morgro269
Jet Boat Addict
- Messages
- 134
- Reaction score
- 94
- Points
- 107
- Location
- Chicopee, MA
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2015
- Boat Model
- Limited S
- Boat Length
- 24
Bad news... A few friends and I were out on the CT river a couple weeks ago. We were cruising along about 30- 35mph and hit what felt like a sandbar and the time. The boat jerked a little and slowed a bit but otherwise kept going. I figured it would leave a mark but we could worry about it later. Roughly 5- 10 minutes later we stopped to swim for a few minutes. As I was swimming up to the back of the boat, we noticed the swim platform was about an inch under water and the bilge was pumping. My buddy reached under to feel the plug and realized the plug was gone. We yelled to my brother to start the boat to get it moving again to try and get the water moving out. The engines cranked a few times and then died. What we didn't realize at the time was that the motors were already under water. We immediately put life jackets on and started swimming and pushing the boat to shore. We got it to the point where we could walk with the boat and started walking it back to the boat ramp. I called some friends who came out and towed us back in. I learned that these boats are hard to sink. They seem to hit a point where they are neutrally buoyant. There was about 1/2 of water in the main cabin and it never went higher than that. Another thing I learned... I'm not sure what the drain plug is for in the engine compartment. The floor of the engine compartment doesn't connect to the transom... the engine compartment looks like it would've filled with water with or without the drain plug.
The hole is roughly 13' long, the entire keel is pretty much ground off of the boat. The articulating keel is gone. The pumps must've sucked up some rocks and they're damaged. I would be surprised if the motors aren't hydro locked. God knows what might have happened to the electronics.
I'm really bummed but glad no one got hurt. I'm thinking the boat is going to be totaled. I'm still shocked at the damage that was done and how it really didn't feel like a big deal when it happened.
The boat surveyor hasn't completed his estimate yet but thinks the fiberglass work alone on the bottom will cost in the vicinity of 40k. My question is if they try and fix, will the repair be safe? Any of you fiberglass guys have any input on what that repair would consist of or if it can be safely done?
The hole is roughly 13' long, the entire keel is pretty much ground off of the boat. The articulating keel is gone. The pumps must've sucked up some rocks and they're damaged. I would be surprised if the motors aren't hydro locked. God knows what might have happened to the electronics.
I'm really bummed but glad no one got hurt. I'm thinking the boat is going to be totaled. I'm still shocked at the damage that was done and how it really didn't feel like a big deal when it happened.
The boat surveyor hasn't completed his estimate yet but thinks the fiberglass work alone on the bottom will cost in the vicinity of 40k. My question is if they try and fix, will the repair be safe? Any of you fiberglass guys have any input on what that repair would consist of or if it can be safely done? 
