a friends boat back floating by using
another boat as a winch platform.

He got a 10' length of 4x4 and put a trailer winch and pulley on it and stuck it about a foot over the end of his bow. used it to get the boat to the surface and they bailed it out. he sat on the winch end as he cranked. I didn't see this take place but it sounded like it made it way easier.

just a thought.........