Ran aground

LVChris · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2016 2:30 pm

So it finally happened to me. With Lake Mead dropping lower each day new dangers pop up each time I go out on the water. Typically I am over cautious when leaving and entering the bay to load/unload my boat. In fact Saturday when I went to the ramp that I usually launch from (this year) I found this, and elected to drive to the next ramp.

When I got there I checked, it was much better than it was earlier this year and I decided it was safe to launch and retrieve.

Went out no problem, great day on the lake, when I cam back I noticed a boat near the shore getting assistance from another vessel, so I went far to the other side of the harbor to give them plenty of space. Unfortunately I was paying more attention to them than me. With no warning (low water alarm never sounded) I hear a thump and my boat is stuck. The engine dies and I look over the side and see I am in about two feet of water! It feels like I am sitting on the keel and have run aground hard. But the next few seconds I react and quickly and back her off and find the center of the channel

I get her out of the water and survey the damage, looks like a few chips in the prop, and a small piece broken off the keel. I find no evidence of damage to the bottom so I don't think she ever hit the fiberglass.

When I pull the plug however about a gallon of water came out...I towed her all the way to the lake with the plug out, so no way the water was there before, and I never had anything splash in while I was out. So I guessed I separated the outdrive housing from the transom. So I put the plug back in and backed her in the water and took a look, I saw no water coming in anywhere.

Have I missed anything? Should I have started her back up to see if there was water pumping in? Is this small keel chip going to be a problem?

I really feel like I should be happy...it could have been A LOT worse.

TheDanceII · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2016 4:24 pm

I would not worry about the skeg. It is fine and that piece missing will have no effect on anything.
Prop - I would take a file and file the edges smooth and let it go based on what was showing in the pic.

Water - I doubt you hit hard enough to pull anything away from the transom. When was the last time you had the boots changed? Take a look and feel around to make sure they are tight and there are no cracks/holes in the shift cable or gimbal bearing boots. If they are 8 years old or older, then you are getting to the point they need changing and that is probably where the water is coming from if you can't find any other leaks from any of your accessories.

LouC · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2016 4:57 pm

Its possible that the impact flexed the transom seal just enough to let in some water, if none came it after you backed it back in, then its probably OK. I might check it again. If you had to power off consider replacing the impeller and wear plate as the sand sucked in, may wear both and cause it to pump less water. Do take a look at your driveshaft bellows, if you see lots of small cracks in the folds replace it.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2016 9:57 pm

FAIL!!! Why did you do that

LVChris · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2016 2:59 am

Thanks, I'll let you know if I see any more water on her next trip.

LouC · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2016 9:36 am

I had something similar a few years ago, not hitting hard but getting stuck on a sand bar, we have shoaling and 7-8 foot water depth changes from low to high tide. What I found was somewhat elevated engine temp levels (normal was 160-175, then I was getting 175-185). I took apart the impeller housing and while the impeller itself looked good, you could see wear on the sides of the blades and scoring on the wear plate. New impeller and plate fixed it all up. The harbor was dredged the year after and now its much deeper where we keep the boat.

Surface Interval · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2016 11:04 am

Chris, its possible that backing off the grounding site may have caused a transom shield-to-transom leak. In reverse the prop thrust is trying to pull the bottom of the transom shield away from the transom, especially if additional power was needed. Some of these boats have experienced the transom either shrinking in thickness, or the bolts being loose for other reasons over time. After several years of use an event like this may trigger a leak that would not have happened otherwise.

It would be good to launch the boat and run it to look for the leak and narrow it down to the transom or to another source.

Did you previously have a transom shield-to-transom water leak that you stopped by tightening the mounting bolts? It might be worthwhile to check the 6 bolts attaching the transom shield on the outside and the transom bracket on the inside. This may or may not show a leak immediately if they are loose. If the boat is in the water you might try to see if you have a leak by adding some power while in reverse and looking in the bilge fro the source of the leak. On the trailer, raise the front of the boat, add some water to the bilge, and maybe even trim the drive down lightly against a block to simulate the forces in reverse. Look at the outside bottom of the transom shield for leakage.

If the transom shield is the source, the best way to fix it is to replace the gasket between the transom shield and the transom. This most likely means pulling the outdrive and the engine. Check the condition of the transom while everything is apart.

You might be able to tighten the 6 bolts. This might work or it might not work.

One other thing that has been done as either a "band-aid" or as an extra measure of prevention against a future issue is to clean the surfaces where the transom shield and the transom meet, and apply a small bead of 3M 5200 or other marine underwater sealant. This might help as long as the transom shield bolts are tight. Keep in mind that this is not the ideal, official, or best way to fix the issue, but it might help. If you do this, remember to remove the anode on the bottom of the transom shield and the cap on the top of the outdrive (if equipped like the DP-SM), and clean those area to ensure a complete seal. Reassemble when the sealant is dry. Whether you leave the sealant on, or just use this as a method to troubleshoot the leak source is your choice. I have done this on the 2 Volvo drives I have owned with good results.

LVChris · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2016 12:04 pm

Lou - I replace the impeller every year, so I will be pulling it soon anyhow. One great thing about this configuration, easy access to impeller.

SI - yes I hit the ground a couple years back going into a beach and caused some water to leak in slowly from the transom shield. The bolts are impossible to get at without removing half the engine so we did what we could then put a nice bead of silicone around it. Band-aid has worked for 3 years. My thought is I remove the silicone and re-apply new if I see anymore water.

Thanks again everyone

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Ran aground

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