Topic: Don't let me boat sink! (Read 2372 times)

muahman · « **on:** December 07, 2009, 12:06:14 AM »

Figured an eye opening subject would help me get some readers.

New boater here. REAL new. Having some issues with an older 88 Champion Bass boat I purchased. I'm in it completely blind as there is no manual, service manual etc. Had the engine checked out, compression is fine, engine runs strong. Problem is i'm taking on water, a lot it. Luckily since it we were testing it out we were close to the dock and caught it before major problems occurred but it still filled the back area almost half way up the batteries. I thought maybe I was plugging the wrong hole on the transom. Here's some photos. Was wondering if I could get some basic stuff answered so I at least know where to start.

Even a little video of the water pouring out. It poured out like this for nearly 20 minutes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NcZDERWH3c

Anyway. I was plugging the middle threaded hole you see in the pic, with the water pouring out it. Seemed like common sense. Only plugging that hole the boat would fill rather quickly (this was all done at the dock on the trailer). So i tried plugging the lower right hole as well which didn't seem right. I'm assuming the one of the left with the screen is an inlet for the bilge. I do not know what the middle hole with the slotted rubber bushing on it is for.

Bilge, should there be an outlet ABOVE the water line somewhere for the bilge? When I turn the bilge on I can hear it running but no water is coming out anywhere that I can see. The bilge also tripped the breaker constantly so obviously that is part of the problem.

I don't know really where to start. I assume I was right the first time plugging only the middle bottom hole. Which baffles me because being my first boat I would think any holes below the water line would present problems and I have 4 of them down there. It sends like the bilge pump maybe directly under the battery tray and needs replacing, or re-wiring. Could I have hoses broken where I can't see them visibly?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Brian

fishinfranklin · « **Reply #1 on:** December 07, 2009, 12:16:44 AM »

..You can plug the boat back up and put a garden hose in the very back compartment and fill it up some and see where it runs out..bilge should pump out top back of boat,, should be a plastic outlet like by the drain plug for it to come out,,,had to look at it again THATS a lot of water and should not be hard to find by puttin water in.

muahman · « **Reply #2 on:** December 07, 2009, 12:24:41 AM »

Quote from: fishinfranklin on December 07, 2009, 12:16:44 AM

Looks like the live well pump screen is broke off if it is it may be leaking around it,, maybe just sealant barely hold pump in boat???..You can plug the boat back up and put a garden hose in the very back compartment and fill it up some and see where it runs out..bilge should pump out top back of boat,, should be a plastic outlet like by the drain plug for it to come out

Yeah, the bilge is definitely not working then as nothing is coming out of the top hole. The screen for the livewell I actually unscrewed just to make sure. Even if the bilge isn't working or currently running the boat should not be taking on water other than in the livewell area correct? Thanks again.

fishinfranklin · « **Reply #3 on:** December 07, 2009, 12:27:30 AM »

CORRECT!!!!!!!!!! Thats way too much water!! plug it back up in the yard and run some water in it you will see right where its come in and i bet fairly fast too!! We cant let that sweet little Champion sink.

fishinfranklin · « **Reply #4 on:** December 07, 2009, 12:31:56 AM »

Another thing that will leak really fast is the tubing going from the pump to the live well. if it is busted or has a loose connection it will hydraulically push water in the boat

muahman · « **Reply #5 on:** December 07, 2009, 12:36:20 AM »

Quote from: fishinfranklin on December 07, 2009, 12:27:30 AM

CORRECT!!!!!!!!!! Thats way too much water!! plug it back up in the yard and run some water in it you will see right where its come in and i bet fairly fast too!! We cant let that sweet little Champion sink.

So I will plug it up and run a hose to the boat. Any suggestions as to where to run the hose? Maybe put it in the livewell first. Then I should see ALL that water come out the screen livewell hole on the back? If I see water coming out of the bilge area that would mean a leaky hose or a leak somewhere in the livewell system?

fishinfranklin · « **Reply #6 on:** December 07, 2009, 12:47:13 AM »

Put the hose in the bilge area and fill it up some ,, then look for leaks,, if you dont see anything running out anywhere my next thing to look at would be the supply hose going from the pump in bilge area to the livewell ,, its a good thing you was paying attention an seen it an didnt get out on the water and have bigger problems.

muahman · « **Reply #7 on:** December 07, 2009, 12:52:45 AM »

Quote from: fishinfranklin on December 07, 2009, 12:47:13 AM

Put the hose in the bilge area and fill it up some ,, then look for leaks,, if you dont see anything running out anywhere my next thing to look at would be the supply hose going from the pump in bilge area to the livewell ,, its a good thing you was paying attention an seen it an didnt get out on the water and have bigger problems.

You are correct. Luckily even though it's my first boat I've heard enough stories to stay right by the dock on a used boat. It was about five minutes away from causing real problems with the electrical system... as in submerged batteries. I will definitely try that in the AM and report back. Thanks again!!

bassindago · « **Reply #8 on:** December 07, 2009, 11:30:02 AM »

i'v had an aerator break where it connect to the hose and it was just letting the water in. the aerator had become brittle and broke. i was'nt five minutes from leaving the dock and had to turn around, you might wanna check that also.

Lsmith500 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 07, 2009, 11:40:35 AM »

If you have an areator that the motor comes out for replacement you should make sure it is sealed. Almost sunk my Champ with that one

muahman · « **Reply #10 on:** December 07, 2009, 11:52:26 AM »

Quote from: Lsmith500 on December 07, 2009, 11:40:35 AM

If you have an areator that the motor comes out for replacement you should make sure it is sealed. Almost sunk my Champ with that one

Yeah it was pretty bad. A couple more minutes and the batteries and all the electrical would have been submerged and who knows what that would have done. Water was actually coming up through a vent in the floor and I'm still trying to figure out how water got in the side rod storage area compartments.

Lsmith500 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 07, 2009, 11:54:50 AM »

Quote from: muahman on December 07, 2009, 11:52:26 AM

Yeah it was pretty bad. A couple more minutes and the batteries and all the electrical would have been submerged and who knows what that would have done. Water was actually coming up through a vent in the floor and I'm still trying to figure out how water got in the side rod storage area compartments.

Champions have vents in the bottom, I'm sure that's wehre it came from

fishinfranklin · « **Reply #12 on:** December 07, 2009, 05:15:26 PM »

Yea it had a lot of water in it. After you get the leak found and repaired. You should get it under a shelter and leave all the compartments open. Amywhere you can open it up like the under the seats some champion's have access lids there and behind the rear livewell. And leave it opened up for a week or so to let all the moisture out possible. You want the foam in the hull to dry out.

Pro Reel · « **Reply #13 on:** December 07, 2009, 06:51:57 PM »

The floor drains will have water come up anytime there is that much water in the bilge area. The bilge area actually runs under the floor all the way to the front of the boat. You could have and actual leak through the hull but to take on that much water it would have to be a a hole and not just a small crack. You should be able to check most of the hull from under the trailer. You had the plug in the the correct hole the first time. That is the bilge drain. I would be willing to bet that you have busted pipes or hoses in your livewell system. You should have at least two pumps. One is the actual bilge pump that will pump out the water in the bilge. It should be visible in the lowest section of the back, probably behind the fuel tank. It hooks to a port on the side of the boat at the back. The port is usually just below the edge trim. That should not be your problem unless that part of the boat was underwater. You may still need a new pump if you cant get that one working. The other pump and sometimes two pumps are the aerators and drain pumps of the livewell system. The other holes you see in the back are connected to the livewell system. The one with the screen is the intake the others are livewell drains. It is very common for older boats to have busted livewell pipes and hoses under the floor for the livewell system. If the boat isn't drained properly, they will freeze and break during winter months. They could also just have old hoses or couplings that are broken. You should have a valve somewhere that changes the pumping system between fill and drain. You should also have a valve that opens the drain lines to the back holes. I would experiment with filling the livewell and see where the water comes out. You could also have a leak in the livewell tubs. Hind site is 20 20, but you never buy a boat that you have not tested on the water. If the pipes under the floor are busted, the repair might cost more than the boat is worth. The cap and floor have to be separated and foam has to be chiseled out. The piping has to be completely redone. I hope you get lucky and find something that is an easy fix. If all else fails, you can permanently plug all the holes except the bilge drain and then you would either not use the livewell or fill it manually and use a small aerator pump in the live.well

jstrozier · « **Reply #14 on:** December 08, 2009, 07:58:56 AM »

I am willing to bet it is your plumbing go to the livewell.......
I broke a connection in my 07 Skeeter in rough water and it dumped in. Nothing to stop it. Check the plumbing and get a working bilge

fishinfranklin · « **Reply #15 on:** December 08, 2009, 08:22:19 AM »

I don't think it will require removing the top cap of the boat to repair the plumbing. I replaced all the hoses on my 94 champion without a lot of trouble. Mine had a access hatch on the backside of the livewell.On my basswave i replaced the supply hose by taping the new to the old one an pulling it under the floor and it was about 6 foot long.

Pro Reel · « **Reply #16 on:** December 08, 2009, 08:50:00 AM »

Your right, every boat is different, and there may be tricks to snake some hoses through the floor. Mine had to be completly torn apart.

muahman · « **Reply #17 on:** December 08, 2009, 01:30:45 PM »

Hey guys. Just an update. Took the battery tray out and am going to the boat ramp with my mechanic to get to the bottom of this. I will be taking some pictures of what we find, what is wrong, and then pics when it's done. Hopefully this will help some other noob with their first boat.

This is how new to boating I am. I called the mechanic after he tuned up the engine because I could start it for an hour. He said, "are you pushing the key in? Because you have to do that, it's written on the choke handle but it's worn off". I said, "Whooops" Started right up.

So although I made a huge mistake not putting the boat in the water BEFORE buying it, better to learn that lesson a $2,500 dollar boat than a $25,000 boat. And although it's a major PITA trying to fix and learn all this on the fly it will only help when I upgrade to a new boat next year. Really my only regret so far is the lost fishing time.

bassindago · « **Reply #18 on:** December 09, 2009, 08:33:31 AM »

good luck maybe it will be simple. let us know how it turns out.

BassBUFF · « **Reply #19 on:** December 09, 2009, 01:58:15 PM »

Nothing like learning "trial by fire". But you will garner a ton of knowledge very quickly this way. You've got a good game plan and pics would be welcome to help other members when something similar occurs to them! Let us know how it goes and if we can help in any way.

-Bryan- · « **Reply #20 on:** December 09, 2009, 02:34:17 PM »

Quote from: Pro Reel on December 08, 2009, 08:50:00 AM

Your right, every boat is different, and there may be tricks to snake some hoses through the floor. Mine had to be completly torn apart.

Can you share what brand of boat you have? I want to make sure I never buy one of those.

I had a livewell pump gasket slip over the winter, just had to un-screw the two halves and center the gasket and it fixed the problem. Before I fixed it, I got a LOT of water in the bilge. I found the leak during a tourney when I had to use the LW pump. Bad time to find it, but all I did was keep an eye on the water level and use the Bilge Pump to keep up with it.

muahman · « **Reply #21 on:** December 13, 2009, 04:23:40 PM »

Oh my. Every hose, fitting, and pump had to be replaced. Uploading pics now. Had to have been awhile since this had been in the water. Bill was around $500 bucks. Actually got to fish Lake Osbourne this weekend for a few hours until the old Motor Guide trolling motor went. LOL They really are money pits aren't they.

So back to shore for some night crawler and just boated around 100 oscars, chilids, sunfish. Motor runs good now. Livewell pumps work, fish are getting air, and no more leaks. Once the trolling motor situation is corrected i'll be ready for my first tournament on Jan 2.

Thanks for the help,advice everyone.

javelin225ho · « **Reply #22 on:** December 17, 2009, 11:49:51 AM »

good deal man, those old motorguides were built right, i got a new one and it broke after 2 months....i have MinnKota now and will never go back...i had a livewell connection slip on me and my boat was taking water, but the bilge was handling it....i'll be replacing it all here in the future. now you know what is in the back of the boat, you should be able to pinpoint any problems with little effort.

fishinfranklin · « **Reply #23 on:** December 17, 2009, 11:57:08 AM »

Great !!! Glad you got it all sorted out and got out and fished some out of it. I too highly reccommend Minn Kota trolling motors.

tsmith35 · « **Reply #24 on:** December 17, 2009, 12:07:27 PM »

Quote from: muahman on December 13, 2009, 04:23:40 PM

Oh my. Every hose, fitting, and pump had to be replaced. Uploading pics now. Had to have been awhile since this had been in the water. Bill was around $500 bucks. Actually got to fish Lake Osbourne this weekend for a few hours until the old Motor Guide trolling motor went. LOL They really are money pits aren't they.

Where are the pics? I've gotta see how bad it was.

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Author Topic: Don't let me boat sink! (Read 2372 times)