boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

I have a beautifull 74 CC that had a 150 hp mer optimax. But it sunk in the slip last month. engine has seized. NO one can tell me why! Not even the owner of the marina. My boat was fine in the water for 4 weeks, and had a brand new bilge and floater put in with two new batteries running off a dual switch. Can anyone help me? I cant believe this.

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

20 or 23? I assume 20 with the 150

Does it have in floor drains and an in floor livewell?

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Sorry for your loss I know that must really get to you. I couldn’t say why you boat sunk but according to Insurance losses approx 90 % of all boats that sink sink at the dock. Usually the most common reasons are tides which can cause small boats to get wedged under the dock and when the tide comes up get swamped, bilge systems, batteries, hoses, and leaks plus rain.
Personally I keep my boat on a trailer 95% of the time and when it is in the water I will check it or I am using it every day.




FellowShip

………………………….

Just for the Grins :( :D

Official 23’ SF Antique Classic SeaCraft Owner

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

yes many foor drains. Live well valve may have been opened from what Ive gathered. Im just trying to make sense of ALL this. 20 foot boat
thanks

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Im thinking of putting a used engine back on if I can find one. Ant Idea what cost Im looking at in terms of re-doing this?
thanks

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

You can find a drop on powerhead on scream & Fly for under 2K - good place for whole motors too

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

don't forget you'll need to deal with all the wiring , lights, etc on the boat too

rockdoc

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

i called this gentleman and gave him some very usefull advice.truth is when a boat sinks in sea water,there's big problems-the reason most,if not all,are "totaled".as a marine repair service operator,i've seen more than one sunk boat :rolleyes:.the engine's first,the fuel injected outboars,and the direct injected outboards are totaled-due to the cost of the electrical components required-fuel injection ECM,,harness's,various other components-the engines won't start and run,the water can't get fully removed from the powerheads-basically,they're junk.gone are the day of flushing carbs and pulling the plugs to blow the water out...throttle and shift cables,these may work now,but,not for long-same deal with the cable steering system.boat-well,if the batteries were"hot",count on there being a considerible amount of stray current electrolysis-look for a white powder on the aluminum-this is aluminum oxide-if it's apparent on railings and other aluminum parts-it's on the fuel tank-see where this is going ? dead batteries,this isn't the case.the electrical system,every wire in the boat will need to be replaced,every electrical component as well-with the exception of bilge pumps...
then,there's the structual end of this...
it's unfortunate when things like this occur.but,dealing with submerged boats,there's more than meets the eye ;)

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Pelican, thanks for the call. I am going to sell the boat, unfortunately.

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

I'd like to respectfully disagree with some of the advice given. My 20' seacraft sank over a year ago and spent 10 days bouncing around the ocean floor before I was able to recover it. I was able to save my fuel injected outboard and am still using it on another boat. I did have a bad atmospheric pressure sensor and I replaced the O2 sensor, but those are the only parts I replaced! Everything else still works (I did go through absolutely everything and triple rinsed, dried and lubed it all).
I know you stated that the motor is seized, and that's a shame. If it had been worked on immediately after being recovered you probably could have saved it.
As far as the hull? Well it's a '74 and has probably been sunk at least once in its lifetime, they don't call 'em "sinkcrafts" for nothing. What are you worried about? Rinse it out, let it dry, rewire and voila!
If you had hydraulic steering it'll be fine. The gas tank can be flushed and dried out as well and use a good racor when you're done.

As to why it sunk in the first place? Imho these boats are not fit to be moored or docked unattended as they are barely self bailing and have super low 20" transoms and lots of cutouts in the motor well. When mine sank, the guys that plucked us out of the water had their own story of a 20' seacraft sinking!

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Bitsamonkey,

Would you say all the 20 SeaCrafts are equally as likely to sink because of the design of the selfbailing cockpit or are some models worse than others?

I'm looking at the 20' Seafari and was wondering how they compare to the center consoles? How does a Seafari I/O compare to the outboard model?

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

My Seafari has three (3) bilge pumps. One 800 gph mounted right at the transom as low as possible. One 1500 gph mounted three inches higher nearby, and one 1500 gph mounted forward beneath the cabin sole. All automatic, all also seperately manually switched and wired. And when I keep it in the water for a few days, I still get up in the night and check on it.

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

I think Fr. Frank's post says it all. I used to keep my 20' center console docked in a well protected small river and anytime it rained hard I would go check on it. I used that boat a lot and never had run-down batteries, but that's what'll kill you. You can have all the bilge pumps in the world, but sooner or later you'll run out of juice.

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Fr. Frank is the I/O version of the Seafari any less at risk of sinking from taking on water? I assume the closed transom reduces risk of water rushing in if the boat sits too low from rain water collecting in the bildge. Any opinions on how the I/O Seafari's ability to self bail compares to the outboard Seafari and center console?

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

This type of thread about sinking comes up approx 1 a year. I think SeaCrafts have got much more then their share of bad press. ALL boats can and do sink as I stated early in this thread. I personally have never got over ½ a gallon of water in my bilge at any one time now owned her for over 9 years. My bilge pump has never kicked on in 9 years either, not even when I go down to the keys and keep her in the water for a week at a time.
So what’s the problem?? I think one of the problems is to much weight in the transom and Scuppers at or below the water line. Another is the original vertical design of the Scuppers. Another problem is hatches that permit water to go into the bilge. Another is transoms set up for shorter shaft motors. Plus all the other things that Insurance clam reports state why boats sink as stated above. Keeping Small boats in the water all the time is very convent for the owner But risky 90% of all boats sink at the dock. I would never keep my boat in the water all the time, I would keep her on davits or in dry storage that way you have all the convince and non of the risk. I’m to cheep to spend the $$ so my boat is on her personal mobile crib better known as a Trailer.


FellowShip

………………………….
Just for the Grins :D :D

Official 23’ SF Antique Classic SeaCraft Owner

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Why is he always soo right?

Make fun of my slacker, but I have all of the above from their slactory. Low transoms and heavy motahs.

Cheers,
GFS

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

You need to find out WHY YOUR BOAT SANK. The picture below is an original 1969 20sf, You can see the water line. It sat in a slip for 2 years neglected without a bilge pump installed. The slip backed up to a main entry to the harbor with boat traffic busting wakes on it's transom every day.

The inherent forces applied by mother nature are to sink a boat. All boats that float on water are collectively fighting these forces ALL THE TIME. In other words your boat is always sinking and we are constantly trying to keep our boats a float. For your boat to sink something had to fail and you need to find out what it was. The engineering and design of the seacraft was years ahead of it's time and provided your boat was in good working order (thru proper maintenance)it may not have been the boats fault.

http://www.casdvm.com/photos/20sf/DSCN5091.JPG

strick

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Not that I know. I consider the risk equal.
Consider these potential risks:

• The low transom of the outboard,
• the bellows of the sterndrive,
• the leaking of the deck scuppers,
• leaking of the mounting bolts of either the outboard or the transom group,
• the leaking of below-the waterline fittings,
• the unseen crack in the hull caused by hitting a board or coconut underway,
• the unseen crack in the hull caused by loading improperly onto the trailer
• the leaking grounding-plate bolts, etcetera, etcetera...

If the deck drains on a center console do not leak between the deck and hull, the above list is uncompromised, and the hatches close and drain properly onto the deck and the deck scuppers are open to drain, without some other outside agency the 20/23 center console will not sink. Period. Even without a bilge pump, as there is no way to get water into the bilge except the above list (assuming i've not overlooked something).

THAT IS NOT TRUE OF THE SEAFARI MODELS!!! The cockpit sole of the Seafari drains directly into the bilge. This puts it at a higher risk of sinking. This is why I have three bilge pumps, two batteries, and a $30 solar battery maintainer on battery #2. :)

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Fr. Frank,

I've been thinking about adding a forward bilge pump also. Where did you run the discharge hose for it?

I was thinking I might tee it into the drain for the sink in the galley seat. That thru-hull is only about 8" above the waterline however, so I was thinking it might be good to put an anti-siphon loop in it, raised up near the gunnel under the deck? Denny

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

I don't have a galley seat, it was gone when I got the boat, so I just use that hull opening for my discharge fitting.

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Only the little ones, Fr. Frank. The 25 has a self bailing cockpit. :D

Now the cabin sole...

Dave

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Sole should be 3" higher to promote true self bailing and hatch design could be better too. Getting a max flotation bracket can help with some boats that squat which squat can change the self bailing design into a self sinking design.
Potter & Shamrock both had the same issue. Self bailing designs evolved since then.

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Several years ago the 23'cc that I owned almost went down at the mooring due to the brass scupper tube corroding through.They need to be checked periodicly

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

In a 20 the only way for water to enter the bildge is at the scuppers if they are leaking inside - rain should not be able to sink it thay should drain fine. The other is the access panel in the splashwell, most have some sort of a splashwell to keep water out of the boat,like the old one pictured, but if that isn't sealed good and leaks you will get some but again not that much.

As mentioned I bet most get hung under a dock, pumps will run along time on a battery if its just getting a little water in it. Pump failure when getting a little in it will finally do it too - I have 2 also.

My Sceptre sunk when the marina put in without the plug, just got the motors fired up quick and ran few new wires to the stern area and it was fine, not that much wire in them and the harness is pretty well sealed up too. Thier insurance covered it nicely so we did get to do some extra stuff

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

Some great advise as always sorry you are selling

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

I could see where Seacraft with hull vents might be more prone to filling with water if hung up under a dock on a rising tide due to the vents being lower than the gunnels.

My '72 Seafari IO scuppers drain straight thru the hull bottom.

Re: boat sunk...why? should i sell?
 

I stand corrected. Just re-read the previous posts and the cockpit sole does drain into the bilge.