Tow rope sucked up and bound

[bmead21]

[USERGROUP=9]@HELP[/USERGROUP] It finally happened. Got a tow rope sucked up and it’s wrapped up tight. Was able to get in the clean out port and have both ends of the rope cut inside the clean out, but it’s still jammed. Trying to cut out, but daylight is running out. May need to arrange a tow. If I do, what do I need to disconnect to prevent getting water in the engine.

Currently sitting on the Lake Delaware in Delaware, OH.

 

[bmead21]

[USERGROUP=9]@HELP[/USERGROUP] It finally happened. Got a tow rope sucked up and it’s wrapped up tight. Was able to get in the clean out port and have both ends of the rope cut inside the clean out, but it’s still jammed. Trying to cut out, but daylight is running out. May need to arrange a tow. If I do, what do I need to disconnect to prevent getting water in the engine.

Currently sitting on the Lake Delaware in Delaware, OH.

Oh, and it’s wrapped up towards the engine, not in the impeller.

 

[F.M.]

You will need to locate your fresh water cooling hose and clamp it off.

 

[F.M.]

This might help.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/towing-jet-boat-behind-house-boat-should-you-clamp-off-water-intake-to-protect-engine.25158/

 

[bmead21]

So the red hose merges in with a black hose. Posts say to clamp after those, but doesn’t seem to be enough room to because that section is so short. Any idea if both the red and the black need to be clamped?

 

[bmead21]

Is the red just going to the clean out port?

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

just put the controls in forward if you can and have the tow boat go slow you will be fine if you stay around 5 mph. having it in forward so the water can flow through the pump without creating pressure inside the pump to feed the water to the engine

 

[BigAbe75]

I believe the red goes to the pisser out the side. If so, wouldn’t need to clamp that one. I believe you can clamp on the other side of the Y if you need to. Some install shutoff valves under the clean out port hatch instead of the engine bay.

Hopefully you’ve figured it out by now.

 

[bmead21]

Just made it home. Got a tow from a DNR officer. Neither of us had vice grips or clamps, so did the slow with throttle forward. I’ll pull some oil out of it tomorrow to double check.

Thanks everyone for the help!

 

[Lunarvrx]

When I had my 2009 180SE Seadoo boat I sucked up a rope a couple of times. The manual identified the hose that needs to be clamped for higher tow speeds and I kept a clamp in my tool box. Just got my new VRX 203 2121- the manual also identifies the hose location to be clamped, however when I looked at it in the boat - low and behold it has a manual valve right in that hose complete with instructions to close it if towing at speed. Confirms my opinion that Chaparral makes high end boats. Now if they had only included the Yamaha style clean out port I would be happier yet.

 

[bmead21]

Was able to get the rope cut out this morning. Looks like it may not have been the first time (boat is new to us as of last month). There seems to be some older small gashes in the gel coat. Are these a big deal? Should I get some gel coat repair and fill them in?

Also, checked the dipstick and the oil looks normal after the tow. Should I still siphon out some oil to check for water in it, or would it show up on the dipstick.

Anything else I should check before starting up again?

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

oil is fine just be careful with the ropes you can actually fracture the glass in the tunnel if you wrap enough rope around the driveshaft

 

[tdonoughue]

Agree on the oil--sounds like your engine is fine.

But it does look like your glass is fractured already. Can't tell, of course, whether it is from this time or a prior time, but those cracks should be repaired. I don't think it would be bad for you to finish the season, but watch closely to see if you have water coming in next time you are out. If one of those cracks was enough to crack the gelcoat and the underlying glass, you may get some water coming in. I don't think it would be big enough to be a real issue.

I would not leave the boat like this long-term. Those cracks need to be dremel'd out to see if the glass was impacted. Glass impact is a much bigger repair and you should probably take it to a shop for that location. If it is just the gelcoat that cracked, that you can do yourself with some gelcoat from Spectrum (color matched, even!---which is very important inside the jet where most people inspect.... er...--joke there).

 

[Yamahaul]

How does this happen? i keep reading about it. Are people actually running the rope over, is it just getting close to the edge of the boat and actually getting sucked under? Ive only been out 3 times so far and am mortified of doing it after reading stories. I dont want any extra points here. lol not for that.

 

[dnicholas47]

How does this happen? i keep reading about it. Are people actually running the rope over, is it just getting close to the edge of the boat and actually getting sucked under? Ive only been out 3 times so far and am mortified of doing it after reading stories. I dont want any extra points here. lol not for that.

We sucked up our first rope after 3 seasons with the boat this year. I had read all the posts, had a rope lookout person, but it happened. We had 2 tubes out and the wife didn’t realize one was underneath and it sucked up. I’m guessing that is similar to most people’s situation. Figured it was bound to happen one of these days. Considering every other dumb thing I’ve done I am kind of surprised we lasted 3 seasons (see wall of shame post for just the latest stupidity).

 

[tdonoughue]

There are lots of things to pay attention to when you are piloting the boat. Kids, other people, other craft, no the beer is in the other one, please take those shoes off, put those Cheetos away, blower, ladder up, stop touching him, start engines and -- poof. The line was near the bottom of the boat, a puff of wind or a little current and it is underneath and you sucked it up (actually, from the middle usually, oddly enough, so basically a loop gets sucked in).

It happens. If you recognize it (or someone yells that they are getting pulled in on the tube and you are not moving yet) and can turn off the engines quickly, then it is much easier to fix. If you don't recognize it, if so much of it wraps that it jams against the hull and stalls the boat, it can damage the fiberglass. Each time mine got to the point of stall, the line got pulled taught against the tow point or against the tube and stalled it (I was lucky).

Then you drop anchor and go to work freeing your boat. It happens.

 

[Betik]

Under the assumption that there is no structural damage I would put some resign in it. Gel coat option. Resign will keep the water off, gelcoat not necessarily.
I would finish the season because that is a bit of work down there and in awkward position.

 

[PaulyB]

Those marks in the tunnel look like they are from someone cutting with a knife and the knife hitting the gelcoat, not from the rope getting so wound up that it fractured the gel coat. I, personally, wouldnt worry about them too much.

 

[grywlfbg]

As for the oil, I think you are safe to run it. I would bring it up to temp and then check it again. You need to heat up and agitate the oil to get it to show up. Look for milky white bubbles at the top of the dipstick. If you see that then you got some water in there. If not, you are GTG.

 

[tdonoughue]

@PaulyB , I went to look again. I don't think those are from cutting. I see them all around the intake, not just in one or two spots. And they radiate at an oddly uniform angle--you would need to be very artistic with your cutting to get that.

The ones by the shaft are pretty bad, too. I think you would be hard pressed to do that damage with a knife.

I don't think it is bad enough that there is necessarily glass damage, but I fear there may be. One of those situations where I wish I could agree with you... and hope I am ultimately proven wrong.