Odd Questions from a new Scarab Jetboat owner (2014 195HO)

[Young]

Greetings,

A couple of questions that I haven't been able to figure out yet:

1. I trailer my boat (2 blocks each way) to the boat launch. The bilge is "always on" and is on the port side. Today, as I was driving down to the launch, the bilge puked all over another car going the other way. Someone clearly didn't think about that one. Does anyone have any good fixes for this?

2. The factory trailer has some sort of backup mechanism that locks sometimes. What gives?

3. Has anyone installed ballasts in this boat? Or the little electric "wake plate" or whatever this thing is called?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

 

[robert843]

number one made laugh. Does your boat have a battery kill switch if not that should fix the bilge when not wanted. Unless its on a floating switch.

 

[Yan Masse]

Hi!

1- Turn off your battery switch (I find it funny to puke over other cars.. I might try it! )

2- There is a pin that has to be inserted to block the braking system when going in reverse.
Align the 2 holes (frame and tongue) by pushing back the trailer then insert the pin (see picture attached)

3- If no answers here you can ask in the Watersports forum, there is a lot of threads about ballasts

 

[Andy S]

I would have thought that opening the transom drain plug would have dumped any water at the ramp plus when you drove away would also dump water thereby preventing the bilge pump from puking on innocent cars.

 

[Jubin Payandeh]

The bilge pump comes on when the water gets to a certain level. Just like a sump pump in your basement.

Turning off the battery switch cuts everything except for the bilge pump. Ie: your boat won't sink until the battery is dead.

I find that no matter what I do, I cannot get out all of the water from the bottom of the boat.

If you don't have a 5 flat for your trailer, the brakes will not be locked out when reversing. The 5th pin is connected to your reverse lights.

There is a manual lock out for the brakes. The trailer has to be backed off the tongue for it to engage, easiest if you are on a slight up-hill.

 

[Young]

Thanks for all the help!! The battery kill switch leaves the bilge on.

Does anyone know what the draft in this boat is?

 

[Andy S]

Does anyone know what the draft in this boat is?

According to the Scarab website the draft is 12".

 

[McMark]

Still laughing about the puking on another car

Good thing his window wasn't open

 

[DJMattyT]

Mine pukes on cars every single trip. I get a good laugh every time

 

[Rick215HO]

Greetings,

A couple of questions that I haven't been able to figure out yet:

1. I trailer my boat (2 blocks each way) to the boat launch. The bilge is "always on" and is on the port side. Today, as I was driving down to the launch, the bilge puked all over another car going the other way. Someone clearly didn't think about that one. Does anyone have any good fixes for this?

2. The factory trailer has some sort of backup mechanism that locks sometimes. What gives?

3. Has anyone installed ballasts in this boat? Or the little electric "wake plate" or whatever this thing is called?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

Regarding #1, do you keep your hull plug open when you are out of the water? if it is always open the amount of water in the bilge pump sump should be minimum. The pump does not have a switch and turning off the battery switch will not help, this is how it is supposed to be. Sorry if the answer was too basic, you never know....

 

[Robert Sands]

Haha, that's awesome, it's happened to me a few times. The problem is that there is a flaw in the way the ski locker was designed. It holds quite a bit of water because the through-way pipe to the bilge is above the lowest area of the ski locker. So, when you accelerate when towing the momentum of the forward motion forces the water through the pipe into the bilge. I've noticed that this happening when I'm in bigger waves, coming up on plane sometimes, and definitely while towing. I'm thinking of making a little epoxy or resin ramp to get the water flowing better through the pipe, right now I usually mop up the residual water with a towel.