Sunk boat need help

Darren b

Seaman
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
61
hey guys you guys helped me out alot in the spring, with helping me rebuild my floor and transom and install a 91 mercruiser 3.0 into my 89 17' invader. it ran very good all summer, and the boat is in great shape for an 89, then today i went to camp to pull the boat out of the water andwinterize the motor i look at my boat and see my boat 80% sunk, i could not belive my eyes. The motor was completley under the water and the steering wheel was just touching the water. Anyways after 8 hours my father and i rigged the boat up enough to pump and bail the water out. I got the boat on a trailer at the camp. I pulled the plugs and turned the motor over (wated blew out) and put some oil in cylinders. Tomorrow i am going to see if it will fire up. I will have to run a temp gas tank. Seeing mine is full of water. If you guys have any advice on this it would help out alot. I don't even know if the boat is still useable with all that water saturated in the floor and so on. Also with ghe gas tank under my (new floor) how can i pump all that water out of there? Thanks for all the help guys
 
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Dogdave

Seaman
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
65
Re: Sunk boat need help

Wow! First how fir it sink? As tor tbr engine I would pull the plugs and pour atf down the carb and in the cylinders . I have flooded a couple jeep engines but never a boat engine. Turn the thing over a lot. Fill back up with fresh oil again and repeat. As for the boat when I started the rebuild on mine (that had water in the tank) I drained the tank with an electric fuel pump then pulled it out and let I sit upside down in my heated shop
 

Capt Ken

Commander
Joined
Jul 30, 2002
Messages
2,269
Re: Sunk boat need help

If a boat lives long enough, it will sink at some point. The first question is, saltwater or fresh? If salt water, you have 48 hours to get it running. Fresh water, you have longer. Drain oil, remove plugs and spin the water out, remove carb and just turn upside down and shake the water out for now. Remove distributor cap, blow water out and spray the heck out of it with WD40. Then put everything back together with new plugs, use starting fluid and get the engine running. I doubt you got much water in the fuel tank unless the cap doesn't seal. Very little water can get down the vent tube.
 

Darren b

Seaman
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
61
Re: Sunk boat need help

I am pretty sure is was a big rain storm that did it, It could of been under for as long as 4-5 days. I had the cover on but rain still gets in a bit. it was a fresh water lake also. is there any way to leave the tank in and suck as much out as possible, there must be some sort of trick to leave the tank in and get it dry. thanks
 

Darren b

Seaman
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
61
Re: Sunk boat need help

my last ride the gauge read 1/4 tank, now it reads 3/4. again it was fresh water. thanks
 

Darren b

Seaman
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
61
Re: Sunk boat need help

what about the boat itself. Is it ruined
 
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dingdongs

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
649
Re: Sunk boat need help

remove cap and leads and if you have access to compressed air i would be blasting the alternatow and all solinoids out too.drain oil and replace if water is in sump youll have a soup in no time.pull rocker cover off too and see if there is water there before attempting the start process.
 

stonyloam

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 13, 2009
Messages
5,827
Re: Sunk boat need help

what about the boat itself. is it ruined?

I would think not. It is not that unusual for a boat to get some water in it you just got a little more than usual. Mine has filled to at least the floor a couple of times. Get her under cover, tilt it so the water drains out the transom drain, and remove the floor panels if you can and let it dry out. If you can get the engine running you are a long way to salvaging the day. Good luck. OH! An automatic bilge pump might be a good investment, but you have probably figured that out by now.;)
 

Darren b

Seaman
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
61
Re: Sunk boat need help

well I got the motor running. ( on a temp gas tank), let it idle for 3/4 hour, changed the oil twice, still will need another oil change. this weekend I am going to put it in the lake and see how it runs. I want to get at top speed reading and compare it to my last ride 39 mph on the gps. i want to see if i lost any speed do to water logging. I pumped all the gas and water i could out of the gas tank, but i know there is still alittle water in the tank. i am thinking of just filling the tank up with high test gas and see how it runs. any ideas on how to get more water out of the gas tank? thanks
 

fat fanny

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Feb 9, 2006
Messages
1,935
Re: Sunk boat need help

Siphon or use a transfer pump why waste mixing good fuel with contaminated.I would suggest to check any other points where water may have enter your rig concentrating on the transom area I know you said you weren't covered very well and there were storms but why chance it. Good luck
 

wayno77

Recruit
Joined
Oct 23, 2012
Messages
2
Re: Sunk boat need help

hey guys you guys helped me out alot in the spring, with helping me rebuild my floor and transom and install a 91 mercruiser 3.0 into my 89 17' invader. it ran very good all summer, and the boat is in great shape for an 89, then today i went to camp to pull the boat out of the water and winterize the motor, I look at my dock and I see my boat 80% sunk, I could not belive my eyes. the motor was completly underthe water and the under side of the steering wheel was just touching the water. anyways after 8 hours my father and i rigged the boat out of the water enough to pump and bail the water out. I got the boat on a trailer at my camp. I pulled the plugs and turned the motor over(water blew out) and put some oil in cylinders, tomorrow I am going to see If I can fire it up, I will have to run a temp gas tank, seeing mine is full of water. if you guys have any advice on this it would help out alot, I don't even know if the boat is still useable with all that water saturated in the floor and so on.also with the gas tank under my (new floor) how can I pump all the water out of there? thanks for the help guys

Hope it wasnt salt water. Sounds like you did everything right, get the water out of the carb. make sure all oil and water out of cylinders, dry out dist. cap, she will start right up and run fine. I do alot of sunk boats on Lake Mead. We get them running right away. Biggest problem is if they sink on a beach and fill up with sand, doesnt sound liike the problem in your case.
 

Darren b

Seaman
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
61
Re: Sunk boat need help

thanks guys for the help,It was not salt water, i will reply after I get her on the lake again.thanks
 

Toypirate

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
31
Re: Sunk boat need help

Sorry bout the bad experiance. I'd like to help by suggesting inspecting for future corrosion issues that may occure like disconnecting any so called water tight connections at the motor and trim pump and drying them out as well as applying some sort of protectant on them, wd-40 or even contact cleaner, also look under the helm for more connections there. you may also want to pressure wash everything as soon as possible to reduce stains including electrical components, just be sure to dry, clean and protect any exposed metal connections afterwards. if winter is on its way you may want to seek out climate controled storage, but be sure to check on her a few times just to show you care. Hopfully next season she'll be in great health.
 

Maclin

Admiral
Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
6,761
Re: Sunk boat need help

I did not see any mention of the starter/relay/bendix. Odds are it has begun a slow death spiral from internal rusting. Just be expecting that it will fail soon, just my advice/opinion.
 

Stamey

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 7, 2010
Messages
286
Re: Sunk boat need help

As for residual water you cannot suck out of the fuel tank, use gas line anti-freeze. It is made for situations where there is water in the fuel, just not a lot of water.

Chris
 

fat fanny

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Feb 9, 2006
Messages
1,935
Re: Sunk boat need help

One other thought is to place a dehumidifier on the deck of your rig for a few days that is if it's in the garage it would help some to collect some of the moisture.
 

fishrdan

Admiral
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
6,989
Re: Sunk boat need help

The transom assy has a vent hole into the Ujoint bellows, which probably let water into the Ujoint bellows with the boat sunk for 4-5 days. I'd pull the drive and see if there is water present in the Ujoint bellows, also lube the gimble bearing well to drive out any water that could have seeped in.

Probably a good idea to check your tilt/trim reservoir for water contamination too. Same thing if the boat has power steering. Any electrical connectors that were submerged should be removed and blown out.

The alternator and starter will be ruined unless you pull them apart, clean/dry and relube, or just replace them. Even if they are working now, the moisture trapped inside will kill them in eventually.
 
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