Peck Posted July 27, 2021 Report Share Posted July 27, 2021 Probably be long winded on this one, just a heads up before you get sucked into the story..... Went out for some bluegill fishing and family fun last weekend. Messed around Saturday afternoon with little fishing and lots of swimming. Left the Nitro tied up overnight and headed back out on Sunday. Noticed the boat was a bit slow to jump on plane, but figured it was the weight of all the gas. Actually filled it up by mistake the day before. It had been a few weeks since I have had it out of the garage and was thinking I was on E, so as I was putting 15 - 20 gallons in, she topped off way before I reached my goal. 36 gallons is just too much weight for my boat. Anyway, she was slow on plane, but I didnt think anything of it. After a day of it beached and lots of swimming, my little girl thought it was funny that her flip flops were floating, in the floorboard of the boat. I raised the back hatch to realize EVERYTHING was under water. Water up over the batteries! Naturally I panicked! Hit the bilge pump with my fingers crossed, since batteries were underwater, and nothing happened, nothing. Fingers double crossed and I hit the big motor, she fired right up. Sonot knowing what else to do, I started ideling down the lake and bailing water with my little cooler from the storage bin. Seemed to make no progress bailing, so I hit the throttle hoping to make the short run to the ramp to take out. Boat stood up and never got close to hitting plane. I even went up front with the wife driving and still couldn't get it on plane. By this point the wife and girl thought the titanic was going down! We ideled on and made it to the ramp without a problem, what seemed like a 3 hour tour, more like 10 minute trip. Put her on the trailer with no problem. Once out of the water, I realized the plug was in, my first thought of the potential problem. Then after a few minutes I could see no obvious signs of water coming out of the boat, meaning I have no idea where the water got into the boat. My only guess is one of the livewell hoses, but still with the bilge and entire back of the boat filled with water, I expected to see water coming out somewhere, but found nothing. Pulled the plug and drained all the water out. In the garage this afternoon, standing on my head, wedged in with arms and head squeezed in, I seen nothing obvious out of place or cause for concern. Figure I'll plug the livewell drains and fill them up so see if the bilge gets water tomorrow. Might go ahead and replace both pumps and all the hoses while I'm at it. And definitely get that bilge pump working! Any other ideas, feel free to chime in! What an adventure and a memory with the family! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jbrown Posted July 27, 2021 Report Share Posted July 27, 2021 Check the area around the drain plug to I had a stratos would leak there took a lil clear silicone and fixed it also check for any old transducer holes or the current one could be comping from there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackertxw175 Posted July 27, 2021 Report Share Posted July 27, 2021 Check your livewell fill pump housing also. Had that happen on mine. After taking on a lot of water, got home and drained it, returned to ramp and backed down without releasing tie downs. Climbed to back and opened battery compartment and could see where water was coming from cracks in the housing that holds livewell fill pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whopper Posted July 28, 2021 Report Share Posted July 28, 2021 I had a starter replaced on my IO couple years ago, pulled away from the marina and the same thing happen to me. Turn out they broke the hose off my bilge pump and the water just flooded in. One thing I don't like about my boat the drain for the bilge was installed to low and just barely above the water line when it is sitting. Good luck in your search Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peck Posted August 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2021 So I replaced all the livewell hoses, and both livewell pumps. The bilge pump was good, just gummed up. Cleaned it up and she worked fine. One livewell pump had a crack in the housing, but was only a small drip coming out of it. Cant say that was or wasn't the problem, but I changed it anyway. Also redid all the through hull fittings. Only hoses i didn't change were the floor drain, bilge hose, livewell drain and overflow. They were all 1-1/8" ID, and that is apparently not a common hose size. I didn't see any of them bad, so didnt want to spend an arm and a leg to replace them. Also have no idea how you would ever reach the livewell drain hose to replace it. Being up under the livewell, there is no way to get up under it to take the clamp off. My ribs are all bruised up and blood still hasn't ran back out of my head yet. They dont make that area very maintenance friendly. Now to test it all out........It's been too hot to fish the last couple weeks anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whopper Posted September 2, 2021 Report Share Posted September 2, 2021 (edited) I jixned myself replying to this thread. Weekend before last I spent 3 hours in 90 degree heat replacing a burnt up bilge pump. Peck hopefully your all fixed up Edited September 2, 2021 by Whopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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