Killer wave

[Earfixr]

Question for the jet navy: has anyone experienced engine stalling when hitting waves? I had 3/4 tank of fuel headed into 2-3’ swells. Tried to stay on plane and keep the bow from getting stuffed. Left the water a few times. Kid loved it, wife not so much. Half hour of this and motor died. Fired right back up only to die after hitting the next wave. 4k rpm would keep it alive as long as i had forward momentum. As soon as i came down a wave and momentum shifted it would stall and die. Luckily the engine, starter motor and battery all lived long enough for me to reach the nearest marina an hour away.

Dropped it off at dealership and it runs perfect. They can’t replicate my problem. I’ve run 100% non-ethenol fuel and Ring Free Plus since day one. 100% reliable until this event. No codes thrown or alarms sent. My confidence won’t return until I can figure out what in the hell caused this? Has anyone ever had issues like this after running in high seas? I was trying to justify Bimini next year but hell no after this. Thank God I was only a mile off shore when it acted up.

 

[BigAbe75]

Kill switch under the clean out hatch sometimes gets loose and pounding waves will cause it to kill engine. There are a few tricks to stiffen that switch up. Some as easy as putting a few strips of duct tape on the door to make the contact surface a little thicker.

@Betik had a lot of trouble with this on his ‘17 Bimini trip, if I remember what I read correctly.

 

[Earfixr]

Thanks. I wiggled the kill switch and pulled up on the rear hatch and could not get it to kill. It felt more fuelish than electrical. Pulling the kill switch and lifting the hatch create almost instant events. This was a bog to death as we stuffed a wave at only 4-5mph.

 

[BigAbe75]

Thanks. I wiggled the kill switch and pulled up on the rear hatch and could not get it to kill. It felt more fuelish than electrical. Pulling the kill switch and lifting the hatch create almost instant events. This was a bog to death as we stuffed a wave at only 4-5mph.

Hmm... well that exhausts my knowledge then. Lol! You'll get some more responses, though, I'm sure.

 

[Elliott]

It may not be of much help, but I have been in similar or worse conditions twice - about 20 minutes and 10 minutes. I did hear the engine rev once after the intake left the water for half a second, and I had to come down off of plane many times. However, I did not experience any engine problems. After I cleared these bad zones, everything was normal at cruise.

 

[SgtBFGunner]

My vote is for Big Abe's explanation. That lid is going to receive more than a tug when you hit a hard wake. Has happened to me on my 190 FSH. Need to adjust the cutoff switch height, or something folks mention tapping a nickel on the hatch over the switch. But it's kind of an instant cutoff. If you were hiring as bad a you described, try adjusting it regardless. IMHO

 

[Betik]

Kill switch under the clean out hatch sometimes gets loose and pounding waves will cause it to kill engine. There are a few tricks to stiffen that switch up. Some as easy as putting a few strips of duct tape on the door to make the contact surface a little thicker.

@Betik had a lot of trouble with this on his ‘17 Bimini trip, if I remember what I read correctly.

That is true. The first time it happened to me right outside Port Everglades when I crashed landed from a monster wave. It happened again one more time. My hull twisted and it released the kill switch. One mistake I had made is that I had left my spike anchor inside that compartment and I believe that put exacta stress on the hatch.

My understand standing is that you rotate the Basel to adjust them up or down. You just need to make sure not to overdo it. Another solution is to put a penny or some other coin on the hatch .

With my boat I decided to do nothing because it never happened again after those two harsh landings and by that time I figured out putting the gear on neutral and restarting is not an issue.

 

[Betik]

@Earfixr I am 99% that it was the kill switch. I will not loose sleep over it unless it starts to happen frequently.
Something worth noting is that during the 2017 crossing anoth 2012 240 has the same issue. I believe had to restart his engines 12 times. Mine was only 2 and it was the stbd engine both times.

I did talk with guy from TX whose handle I forget. He was on 19FSH during that crossing and he said that he stopped counting after the 30th time

 

[Earfixr]

Thanks for the help. My restarts were near 100. Good starter motor for sure. I was wondering if water slosh in the clean out compartment could short out the switch? I had gallons of water back there when i got back

 

[Betik]

Thanks for the help. My restarts were near 100. Good starter motor for sure. I was wondering if water slosh in the clean out compartment could short out the switch? I had gallons of water back there when i got back

I am sure the cut off was not because of the water. The kind of water I have taken over the clean out hatch is ridiculous. After boating almost every time, my tubes are full of water.
By "had gallons" I assume you are exaggerating as there could not be more than 2 gallons in that area. The tubeds will not hold more than a gallon and the tray should have a drain, right ?

Or did you mean that gallons of water where inside the bilge ? If so tray can be sealed to minimize water intrusion.

 

[Earfixr]

It was a full tube and “gallons” was just being generous. The whole inertia shift and kill still has me puzzled.

 

[Betik]

It was a full tube and “gallons” was just being generous. The whole inertia shift and kill still has me puzzled.

I thought so LOL

the fiberglass flexes when you hit the waves real hard. Sometime that is just enough to activate the switch. Next time you want your boat look closely for spider cracks. I bet you have a couple of them