Scary Moment

[JWB]

Ditto here also. Did it in a smaller less dangeous place. Had a 17 Bass Tracker in a lake north of Atl. Put boat in and somehow plug came out. Bilge did not activate.....(only had one). When we were leaving the ramp we noticed water on the carpet floor. Opened bilge and you guessed it, full. Hit the throttle to get on plane and the bow went 70 degrees in the air. Was on the absolute back end of the power curve. Headed for the beach (in a no wake zone) wide open with plans to beach. I knew just before I beached I could make it so I did a 180 and keep up speed. My yellow lab kept giving me bad looks duriong the entire fiasco. Glad no one observed this stupid exersise.

[Jon G]

I've got two 2000GPH pumps and a 750GPH auto pump, Just in case Only problem I have had is the one time I forgot the plug when I launching the boat and took my time parking the truck when I stepped on the boat at the dock it felt funny looked in the bilge Of course I had the auto pump off the above pumps cleared out a foot of water FAST I hope I never need them but there right ther in case Glad you made out all right

[Ed]

Glad to hear you made it home safely. I experienced a similar experience not too long ago.

[wavelength]

After lots of work we finaly launched on Sat. for our first shot at grouper trolling. On the way home I decided to check out my new pump and live well system that the old owners said they never used. All apeared good with lots of bubbles and water movement. At the dock with the bait well still full the auto bilge pump came on Water is entering the bilge from the live well and this will be this weeks project. I have a 1100 pump wired for auto and a 2500 on manual for back up.

[GradySailfish]

Scary feeling indeed. A couple years ago I was running my Grady White to the marina for haulout when not far from my dock, the engine thermometers showed my engine temps were waay high almost overheating....I stopped opened the engine box too see raw cooling water pouring from the heat exchangers. I shut the enignes down and pumped water out....I later found the screws on the cupholder next to the helm. Turns out my father had opened the heat exchangers to let the raw water drain out because we were excpecting a really cold few days (this was late Dec....temps in the teens at night) Well after draining the heatexchangers of raw water he never relaced the plugs.! I replaced the plugs and was back in business.

Those first few seconds when you see that water where it doesn't belong are indeed scary.

Do you guys suggest totally closing up the foward drain hole on the 20 MA or should I just change the plastic fitting to a bronze?

[Hooper]

Grady-

They mean to replace the nylon fitting with a bronze one. I took it a step further and sealed it off. Felt Good too! I may do it to all of them in fact!!!

[Snookerd]

I witnessed a 20SF 5 miles off the Jupiter Inlet last weekend sitting almost bow straight up heading toward the inlet with one guy on the bow and the capt gunning it while standing on the front console seat reaching over the windshield steering. I assume the bildge was full. he got it leveled out, but it wasn't easy.

[radioshop]

I also carry one of the good old fashioned bicycle pump style manual bilge pumps. There's lots of good places to stash one under a gunwale or, under the console shelf. It's cheap and ultra reliable. Not the fastest method, but it will work.

[Phan000]

I found the leak yesterday... Everyone was right, it was not wave action. The tube for the starboard deck drain has a crack in it. I always put plugs in the deck opening of these drains and didn't realize that they could still leak...Duh. The question now is how do I remove and replace both of these?

[thewalshies]

http://www.classicseacraft.com/forum...b=5&o=&fpart=1