Why are my feet getting wet??

[Clams Canino]

A couple seasons ago we had the PM-1 up in Maine on the Sebago/Songo River/Brandy Pond/Long Lake waterways.<br /><br />As I recall it was still at that time powered by my '62 Merc 1000, which was a little underpowered for a 16' Four Winns with 4 adults and 2 kids on board.<br /><br />So anyway we went to the very end of Long Lake for pizza and beer at the little store and then pulled out the tube. 1st victim was Charlies wife Lisa who was the lightest adult.<br /><br />To make a long story short, we had trouble getting her going and had to pull the plug to get any rainwater out in order to get lighter. We succeeded and Lisa got a good ride, but we decided that the load was too much for the bigger people. So we began to head back to the other end slowly...<br /><br />We were all pretty tired and Charlie fell asleep kind of sitting on the drink cooler.. All of a sudden I hear him yelp "Why are my FEET getting wet?!"<br /><br />Needless to say the plug had come out (in?) and we had taken on a whole lot of water. The bilge was full, the battery was submerged, and the water was beginning to wash over the floorboards (wetting Charlies feet). A quick peek in the ski-locker revealed that we had the worlds first runnabout with a built in indoor swimming pool. All we needed to be a cartoon was for a fish to look up at us.<br /><br />I held my breath and got the plug back in. We could only proceed at trolling speed. There was no bilge pump. The van and trailer were not parked at Long Lake, they were parked at Casco bay on Sebago. We'd *never* hope to get to the locks by closing time - ie trapped in Long lake for the night.<br /><br />We finaly got to the Long Lake causeway and Charlie had to hitchhike to the Van and drive it to over to Naples to pull the boat out. We had to pull it out of the water in stages as the water drained out. Even after it was all the way out, the water drained for 20 minutes....<br /><br />I bought a bilge pump that week and perma-plugged the drain hole.<br /><br />-W

 

[Maximerc]

Re: Why are my feet getting wet??

Man I hate it when that happens !! <br /><br />I guy that bought my old outboard told me that he had/ had a I/O the freeze plugs popped out . all day long he kept thinking ..boy the boat seems to be getting slowerer and slower ! Well it was every time he started the engine the water pump did its job ! Said it took two hours to get the boat on the trailer and another 30 to get it all drained !<br /><br />Hey at least you had a inner tube to hold onto !!

 

[Mercury140-I6]

Re: Why are my feet getting wet??

I was at Oroville Lake near Chico, CA. We were skiing and then before going in, we desided to go down an arm of the lake that skiing wasn't allowed, because of the lake being as low as it was. About a mile or so down we came apon a 17'er that had the engine hatch open, so I stopped and asked if they needed help. They said that this was the first time they have had the boat out on 8 years and the heater hose was rotten and filled up the bildge with water. Well, I took one of them back to the marina Very fast and then while he got his smaller and slower boat to tow the 17'er in, I went back and started to tow it to give him a head start. Never know, I might be in that situation someday and wouold love to have someone come along and help me, so I'll keep helping others.<br /><br />Craig

 

[blot101]

Re: Why are my feet getting wet??

yeah, when you get in that situation, there will be nobody. kharma be darned. i know.... it's just how things go....

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: Why are my feet getting wet??

should have left the plug out and floored it and slowly had the passengers walk forward to get up to plaining speed...most of the water would have come out..

 

[HappierWet]

Re: Why are my feet getting wet??

should have left the plug out and floored it and slowly had the passengers walk forward to get up to plaining speed...most of the water would have come out..

depends on power to weight ratio. if it was underpowered to begin with then loaded to near capacity with people.......then a few hundred pounds more water..........I dunno, being an armchair quarterback is easy, taking a chance out in the field with other people's well being ......maybe not so easy. Least this way they got safe.....slow, but safe.

 

[coolguy147]

Re: Why are my feet getting wet??

what if u bilge pump fails!!!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Why are my feet getting wet??

even if you're not on a plane I would think that forward motion with the plug out will drain rather than fill the bilge; just be ready to pop it back in before you stop forward motion.
Live and learn. And fix the bilge pump!

 

[HappierWet]

Re: Why are my feet getting wet??

I think that if the water is deeper outside the hull than it is inside the hull then water is going to flow into the hull, but it's not an experiment I want to try......maybe MYTHBUSTERS

 

[Kracken]

Re: Why are my feet getting wet??

I boat up there several times a year. Nice place. Great story