Decisions-decisions

     Here is an opportunity for all armchair quarterbacks to critique.
we had the boat on an unfamiliar lake for the weekend. had been docked and run without incident Friday and Saturday, Sunday my 16 year old is out by himself and phones me from the far side of the lake (1 mile at least from me), to inform me he has water nearly up to the floor, just turned on the bilge but it does not seem to be lowering the water level. At this moment one does not think about politics, policy or religion (well maybe prayer), I never even considered government intervention (911).I had 2 goals,first, save the boy, second save the boat(somewhat at odds with each other). My son is strong, somewhat reliable and capable. He drives the boat better than I do. He states he checked under the engine cover before he left and all was OK, and denies hitting anything. He has tools including pipe wrenches. I inform him to 1) Put on a life jacket if he is not wearing one 2) get boat in shallow water, but not beached. 3) continue to run bilge pump. 4)pull inspection cover and feal for leakage aroung prop shaft packing (most likely culprit in my mind). 5) scan shore for a boat ramp. Then call me back. I think I did ok to this point.
    I recieve the call a few minutes later that bilge pump has been slightly effective but just barely keeping up. He cannot feel leakage around the prop shaft. No boat ramp in site on his side of the lake. Here is where we had to make a decision on what to do. I thought about having him beach it but I knew that could create a nightmere as the boat continued to fill with water. I believed with the bilge pump somewhat improving the situation odds were with us to make a quick trip across the lake, but that involved potential sinking in deep water, although the boat does have its original foam. As another option he could circle the shoreline back for safety but greatly increasing time and distance on the water.I deduced that water intake might increase while underway. We chose the straight trip, and I beat cheeks to get the truck and trailer to the ramp.
    The odds were apparently with us and we got it on the trialer without incident. Two more boats showed up at the one place ramp as we finished draining it so I never got it back in the water to find the leak.
     I am happy with the results but am concerned with the lesson to my son about acceptable risks. What was the right thing to do?

Most importantly, you got your boy...and boat back. Does it have a plug in the stern? A friend had a situation not unlike yours, he pulled the plug while running bilge and accelerated across the lake. After about 10 minutes there was very little water in the bilge and he was able to get the plug back in. He could then see that a exaust hose had a bad leak. I know the thought of pulling the plug makes mine pucker up too, but in this case it saved the boat.

pulling the plug in the nautique on plane will not help at all as all the water will be in the back of the boat..and eventually when you stop you will sink as it will start taking water again....
so did you find the leak?

I vote leaky/disconnected water hose of some sort.

Gotta agree with the oledawg...he used one of my favorite sayings.
I vote exhaust hose too.

Hey Luciano...hows business? And Maite? Hope all is well. Did Kapla ever tell you I talked to him on the phone?

john

I got a chance to take a pic. Did I mention it was a three hour tour.

I had an outboard back in the early 80's and it had the plug in the stern with no bilge pump. If you got to much water in it you could pull the plug, drive at a speed that put the bow in the air and all the water would travel to the rear and out the plug. The void of the wake behind the boat would allow the water to drain out.

It pays to ask, The boat came with only two rings, so that is what I put back in, I had recently tightened it because of some pretty significant water flow. I will fix it up before it goes back for the water test. Thanks.