Help! My Boat Sank!
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8395
Printed Date: January-18-2025 at 2:33pm
Topic: Help! My Boat Sank!
Posted By: nautique99
Subject: Help! My Boat Sank!
Date Posted: September-14-2007 at 5:05pm
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Well, it finally happened. I returned to my 85' SN after 2 weeks away to find that I couldn't read ski nautique on the side of my boat anymore.
It was more than half way submurged in the bay I keep it in. After doing a lot of bailing and then letting the bilge do the rest, I got it floating again and found that the packing gland on the drive shaft went. Enough so that the battery died after what must have been endless bilging First the engine: Partially submerged up past the oil pan, fully above the transmission. Can they be cleaned/flushed out and used again or do I need to rebuild/replace? The hull: I have to imagine that since there was about 6 inches of water sitting above the floor that all the foam under the floor is holding water and ruined. Is it a difficult procedure to cut out the floor and foam and replace? Should I be concerned about the stringers? I'm very handy, is this something I can do myself. Also if anyone can recommend a repair facility on the east end of ong Island NY it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help... |
Replies:
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: September-14-2007 at 5:20pm
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Yikes. Your engine and tranny are probably salvagable if you dont run the boat and get the oils changed ASAP. Be sure to flush them several (5+) times. Its likely the starter will die an early death since its been submerged.
The floor is made with fiberglass, it wont hold water. If there were any cracks in the floor then its likely that water made it below the deck. However, with a boat that age, its pretty likely you already have some wet foam- especially if it stays in the water all the time. I say get the motor straightened out and take it from there. If you end up needing to do some floor/stringer repair, there are many threads on this site that can help you. ------------- |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: September-14-2007 at 5:53pm
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Salt water? do you have insurance? if you do see what they cover so the repairs get done properly, they should allow complete tear down of items and re-seal and possibly wire harnesses if affected, aint nothing worse than something that has been sank in the salt.
sorry to hear btw, dont be afraid to use your insurance..thats why you have it, Eric ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: Darrel
Date Posted: September-14-2007 at 6:04pm
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I would dump the oil in motor and trans once or twice, spray the starter with WD40 heavily. I doubt there is water in the cylinders but if there is you are going to have to pull the plugs and turn it over to pump it out. A nice squirt of marvel mystry oil in each cyl. Then run it hard to heat up the motor and evaporate the moisture. Then change the motor and trans oils again. Dont wait. Good luck. ------------- I'd rather have a drink on the rocks in the boat than have a boat on the rocks in the drink. Been there, done that, no bueno. |
Posted By: Tim D
Date Posted: September-14-2007 at 7:18pm
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Take the valve covers off and pour kerosene down both sides of the engine, it will push the water out. Then chase it out with oil. ------------- Tim D |
Posted By: stang72
Date Posted: September-15-2007 at 3:34am
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All others have offered good advise...I suggest move quickly and don't freak out just yet! Stringers will be fine ...it take years to rot! If there is soggy foam...remove it and dry things out...run some air(warm air heater)in the boat and like others have said...oil change and tranny fluid change. Starter may or may not recover. ------------- stang Face plants are not that funny when it's you face! http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/images/3720/photo1.jpg" rel="nofollow - The Super Air |
Posted By: 69 Mustang
Date Posted: September-15-2007 at 4:36am
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I'd do a pre-emptive strike on the starter - just get a new or rebuilt one if it is in the budget. Have the old one rebuilt by someone who does marine starters and keep it as a spare. ------------- For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong. "Where the **** are we?" Amelia Earhart. July 2, 1937 |
Posted By: stang72
Date Posted: September-15-2007 at 12:29pm
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As far as finding out if the foam is soaked....you will need to remove the carpet and remove the floor( usually screwed in)...once the floor is out , you can sample areas to see if water has entered the cavities between stringers etc...cut a small hole (size of a quarter or so)through the fiberglass that floor was over and probe with a screw driver (or what ever)...work it down to the hull...if there is soaked foam,it will be very noticable. Do the same in several locations...if it's not soaked , you can seal the openings back,put the floor back and be done! If you need to remove foam,there are bunches of posts on the subject...and yes it is a job you can tackle! BTW...if the floor is going to be replced...don't toss it away...use if to as a pattern for the new floor. ------------- stang Face plants are not that funny when it's you face! http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/images/3720/photo1.jpg" rel="nofollow - The Super Air |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: September-17-2007 at 12:35pm
Not in '85, I dont believe. That floor will be covered in fiberglass. The only way to check the foam would be to cut a hole. ------------- |
stang72 wrote:Posted By: stang72
Date Posted: September-17-2007 at 12:55pm
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Tim...yes that is what I am saying...must cut through the glass! I assumed there was a plywood floor over the glass like on earlier SN's...either way a hole is cut through the glass into the cavities to check the foam. ------------- stang Face plants are not that funny when it's you face! http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/images/3720/photo1.jpg" rel="nofollow - The Super Air |
Posted By: bchesley
Date Posted: September-17-2007 at 5:14pm
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No wood just glass over foam from motor back. The only wood is up at the seats in front so there is something to screw to. I reglassed my 83 and cant imagine that anything changed in a few years. ------------- 2001 SAN "Python Powered" |
Posted By: nautique99
Date Posted: September-17-2007 at 9:05pm
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Thank you to everyone who offered their help and expertise. I did change the fluids several times and started the motor without a problem and then changed the fluids again.
I'm getting the boat to a marina to have the motor and transmission checked out. I assume the starter will quit on me at some point but that's a relatively minor problem. The bay I ski in is brackish, so the salt isn't as tough as pure sea water, hopefully it's had a bit less of an effect. I'll deal with the floor and foam at a later date. Again many thanks to everyone for their help, I hope I can return the favor some day! |
Posted By: stang72
Date Posted: September-18-2007 at 1:23am
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On the earlier 70's boats (both my 72's)they glassed over everything with a chopper gun , but added a plywood floor over the top of the glassed in floor that is screwed in...are you saying that carpet is put on directly over the glass on the 2001 nautiques???
99...glad the thing is running...that's good news!Checking the foam can wait a bit, until you have time! If you get her back in the water and it runs the same top end etc...the foam may not have soaked...when foam takes on water it can add up to several hunderd pounds...it would feel like you have a few heavy passangers aboard! Perfomance loss is noticable because of the weight! ------------- stang Face plants are not that funny when it's you face! http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/images/3720/photo1.jpg" rel="nofollow - The Super Air |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: September-18-2007 at 11:20am
Yup, and my '90 is built the same way. The 1/8-1/4" glass is is laid on top of the foam, and the carpet goes directly over the glass. The only wood in the floor is between the motorbox and battery box and the removable panel behind the motor.  ------------- |
Posted By: farmer
Date Posted: September-20-2007 at 12:02am
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My '77 mustang17 is carpet over fiberglass,no plywood. |
Posted By: 79Tique
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 3:20am
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Anyone know if the 94 and newer boats with the composite stringers have any wood in them at all? ------------- Work to live, not live to work. |
Posted By: 63 Skier
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 4:17pm
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Even though you changed the oil a few times, Tim's suggestion of kerosene might still make sense. Using kerosene or engine flush will cut the oil/water gooey stuff (nice technical term there) that might still be in the engine. Oil alone is not good at combining with and removing the water/oil residue.
I sank one of my boats and had a lot of water in the oil, took these steps and its been fine since. ------------- '63 American Skier - '98 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 4:47pm
I dont think they have any wood in them at all. My uncle's '93 has composite seat bases. ------------- |