Took on water and was sinking

[Bennie]

Yamaha mechanic

I too believe this is the best course of action - especially with the year of your boat. At the minimum I would at least have a Yamaha dealer diagnose the boat.

 

[jameskeller76]

Sorry to hear about this but thank you for posting. Unfortunate events like this help you and everyone else use more caution. I was already considering adding a second bilge pump but this post has lit a fire under my arse to get it done.

 

[Eric Ballard]

i agree with having a mechanic roll up their sleeve and dive in... but just brain storming here, in a car you can manually turn the engine with a pull bar and a socket on the front of the crank.... how would you manually turn one of these engines? is the crank viable in the front to get a socket on it? If the motor could be turned by hand then its not locked and it is an electrical or starter issue... if not... internal issue.. I have never had to try to turn one of these engines by hand.

I tried to turn the engine down by the impeller shaft bearing and it wiggles but no way I can turn it. I'm not sure if that's normal or a symptom of the issue. Its definitely going to the mechanic today.

 

[Bruce]

@Eric Ballard, when you tried to turn the impeller were the spark plugs in? If they are out it will be easier to turn.

My opinion is that the faster you get the engine dried out the less chance of permanent damage. So I would be taking the boat to a mechanic ASAP.

In 2015 two 21' boats were swamped on the Bimini crossing. One was taken to a friend's house and started right away with several oil changes to follow. The other was taken to a dealership who left it with salt water in the engines for several days before doing anything. The first boat is fine, the second was totaled.

 

[2nazt]

That is a lot of water! I hope for good news to come as either a simple fix or total. I would worry about electrical issues down the road also if not totaled. Even a second pump wired to a float would not help if it is the normal 500-1100gph that is a lot of water in the boat. I think the high water sensor with a display and/or alarm would be best on these boats with so much of the boat under different hatches and out of site. I also agree with @Mainah about the boat not being able to lift up to dump water out the scupper will cause all the water to go through ski locker and fuel hatch cover and makes it way to the bilge.

 

[NewBoater]

This was a painful thread to read. I feel really bad for you and hope the best outcome for you!

 

[veedubtek]

Definitely doesn't sound good buddy. If I can lend a hand, let me know.

 

[octavio3311]

This was a painful thread to read. I feel really bad for you and hope the best outcome for you!

This most definitely was a painful read.
Good luck brother.

 

[FloJet]

Sounds like a stater or starter solenoid issue. Check the starter to see it has not been corroded. The teeth inside the stater may have gotten stuck.

 

[Eric Ballard]

First, the boat is at the dealer and insurance is in full swing. It's still early, but so far Allstate is first rate in customer service and

Second, I think I am at the root cause for how so much water got into the engine compartment so fast with the bilge and the scupper working. I added a casting desk to the boat to make it a good fishing boat too. I removed the bow cushions and fitted a DIY board as the casting deck. The casting deck fits good, but not as good as the seat cushions of course. I am almost certain the water came over the bow and into the openings between the casting deck and into bow compartments. These compartments lead directly to EVERY other compartment including the engine. I think this makes perfect cents. I will have to seal the casting deck against the supports for the bow cushions to prevent this from happening again.

 

[Jaime]

Kind of crazy this would cause such an issue unless you completely swamped your boat somehow. I mean even the people who do the crazy sub moves and fill their cabin do not have this issue. Was the bilge on and working? I agree with @swatski the scupper should have handled a lot of the water. Did you check to see if it leaks on the white scupper tube somewhere? I would grab the hose and put water in the cockpit to see how your scupper is performing. Did you have all of the drain plugs installed or pulled out when this happened?

I took a wave by the front this weekend and I didn't get any water in my engine compartment... it all went out through the scupper.

 

[newbote]

Jamie - don't mean to hi-jack the thread but how did you take the wave over the bow? Just put a deposit on a new 240 but my previous boat was a 20ft dual console Nautic Star outboard that I sold when I moved away from the coast. I never stuffed the bow on that boat and had it offshore 20 plus miles many times and got caught in a pretty bad storm one time.

I really like the 240 but still want to take it near shore when I pull it to the coast. The 240 seems to have about a near a deep V as my old boat so just surprised when I hear folks took water over the bow.

 

[2nazt]

@newbote these boats like to be moving or the bow can stuff easily. Also they are lighter and tend to ride rougher which can cause a bow stuff to happen. Improper loading and weight distribution I think are the biggest culprits

 

[swatski]

First, the boat is at the dealer and insurance is in full swing. It's still early, but so far Allstate is first rate in customer service and

Second, I think I am at the root cause for how so much water got into the engine compartment so fast with the bilge and the scupper working. I added a casting desk to the boat to make it a good fishing boat too. I removed the bow cushions and fitted a DIY board as the casting deck. The casting deck fits good, but not as good as the seat cushions of course. I am almost certain the water came over the bow and into the openings between the casting deck and into bow compartments. These compartments lead directly to EVERY other compartment including the engine. I think this makes perfect cents. I will have to seal the casting deck against the supports for the bow cushions to prevent this from happening again.

View attachment 52702

That makes sense. Those storage compartments open up into the "pseudo double" hull space leading directly into the bilge, not over the deck into the scupper.

EDIT: I think it is very kind of you to share information on your trouble with other members here, we can all learn.

--

 

[bronze_10]

All the water coming over the bow may have been funneled directly into these compartments... rendering the scupper useless and overwhelming the bilge pump.
I agree with @swatski .. although the it is a hard sutuation, your sharing add to the collective knowledge of the group. Thanks for that..

 

[Bruce]

how did you take the wave over the bow?

Every time I know of a Yamaha taking water over the bow it was a heavily loaded boat that was in extreme conditions, not optimally loaded and off plane or decelerating.

The 240 seems to have about a near a deep V as my old boat so just surprised when I hear folks took water over the bow.

I am not aware of a 2015+ 240 taking meaningful amounts of water over the bow. It could be done by going out in too rough of water, with too much of a load or through poor driving.

It sounds like you have experience combined with luck if you have never taken water over the bow. I suspect that what you are saying is that you have never stuffed the bow into the next wave filling the boat but you have experienced smaller amounts of water spraying or splashing over the bow and running out the back. Comparatively in 360 miles of Bimini (Gulf Stream) crossings in a SX230 I have only had an inch of water in the boat once and that ran out of the scupper in a matter of seconds.

 

[newbote]

Every time I know of a Yamaha taking water over the bow it was a heavily loaded boat that was in extreme conditions, not optimally loaded and off plane or decelerating.



I am not aware of a 2015+ 240 taking meaningful amounts of water over the bow. It could be done by going out in too rough of water, with too much of a load or through poor driving.

It sounds like you have experience combined with luck if you have never taken water over the bow. I suspect that what you are saying is that you have never stuffed the bow into the next wave filling the boat but you have experienced smaller amounts of water spraying or splashing over the bow and running out the back. Comparatively in 360 miles of Bimini (Gulf Stream) crossings in a SX230 I have only had an inch of water in the boat once and that ran out of the scupper in a matter of seconds.

Ok thanks was wondering as much - I always ensure I was either on plane or plowing with the bow high in rough seas and would never stop unless a complete emergency. I of course had water splash over but never stuffed the bow in that boat - even in "true" short interval 4-5 ft seas I got caught in once. I did previously have an 18 ft boat where I stuffed the bow and that is not something I want to do with my wife in the boat or she may never get back on the boat again This boat is heavier then my old DC boat and I don't think rides with the bow lower so I am sure a big part of it is how you drive it. My concern on buying this boat from the beginning is not being able to control the trim to help with rough water handling even though to be honest I probably won't take this boat out in the same water as my old boat. Coming only from saltwater outboard boats to buying this boat was a big change but am looking forward to it.

 

[Bruce]

@newbote watch this video. Two 21' Yamahas were swamped to the point of drowning their engines during the first attempt in 2015.

 

[robert cabrerea]

Sorry this happened to you. Thanks for posting the experience.Did you get it going yet?

 

[Shannon]

@Eric Ballard . This was very scary to ready but so glad you shared with us! Learned a lot with following the thread.Glad you and your family are safe and hope to see you in Charleston!