Well in the minuscule hours I have logged as a boater (320 +/-) I finally did it.
I forgot to put in my drain plugs.
Here are the turn of events of why it happened and the effects it has had on my boat. I am in the highest hopes that
I will be able to fix my issues and get some help from the good folks on this forum.
Well as some of you know I own a 170cc and am an avid crabber.
This past Saturday I took her out to get an early start on finding my spot and dropping my traps.
I was at the ramp and getting the boat ready to launch when I noticed that my nav lights weren't working. I checked the bilge
and baitwell pump switches and all was fine. I figured I would wait to get the boat launched and then check the lights
(maybe the light were burned out I was thinking).
So as I am preparing I have several folks behind me adding pressure to get my boat in.
Boat gets launched. I tie her up and drive the trailer up to the lot. As I am getting the dog ready I realized that the drain plugs
weren't installed. I run down to the boat and it is swamped and the bilge pump is trying to pump the water out.
I install the plugs as water is filling up in the boat. I let the bilge do its work.
I check the nav lights and they come on, for about two seconds then they go off and the bilge pump goes off. I thought this
was weird because I still saw water in the boat.I really got myself in a pickle this time.
I decide to pull the boat and pull the plugs. It took more than five minutes to drain the boat.
During this time I am looking at all of wiring in my CC I can't seem to find a fuse box. One would have thought that a fuse
box would be installed with all of the electricity. Well you know what they say about assuming.
At this point none of my switches work. My bilge pump, baitwell pump, nav lights, and radio are inoperable.
However, my instrument lights are working. I relaunch the boat with the plugs installed because well, I want to go crabbing
and want to make sure she still starts.
She doesn't start I get a clicking sound. A man states "dry the battery. I did and waited 10 minutes and she starts up.
I let her idle for ten minutes and wait for the sun to come up so I can go without nav lights.
So I decided to still go crabbing but not go far and stay close to shore. I figure I have my pfd, flares and smokers and that I am no further then 100 yards from shore and had my anchor ready.. I may have been wrong in doing it but hey it was my decision.
So I am out for about 1 hour and I start idling over to a trap and hit my trim button and the engine cuts. I'm stranded in calm waters for about 5 minutes and she starts back up.
I was out for about 4 more hours without and problems.
I brought her home and the battery seems to be fully charged.
So I guess my question is What happened to my bilge, baitwell, nav lights and radio? I see that all the wires go under the boat. Did all the water short those devices or fry them? I suspect they are all on the same circuit. Like I said I could not find a fuse box. Am I going to have to replace all the switches and B.O.A.T?
And you can laugh and flame me all ya want I know I messed up.
Lessons learned:
-Don't rush yourself on the ramp even if you are feeling pressure from others.
-Ask for help.
-get another battery
- Don't turn on anything when the boat is swamped. But how to get away form this if the bilge pump turns on or I need the bilge pump (chicken and egg)
-try to find a way to waterproof battery.
- install fuse box if I can't find one already installed ( I don't think there is one)
but I learned a lot too. I also realized that a boat can fill with water VERY FAST.
Any other insight would be greatly appreciated especially how to fix the electronic issues.
~blue~
I forgot to put in my drain plugs.
Here are the turn of events of why it happened and the effects it has had on my boat. I am in the highest hopes that
I will be able to fix my issues and get some help from the good folks on this forum.
Well as some of you know I own a 170cc and am an avid crabber.
This past Saturday I took her out to get an early start on finding my spot and dropping my traps.
I was at the ramp and getting the boat ready to launch when I noticed that my nav lights weren't working. I checked the bilge
and baitwell pump switches and all was fine. I figured I would wait to get the boat launched and then check the lights
(maybe the light were burned out I was thinking).
So as I am preparing I have several folks behind me adding pressure to get my boat in.
Boat gets launched. I tie her up and drive the trailer up to the lot. As I am getting the dog ready I realized that the drain plugs
weren't installed. I run down to the boat and it is swamped and the bilge pump is trying to pump the water out.
I install the plugs as water is filling up in the boat. I let the bilge do its work.
I check the nav lights and they come on, for about two seconds then they go off and the bilge pump goes off. I thought this
was weird because I still saw water in the boat.I really got myself in a pickle this time.
I decide to pull the boat and pull the plugs. It took more than five minutes to drain the boat.
During this time I am looking at all of wiring in my CC I can't seem to find a fuse box. One would have thought that a fuse
box would be installed with all of the electricity. Well you know what they say about assuming.
At this point none of my switches work. My bilge pump, baitwell pump, nav lights, and radio are inoperable.
However, my instrument lights are working. I relaunch the boat with the plugs installed because well, I want to go crabbing
and want to make sure she still starts.
She doesn't start I get a clicking sound. A man states "dry the battery. I did and waited 10 minutes and she starts up.
I let her idle for ten minutes and wait for the sun to come up so I can go without nav lights.
So I decided to still go crabbing but not go far and stay close to shore. I figure I have my pfd, flares and smokers and that I am no further then 100 yards from shore and had my anchor ready.. I may have been wrong in doing it but hey it was my decision.
So I am out for about 1 hour and I start idling over to a trap and hit my trim button and the engine cuts. I'm stranded in calm waters for about 5 minutes and she starts back up.
I was out for about 4 more hours without and problems.
I brought her home and the battery seems to be fully charged.
So I guess my question is What happened to my bilge, baitwell, nav lights and radio? I see that all the wires go under the boat. Did all the water short those devices or fry them? I suspect they are all on the same circuit. Like I said I could not find a fuse box. Am I going to have to replace all the switches and B.O.A.T?
And you can laugh and flame me all ya want I know I messed up.
Lessons learned:
-Don't rush yourself on the ramp even if you are feeling pressure from others.
-Ask for help.
-get another battery
- Don't turn on anything when the boat is swamped. But how to get away form this if the bilge pump turns on or I need the bilge pump (chicken and egg)
-try to find a way to waterproof battery.
- install fuse box if I can't find one already installed ( I don't think there is one)
but I learned a lot too. I also realized that a boat can fill with water VERY FAST.
Any other insight would be greatly appreciated especially how to fix the electronic issues.
~blue~