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I sunk my boat!

21K views 42 replies 14 participants last post by  imamonstertruck 
#1 ·
Yeppers it happened last week. Best friend and bud in town for a change. We went out to do an overnighter on the 'Mac. We had set up an island camp earlier in the day. Fishing most of the afternoon with decent results. Water was low! 1.6 or so at POR gauge. Pretty low for my boat.

Around 5pm we were heading back up midstream through a shallow riffle. We banged a couple of times but nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. I hear a "HEY" from the back of the boat and turn around and the floor is filling up fast. I try to get us moving again but we are now sitting on rocks. I turn on the bilge pump and we start to figure out what we have done.

We are now sitting hard on the bottom facing downstream. Nearest ramp that way is a couple of miles. Camp is over there a ways and shallow between us and there. Nearest ramp up stream is at least 1/2 mile but we can sorta see it.

Boat is on the bottom but water is still rising in the boat. I get to see if we got lucky and knocked the plug out. No such luck. The place where the plug goes wasn't where it should be.


OOPS! Of course this is all underwater of course and working by feel. I cleared away some of the gravel and it didn't feel good. Very jagged hole. A rock had tried to peel open the transom. We tried rags and such to fill the hole but no luck. Very little wood in the neighborhood. I even tried stuffing a flattened plastic water bottle in the hole. About this point I'm starting to get concerned about boat electrics getting swamped. They are mounted high but the water is still rising. Before it was over this switch almost got underwater!


I reached a point where I was thinking. "This might as well be my truck sitting here in the middle of the river. How the hell do you call a tow truck for this?" My thoughts at this point are we might need some outside help. At least walking to shore then down the canal to the truck to go find something to fix this with.

I had 1 persons # that I was aware of in my new phone that might have a clue. So I called him. He was at work not free. But in talking about the situation he reminded me that he thought, "Didn't Buddha plug a hole in his boat with rubber worms?" What the heck I've got bags of those. Let me try it and I'll get back to you.

While I was talking my bud had managed to get a plastic bottle shoved up in the hole but it wasn't stopping the water. I grabbed a bag full of these and bent them in 1/2 and starting shoving them in the hole.


Before long it felt like I was sealing up the hole. I was shoving worms into every crevice around the water bottle and using them for caulk. The bilge pump was still running and my bud who was bailing says "Hey I think it working. The water is dropping!" So I stuffed as many as I could into any hole I could and then cut the top off a 16oz water bottle and started bailing. My bud was using a 20oz coffee cup. We bailed for over an hour but dropped the water pretty good. He said, "lets see what we have now." I got off the boat gunnel and it floated. We just grabbed the boat at each end and started walking it up stream through the riffle. If worst came to worst we would walk it back to the ramp. We got to a point where we had some water under the boat but it was filling back up. I tried the motor and it fired. He climbed up on the side and we putt putted back to the ramp. I couldn't believe it when we finally got there.

We managed to get the boat winched up on the trailer. Also not an easy task. Once at the top of the ramp we found this.




I can just about get my fat hand inside that hole!

Anyway once we got to the ramp I let Ron know. We also headed for home to drop off the boat. That's 1.5 hours away. We got home about 9:15pm and Mama Squatch made us a couple of sandwiches. We hadn't eaten all day. I unhitched the trailer. Grabbed the few things we needed out of the boat. The we grabbed my tandem canoe out from under the porch and threw it on the roof racks. Remember we still had a camp set up on the river. We were about as wired for sound as you can get from the event's of the evening. So by 11:30pm we were back on the water paddling my canoe under the full moon back to the island. We got there and built a fire. Cooked the dinner we had brought. About 6 hours late. Had a few cold ones and finally calmed down at about 3 am. Next am packed it up and paddled it back to the truck.

A little hindsight after it's been over a while. 1st My bud was the best! We've been through a lot together and have worked, fished, camped ect for over 25 years together. When things go wrong it's so good to be with someone that just naturally knows what to do and does it. No BS at all. Just get-er-done.

Even the best organized folks get tunnel vision in times like these. There were other things to plug the hole with that just didn't register at the time. Closed cell foam from around the troller batteries. We could have cut open a throw cushion and used the closed cell foam from that. The rubber worms did work well and were easy to use quickly.

Since I've had this boat on the water ('07) I've used the live well exactly once! When I get the boat repaired I will have the holes in the transom for the live well filled. I'll add a drain on both sides of the tunnel. I'll also add a 2nd big bilge pump on the other side. Both bilge pump will be as big as I can get. I think the one I have now is a 750 or 1,000. And I will carry 2 balling jugs. I normally have a jug on board but somewhere recently it disappeared. Probably got nasty and was pitched.

When I built this boat I mounted all the electrics(and everything else) as high as possible in the boat. Every connection was soldered and heat shrunk then covered with liquid electrical tape. Lot's of switches and breakers. It saved me a lot of hassle after the fact. No real drying out of electrical stuff. The pump was still running when we got this boat on the trailer. in the process I did find out a day or 2 later that the main battery did get dunked in the process. There was a box full of water. I'm thinking this happened as we loaded it on the trailer.
 
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#2 ·
Wow! That's a crazy story!!! I've never sank a boat, but I've had some fun little scares. I could definitely see how that would be terrifying, but the good news is that you were sitting on the bottom. If you hadn't bottomed out, then it would have taken on enough water to become unstable and then plunged in deeper water. I'd say you guys got really lucky! I've only ever sank stuff on the ramp, and that was from forgetting the plug! It makes for an interesting hour or so, blocking the ramp and dragging it up slowly while it drains...

What's the plan for repair? Is it aluminum or fiberglass? hard to tell.
 
#3 ·
It's aluminum. These things happen when you run skinny water sooner or later. That's what the boat is set up for. Shallow rivers with a jet lower unit. When I get a chance I'll haul it to one of the east coast custom builders and get it fixed and reinforced a bit. For now it's been winterized and stored till I can get to it.

Bad part about running shallow rocky rivers is you hit stuff and break boats. The good part is they usually don't sink far.
 
#4 ·
Squatch,
Wow, what an adventure. I know about these things. Always wanted to live waterfront. Retired in 96 and the opportunity presented itself. Found a nice 3,2,2 on almost an acre on Lake Fork, a premier bass lake in east Texas. When they built the lake, 27,000 acres, they cleared 7,000 acres for boat lanes that were marked with bouys. As long as you navigated from bouy to bouy you were safe in a cleared boat lane. Got me a Skeeter with a 125 Johnson on back. I lived there 6 years and have many memories like you with adventures hitting submerged trees. My neighbor got a brand new Ranger bass boat. He came to show it to me and said, we'll lets go get it over with and run it into a submerged tree. It's going to happed sooner or later anyway. Regularly caught 6 to 8 pounders off my dock. Good memories, didn't mean to hijack your thread.
 
#5 ·
Good job McGyver!!

I think you could break anything, and find a way to rig it back together. You never cease to amaze me.
 
#6 ·
Wow Mark, that is crazy :shock: ! Glad you didnt loose the boat.

cheers
-Ian :blackeye:
 
#8 ·
What are your plans to mend the thing?

cheers
-Ian :blackeye:
 
#9 ·
For the moment it's going to sit. I'll just fish from one of the canoes. I had a several cracks and tears welded in this boat when I refurbished it. So that's not a big deal. But right now I'm buried in the truck and camper project.

When I get back to it I'll pull the engine and most other loose stuff off of it so it can be flipped if need be. Then I'll take it to a boat shop. There are about 4 places around here that actually build custom boats for running shallow rivers. I'll let one of them fix it and I'll get to work doing some upgrade stuff on the engine.

I'll probably disconnect the live well stuff and get the transom holes plugged. I don't use it and would rather have it as a dry storage locker. Since the drain plug was trashed I'll probably have 2 mounted next time. One on either side of the jet tunnel.


As you can see this boat is familiar with smacking the bottom.
I'll also probably upgrade the bilge pump to the biggest I can find and add a 2nd one on the other side of the tunnel.

This is the guys who raised my transom and installed the jet pump.
http://www.jamesriverjets.com/

New player in the area.
http://riverroadjetboats.com/

http://www.rockproofboats.com/

Snyder boats makes tanks. Hard to get your boat in his shop though. He's just too busy. About an hour from me.
 
#10 ·
Well Mark, we all know that you have no problem getting your use out things. Looks like that boat has seen its fair share of adventure :D

Busy as always I see.

Speaking of canoe's, we have yet to get our's wet. Should be a sin :oops:

cheers
-Ian :blackeye:
 
#11 ·
When we took the canoe out the other night it was the 1st time the big one had been used in 2 years. My solo hasn't been wet this year either. So now they'll get used.
 
#13 ·
Rubber worm patches. I'm impressed it worked! I like the jet boats and they get in a lot of places a prop can't. We screwed one up duck hunting on the Staunton River. Running on plane it stayed over the rocks, coming off plane it smacked one and poked a hole in the bottom. And I agree shallow water is good. So are insulated waders.

Is your boat fully welded or riveted. I'm guessing welded.
 
#14 ·
Man you have a never ending life adventure of trials and tribulations lol

That could have been real bad !! Shallow river running at least somewhat safeguards you from completely sinking .. I'm smirking at the dual bilge setup and highest flow you can get idea , obviously you don't like troublesome situations , but then you wouldn't have all these story's !!

That sure tore out bad , never thought of rubber worms !! As bad as that was torn I'm glad you didn't slice up your hand plugging it..
 
#15 ·
I missed this thread earlier. Saw something about the boat in your Spacecab thread, but never saw the actual thread until today. Bag of rubber worms, I'd have never thought of that. Glad all worked out okay. Never sunk a boat yet (accidentally). Dennis
 
#16 ·
The last time I was in your boat, I was a bit worried about some of the landings you made on the rock "beaches". Being used to fiberglass, I just cringed the way you ignored rocks. I guess the pounding finally got to the old gal. Thankfully, your ingenuity and the bag of worms got her refloated. Nice recovery!
 
#17 ·
That's the front of the boat. That's different. In this case I think I clipped a large rock just as I was opening the throttle to head upstream in shallow water. This makes the stern squat and I think I caught a rock just as I opened it up. I little thunk and it was over. That part of the stern had already had a good beatin' before I rehabbed the boat!
 
#20 ·
Dropped the hull off at James River Jets in VA to get it repaired. I even talked to the owner about a new hull. He showed us how his are designed to keep this kind of damage from happening in the 1st place. For now I'm just getting mine fixed. Hope to have it back next week.
 
#22 ·
Is it coming to Uwharrie? Just kidding, I know there is a lot of work to put it back together.
 
#23 ·
I thought I'd add some repair pics.

I had it repaired at James River Jets posted above. Jim is a great guy. I removed the fittings for the live well which I don't use. He lowered the holes and used them for 2 new drain tubes. Now have a drain plug on either side of the tunnel. He fixed the tear in the hull as well. I spent more on gas getting it there and back than he charged me for the fix.


This is where that big tear was.






New extra drain.


I need to clean the tubes up with a file a bit. No Biggie. Still debating on whether to put a fresh coat of epoxy on the hull or not before I put it back together.
 
#24 ·
Cross your fingers folks. The SS Minnow is almost back on the water! Waiting for the rain to stop so I can start it in the driveway before hauling it to the river.
2 weeks ago.


Mouse nest.


Today.


The hull has been patched and 2 new drains added in place of the hull penetrations for the live well. I have also added a 2nd bilge pump which I reused the live well wiring for. I have used the live well exactly twice in 10 years. Now it is a dry storage box.


I went through the motor and did the thermostat upgrade and moved the Pee hose per a 1994 technical service bulletin that was never done. This thread here. http://www.riversmallies.com/forum/showthread.php?6898-Johnson-2-stroke-triple-please-read. The water pressure gauge was left hooked up to the old water fitting in the exhaust cover plate.


I replaced the reed valves with new Boyeson reeds after lapping the reed blocks. There was plenty of light showing through the old reeds. It was way past time. I rebuilt the carbs and replaced all the fuel lines. The entire engine was basically one big fuel weep because of old dried up lines.
Old reeds.


Before lapping block.


After.


New reeds.
 
#25 ·
Rebuilt and ready to install.



Much better.


The VRO system was disconnected before I got the motor. So I replaced that old and expensive fuel pump with a different new one for a non VRO motor. I've always run premix so no big deal there.


Every electrical connection in the motor and on the entire boat was cleaned and polished and redone where needed. I found several semi corroded or dirty connections that may have been my cut out problem.

I also replaced the original 70's vintage ignition switch in my control box.

Also replaced the stick steering cable.






So when the rain stops I'll pull it out of the garage. Drop the lower unit and get the gravel out of it. Put that back on. gas it up. Then start it on the hose and check for fuel leaks. Adjust the carbs. If all goes well next step is a river trial and she should be good for a while again with luck.
 
#26 ·
My fingers are crossed!
 
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