High water alarm VERY CLOSE CALL!!

Boats-A-lots said:

Only one thing I can think of has been as scary in my life other then what happened to me this past week end crabbing. I took my son and his girlfriend out crabbing, and as always I started my boat at the dock and inspect the engine compartment. All looked fine. We get out in the bay, and I noticed water coming up from the cuddy cabin floor drain hole. I lifted the engine cowl and it was full of water and just starting to over flow into the boat. I turned my back up pump on and headed for the shallow water, and followed it to the dock.

On my OMC, SeaSwirl there is a hose coming from the outdrive that looks like it connects to a check valve or something like that. Going to look it up in a min. Anyway, it's a 3/4 inch hose, with 1.. just one little hose clamp holding it on. It had slipped off some how and was filling the boat with water.. fast.. very fast.

I ordered a high water alarm and will not ever go boating again on my boat, or anyone else that doesn't have one on. When you think about it.. it just make sense to have one on your boat. (Other then just an auto pump).

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Boats-A-lots said:

Only one thing I can think of has been as scary in my life other then what happened to me this past week end crabbing. I took my son and his girlfriend out crabbing, and as always I started my boat at the dock and inspect the engine compartment. All looked fine. We get out in the bay, and I noticed water coming up from the cuddy cabin floor drain hole. I lifted the engine cowl and it was full of water and just starting to over flow into the boat. I turned my back up pump on and headed for the shallow water, and followed it to the dock.

On my OMC, SeaSwirl there is a hose coming from the outdrive that looks like it connects to a check valve or something like that. Going to look it up in a min. Anyway, it's a 3/4 inch hose, with 1.. just one little hose clamp holding it on. It had slipped off some how and was filling the boat with water.. fast.. very fast.

I ordered a high water alarm and will not ever go boating again on my boat, or anyone else that doesn't have one on. When you think about it.. it just make sense to have one on your boat. (Other then just an auto pump).

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MWG2600 said:

Could you not have stopped the engine and reconnected the water line? set the anchor if nessary

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chriscraft254 said:

Please let us know what line it was. All hoses should be routinely checked and double clamped as well. Its good you had a backup bilge pump, all boats should. People in general think a 1100 gph pump is going to keep up, generally they don't in a situation like this.

Your secondary and primary pump can both be put on high water alarms and they can also both be on float switches. The back up should be larger than the primary, kinda acts as a waste pump for emergency. But it does not have to be mounted that high, it could be mounted right next to the pprimary. Most mount them a couple inches up as to keep debris out of them because there not used often.

Thanks for posting, I thin alot of guys here run only one pump in there boats. Glad you made it in safe, keep us posted on what the leak came from please.

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5150abf said:

Similar situation got me to put an alarm on my second bilge pump, same as high water only wired directly to the pump, if it fires I get a screaming alarm and know now there is a problem.

I left my plug out and ran up a no wake channel for 10-15 minutes, we stop to fish and I notice water swirling in the rod locker, had my 2 buddies go to the bow of the boat while I got the plug in but the water was 1''-2'' from coming over the transom, it was really really close and I had the alarm on before I went out again.

Only heard it once since when I left the plug out again, way less dramatic that time.

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Boats-A-lots said:

My boat has a freshwater cooler, with heat exchanger. On the back of the engine (where it's hard to see and get to because of the exhaust risers) is a line coming in off the outdrive. There is a can looking thing the line goes into one end, and then connects to a hose at the other end. That line only HAD one hose clamp on it and it had come off.

As long as the engine was running, it was pumping water FAST into the boat. I mean VERY FAST. I truly believe had I not had a 2nd pump she would have went down before I got back to the dock. (Since I didn't understand where the water was coming from, I wouldn't have thought about shutting the engine off) I will look up what that line is called and post it.

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Bond-o said:

Ayuh,.... I already told ya what that line is,... It's the In-comin' Raw Water Line....

Who summerized yer boat,..??

Obviously is was done 1/2 azzed...

The P/S Cooler has to be Drained at winterization, 'n the line needs to be resecured durin' Summerization...

Btw,... 1 hose clamps is all that's supposed to be there, 'n it works just Fine, if it's properly positioned, 'n tightened...
'n,... As I said, just wire a $2. Buzzer in series with yer bilge pump, 'n you'll Have a water alarm...

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Bond-o said:

As I said, just wire a $2. Buzzer in series with yer bilge pump, 'n you'll Have a water alarm...

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180shabah said:

You want a parallel circuit here...

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Boats-A-lots said:

Yes, that is the line.. I was going to look for a picture or exploded view of it and post it..

Um.. winterize my boat??? Never have... never will. I use it year round. Ocean crabbing in the fall/winter, lakes and rivers summer. Thats the advantage of living so close to the pacific ocean.. you get to use your boat all year.

This line is so hidden behind the motor I never knew it was there.. I mean I knew it was somewhere.. but never saw it knowingly until the clamp came off.

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chriscraft254 said:

Please let us know what line it was. All hoses should be routinely checked and double clamped as well. Its good you had a backup bilge pump, all boats should. People in general think a 1100 gph pump is going to keep up, generally they don't in a situation like this.

Your secondary and primary pump can both be put on high water alarms and they can also both be on float switches. The back up should be larger than the primary, kinda acts as a waste pump for emergency. But it does not have to be mounted that high, it could be mounted right next to the pprimary. Most mount them a couple inches up as to keep debris out of them because there not used often.

Thanks for posting, I thin alot of guys here run only one pump in there boats. Glad you made it in safe, keep us posted on what the leak came from please.

Also good to carry something to plug holes, the coast gaurd carries something, just can't remember the name of it. A wax toilet seal I have heard works sometimes.

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