www.iFourWinns.com

....on the raw water pump. We went out today with my buddy who just picked up his new 244 Chaparral, and decided to boot down to the Toronto islands to go walking with the kids. Out on Lake Ontario, I noticed a bow high attitude that trim would not correct, (no overheating), then I noticed the back of the boat deeper in the water than usual, and water coming over the swim platform. I opened the engine cover, and there was about 5-6 inches of water in there.

I headed for a beach as quick as I could, got the kids off, and let the bilge pump run while I tried to figure out where the water was coming in. I had checked the bellows and drain plug when I did my trailer walk around, but I still donned some goggles and jumped into the 54F water to check.

Once the bilge pump got the water to a level that I could safely restart the engine, I did that, and saw the source of the leak was a hose that had come loose I'm not sure whether my mechanic loosened the clamp when he was winterizing the boat, or if it just worked its way loose, but seeing that much water in the engine compartment scared the crap out of me. I thought I was going to sink before I made it to shore.

We re-attached the hose and enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon, but I learned a few of valuable lessons.
1. Make sure you have goggles, even on your first time out for the season (I left mine at home and borrowed my buddy's)
2. Make sure you check all the hoses and connectors on the boat before you head out, its not enough just to glance at the engine compartment for things that are visibly wrong.
3. Make sure you upgrade the bilge pump that comes with your boat. The standard 800 GPH pump is woefully inadequate once it starts to clog up with seaweed or other crap from the lake.
4. Add a secondary bilge pump.
5. Make sure you have a set of dry clothes on the boat, you may need to jump into the water.



Anway, here is a shaky vid (the admiral was filming) of my buddy's boat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNvDKsZKof8

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

You sir need an automatic bilge pump.

They're cheap. My boat only has a 500gph automatic, but with the new AC installed with those systems I'm upgrading it to a 2000gph

http://store.waterpumpsupply.com/runo12vodcbi5.html

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1981 Columbia 8.7
2015 Yamaha FZR - 87mph - sold
2006 Yamaha GP1300R - sold
2003 Chaparral 215 SSI - sold
2009 Stingray 195CS - sold
2000 Four Winns H180 - sold
1976 O'day Daysailer II - sold
Rick's Four Winns H180 Mods/Upgrade Thread

Ric, the pump was an automatic one, it was on, but I didn't notice it until I got to shore. It has a manual switch as well. I ended up purchasing a 2000 GPH pump from ebay tonight. I hope I don't have to upgrade the thru-hull fitting.

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

You will have to have a bigger through hull fitting.

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[url][/url]

I do all my own work and one of the habits I have been in is running the boat on the water hose several times before it goes on the mooring, to make sure there are no water leaks in the engine compartment. I also put some water in the bilge to make sure the auto bilge switch works. I have an 1100 gph pump and a Sure Bail switch, they are very good. The first one lasted me 11 years I just had to replace it this month. I also clean out the bilge (old boats have a ton of crud in the bilge) each season so there is nothing to clog the pump. And I agree boats should have more than one bilge pump. The issue you sometimes have with upgrading pumps is that the wiring might only be sized for the current draw of the pump it came with. So I'd check that too. I found that I had to re-do the connections in the bilge after 11 seasons of exposure to salt air. Marine crimp terminals and liquid electrical tape.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

So my buddy was shooting video when I started taking on water, you can see the boat porpoising

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbuuFzmr ... load_owner

I nursed it to the closest beach that I could find.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKbREoy5 ... load_owner

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

Sounds terrifying! Glad it all worked out!

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Seth




2005 210 Horizon
5.0L GXi
"Don't Think Twice"

I already swapped in the 2000 GPH pump along with a new float switch. I'm going to temporarily use an adapter from 3/4 to 1 1/8 inch until I can get the proper thru hull installed.

Someone had posted this a few years back, it seems FW uses products from these guys

http://www.marinehardware.com/downloads/import.pdf

So I am going to see if I can order the thru hull directly from them

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

You do realize that you just turned your bilge pump into a water cannon, right? I bet you will shoot water out the side of your boat at least 10 feet...

Your kids will fill the bilge just to play in the water stream...

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

You will probably be directed to a distributor for the thru-hull for purchase. lot's of places to get these.

http://www.fisheriessupply.com/marine-h ... hmr1-500-s

http://www.bargainboatparts.com/p-10159 ... hulls.aspx

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2005 H200

Thanks for the links I love this forum. After all the excitement, we headed back

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

Wayne, go see Martin at Port Whitby Marine Supplies. 905-668-4077.

Hell of a good guy. He'll fix you up at a good price too.

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07 Azure AZ200,
Previous boat,
95 278 Vista,
And a lot of others.

Ontario, Canada

Man that must have been scary!
One of my jobs this summer is to install an additional emergency bilge pump this summer. Not replace the existing one, but and additional one mounted a few inches above the normal pump. The hope would be it will never turn on, but if you need it it will be there in addition to the factory installed one.
You've just increased the priority of this job for me.

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1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD