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Help! Boat filled with rain water


Claire1000

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Unfortunately, I live in Texas and got used to life with no rain, so we haven't taken our plugs out when storing the boat. It rained really hard last weekend when I was out of town and I didn't even think about my boat. I went to get it ready to take out tomorrow and it had about 6" of water in it. Everything looks mostly okay, but is there anything particular I should check? Ug.

Claire

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6" of standing water on the floor?

I think 6" on a XTI I would worry about starter and batteries. If your batteries are in boxes you should've been okay, and they're mostly fine but I know once I had my battery under a crack in the seats that just channeled the rain onto it and ended up ruining the battery, the box it was in just helped the water collect even more.

but I know with that amount of water it can hurt the starter.

also, any amps or subs could've got damaged check those and might have to replace.

EDIT: you posted same time as me on the batteries and sub. amps underwater? could be a problem too.

also forgot to mention Welcome to the Crew! (sorry it's on these circumstances) :werule:

Edited by mnhays
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6" of water on floor wouldn't that mean there's water in the bow and nooks and crannies too? some incline draining is going to have to happen.

I was about to get back to my work at work and that concerned me. the floor isn't a sealed pool to fill up...

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If able take the stater off and blow out as much of the water as possible. Then spray a small amount of wd40 in the starter. If you have never done this before, get some help from a mechanic. The stater can be taken apart and cleaned dried and put back together, usually without damage. Good luck!

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Thanks guys for all the help. Should I go ahead and change the oil or is it sealed pretty good? Amps were fine and battery was dry so that's good news. I will work on the starter. Got it parked on a hill to drain the rest of the way.

Long time board stalker. =-) And I'm up in Waco. Our lake has largely been spared but got so low I hit my prop a few weeks ago. Quick repair and good as new.

Claire

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I would change the engine oil and tranny fluid. Clean the carpets and do not use the boat until it's entirely dried out and you can ensure there is no damage. If your starter was under water I agree replace it.

  • Like 1
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What about the alternator, would it have been water as well...? Not something you'll want to take off and replace right away but maybe worth hooking a voltmeter to once you get it started. Not a good thing for your steering cable either, probably plan to replace that sooner than later when the steering starts to get tight.

Edited by Ndawg12
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I'm so sorry about this and i really hope i am wrong.... but I'm concerned about the weight on the trailor. If it was really 6 inches above the floor then it was almost a foot dep when you include the bilge area.

I just did some quick math.... it is tough to calculate because of all the boat angles but this is my best guess and i could be off by quite a bit... it could be better or even worse... because parts are narrower, in some spots than others...

using some very rough estimates I'm gussing an average depth of 10 inches deep, times an average width of 60 inches times average length 240 inches = 144000 cubic inches of water

There is 231 cubic inches per gallon= 623 gallons

(1 gallon =8.3lbs)

623x8.3 =5174lbs

That means an extra 5174.lbs of water was on your trailor plus your boat itself that weighs about 3700 according the internet.. that means a total of almost 9000 lbs was on that trailor...

I think you need to check your whole trailer out very carefully....look for cracked welds bends in the metal and broken parts t tAlso check your trailer suspension, Bunk rails and supports very carefully... the extra weight of all that water could have damaged it.

Edited by tccombs
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Changed the oil and tranny fluid. Old stuff looked fine so that's good. Will inspect the trailer. Good tip. Sub is toast. No biggie. Amps are fine. Battery box actually was 1/2 full of water. It started and ran just fine though, but have been wanting to add a second battery anyway.

Will pay attention to steering cable tension and replace as needed.

Everything else dried out nicely and just needs another round of cleaning.

Long term I am worried about the starter and alternator.

How do I test the alternator?

Also, any tips on replacing the starter? That bugger is buried in there.

2004 xti monsoon 340 engine.

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I'd bet the starter & alternator will work until corrosion sets in. Give it a few months. Both can be rebuilt by a local shop, usually at a good quality & for a lot less than new.

I wouldn't worry about them for now. Use the boat till the end of your season. Plan on pulling both & taking them in over the winter.

  • Like 3
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1. Check why your bilge pump didn't come on

2. Call your insurance company and make a claim

Amen.

And no discussion about keeping the plug in causing the boat to fill with water is complete without this picture:

At least you found that the boat was full of water right away. This guy found out after it warmed up in the spring.

boatfullowater_zps75ee9f1d.jpg

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No, as soon as I saw it I drained it immediately. I was in a bit of panic mode and should have stopped and paid more attention to what was under water and what wasn't.

Can you fill it back up with a garden hose and take a pic so we can see what it kinda looked like?

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
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