Im trying to imagine how the anchor locker and ski locker filled with water after stuffing the bow three times if the hatches are closed? The anchor locker has a small hole for the rode when the hatch is shut, but that doesn’t seem like it’s big enough to let enough water in to fill that compartment. Perhaps adjusting the ski locker hatch latching mechanism so that it is sealed on the gasket better? Same thing with any other compartments on your boat, and keep all compartment latches secure whenever they are not being used.
Try to keep the water from entering those compartments and have the water drain out the self bailing deck drain. And speaking of the deck drain, make sure it is clear and working properly.
Im not exactly sure how your boat is laid out as far as the different compartments go that have drains, but I’m with the others in that I keep my compartment drains open except the fuel tank. In fact I keep the drain plugs in the bow floor compartment and the center console compartment propped up so that water can drain quickly out of those compartments should they some how get water in them. My anchor locker is it’s own compartment and since I rarely use the anchor I now keep that “drain” (should be called an inlet) plugged.
Your boat more than likely came with a 500 gph bilge pump, I’m glad to hear that it worked in to clear the boat of water, eventually. Have you pulled the oem bilge pump out of the strainer to make sure the strainer is clear of debris? There is usually a lot of production crap in the bilge, might want to give the bilge a good flush then check the bilge screen, then put the plug in and using a hose fill the bilge with water to make sure the bilge pump works automatically, that’s something I do a couple of times a year. Did your bilge pump run automatically during this “occurrence” or did you run it manually ? I installed an additional bilge pump I’m my boat, an 800 gph unit in the very rear of the bilge with its own discharge line. The 800 still uses a 3/4” discharge, once you go above the 800 size you will be into the 1” discharge line, and once you get into the big pumps, 2500 gph, I think the discharge hose size is either 1&1/4” or 1&1/2”. You should only need another 500, same with me, but I went with the 800. But hey, after your occurrence you could go with a 1500gph one if that makes you feel better.
As far as batteries go, did your battery get submerged? if you have a flooded lead acid battery it has to be vented to let out the gasses. I don’t know that I’d feel comfortable putting any lead acid type battery in a water tight box, but I I like your thinking on this. Just be sure the battery is secure and in a box to contain any acid from getting on stuff.
Further on the battery front, do you have an onboard charger that you can plug in when you get home after a day on the lake? This is probably the best thing you can do for battery performance and longevity. Our boats charging systems just don’t have the capacity to charge batteries properly and fully while on the water. Having a properly charged battery will assure your bilge pump(s) will be able to clear water from any future occurrences. Adding a second battery may not be a bad idea either.
While I did not have an “occurrence” I was concerned about taking waves over the bow as some of the lakes I go to are large and can get really big waves with short frequencies so I added two deck drains and that extra bilge pump for capacity and redundancy. I also made sure my bow floor locker hatch seals properly so no water gets in when the hatch is closed. I’m glad the only real damage was soiled laundry, a cell phone and an ego bruising…as a friend of mine says, Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. Use the “occurrence“ as a learning experience and make the necessary changes to make your boat as bullet proof as possible.
Edit: Also as the others said, when conditions are crazy like you described, all persons in the back of the boat, and, keep the bow high, under power going slow, use the bow as your shield, you see the successful Haulover boats practicing that.
Wrong way: You can’t see them on this photo, but there are three women and a small boy in the bow.
View attachment 181053
Right way:
View attachment 181052
Any water that does come in will go immediately to the stern and go out the deck drain, and if any water does get in the bilge the pump will remove it. My friend who has been a huge help to me on the boat and my projects observed that my boat, and I’m going to assume all the Yamaha boats, are well designed to handle taking waves over the bow in that most of the water will stay out of the bilge. I went back and looked at some vids and I don‘t think your aft storage compartments have latches on them. Consider adding the rubber bungee style latches to these compartments so a wave couldn’t come in and lift them allowing water free access into those compartments.
