G3 Boat

[beckoning]

G3 boats are by Yamaha. I have a 2005, 18' model I bought. Great boat, but I have questions. Yamaha hasn't been very helpful. Does anyone have a G3 boat of that vintage? It has 3 live wells/aereators, and I can't figure them out. Maybe it's just me. I have other questions if anyone knows the G3 boat.

 

[MikeSchinlaub]

What exactly is the issue with the livewells?

 

[Jeff J]

I own a G3 sightly smaller and a few years newer. Throw the questions out here. Someone will know the answer.

 

[StewartL]

For the live wells, check for any unmarked switches or valves near the wells themselves; older setups can be unintuitive. A general marine mechanic could also help decipher the system if you can't find other owners.

 

[beckoning]

What exactly is the issue with the livewells?

There are 3 "live wells". The rear well is fairly obvious. It will fill and manually drain. It has a removable standpipe. The bow live well at the bow is not used. It is the live well immediately in front of the helm that is most confusing. 1) it seems to fill for no reason. 2) once full, I can't figure out how to drain it. 3) I would never use it.

I fish for salmon + lakers on Lake Michigan, keeping all to eat. Once caught, they go to the stern well where they bleed out. I have no use for the other 2 "live wells" or "aerators" or whatever they are.

 

[beckoning]

For the live wells, check for any unmarked switches or valves near the wells themselves; older setups can be unintuitive. A general marine mechanic could also help decipher the system if you can't find other owners.

Stewart, I'm miles from a marine mechanic. There are no unmarked or hidden switches I can find.

 

[Jeff J]

Is the middle livewell just doing its own thing at random or is it operating at the same time as another livewell? Does it cycle on every few minutes (aerate)?

Can you post a picture of your switch panel and maybe a couple of the middle livewell?

Basically, I am wondering if it is on its own switch or if it is sharing one. It is possible someone modified the wiring to suit them.

My livewell switches are 3 position rockers. I can’t remember how they are labeled but I know down is on, middle is off and up turns on a timer that cycles the pump on and off every few minutes.

 

[mr 88]

Put a plug on any inlet going into the livewell you want dry .

 

[nola mike]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.g3boats.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/G3_Fish_Boat_OM_WEB_04-05-2023.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwic_-23vayPAxU438kDHUHqE9oQFnoECFIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2zoSl1aey_gGFnyBz4lcKc

 

[dingbat]

Quite a few systems use manual selector valves to select which tank is in use

 

[beckoning]

2005 G3 185. Great boat, bought last year. A few questions: 1) The forward port side live well will not empty. I can get it to fill, but not empty. I have the manual, but it hasn't helped.. I've blown out the lines, and nothing. 2) The fiberglass dash on the port side between glovebox and windshield has a long thin crack that I do NOT want to spread. How to stabilize it? 3) When the bilge fills, something pumps the water into the motor well through a drain hold at the rear of the motor well. The auto bilge pump empties on the side of the boat. 4) The steering wheel is 180 degrees off when moving straight ahead. How to realign it? My old boat was easy to remove and reposition the wheel. But this one is on solid as if I need a puller. Ideas?

 

[Texasmark]

2005 G3 185. Great boat, bought last year. A few questions: 1) The forward port side live well will not empty. I can get it to fill, but not empty. I have the manual, but it hasn't helped.. I've blown out the lines, and nothing. 2) The fiberglass dash on the port side between glovebox and windshield has a long thin crack that I do NOT want to spread. How to stabilize it? 3) When the bilge fills, something pumps the water into the motor well through a drain hold at the rear of the motor well. The auto bilge pump empties on the side of the boat. 4) The steering wheel is 180 degrees off when moving straight ahead. How to realign it? My old boat was easy to remove and reposition the wheel. But this one is on solid as if I need a puller. Ideas?

I can help you with the crack. Get a reasonably sized drill bit, maybe 3/8" in diameter and a smaller bit...maybe 1/8" and several sizes in-between. At the point where the crack stops, insert the center of the small bit and carefully drill out the material.......you want to be careful as too much pressure may cause the bit to grab some of the cracked material and distort it. Carefully work your way out to the 3/8" diameter. The circle remaining, is a stress relief maneuver and it distributes the stresses around the circumference rather than at one point that is causing the splitting.
Some ideas:
Is the steering system an enclosed tube or a chain....going to guess an enclosed tube. At the engine clamp bracket, the outer shell is attached to one side of the bracket while the center conductor connects to a metal "arm" that connects to a bracket on the engine proper. If both sides are threaded, then given the amount of threads you have, you can change the relationship there.

The live well: For the water to drain out of the container, it has to have air to replace the water. Otherwise a vacuum will form holding the water in the tank....maybe your venting device is blocked.

The bilge pump: My exposure to bilge water removal is a pump that exits through a tube attached to a fitting on the side of the boat under the Gunwale. Dirt daubers love to plug that fitting.

On the "When the bilge fills.........." You mean prior to the bilge pump operating, something pumps water up and into your splash well? My limited experience with splash wells is that there are 2 ports in the transom with rubber flapper valves that are closed with pressure from outside the boat but open with (water) pressure that accumulates in the splash well. No other connections/connectors to the well. If otherwise, somebody rearranged the plumbing back there as what you said doesn't make sense from a design perspective.....opinion!

 

[MikeSchinlaub]

I can help you with the crack. Get a reasonably sized drill bit, maybe 3/8" in diameter and a smaller bit...maybe 1/8" and several sizes in-between. At the point where the crack stops, insert the center of the small bit and carefully drill out the material.......you want to be careful as too much pressure may cause the bit to grab some of the cracked material and distort it. Carefully work your way out to the 3/8" diameter. The circle remaining, is a stress relief maneuver and it distributes the stresses around the circumference rather than at one point that is causing the splitting.

Sure, but then he'll just have a big hole drilled in the dash.
Beckoning, the crack needs ground out, filled, and sprayed. I'm guessing it either starts at a screw hole that wasn't countersunk or an air void at a corner. That would need to be fixed as well.

The live well: For the water to drain out of the container, it has to have air to replace the water. Otherwise a vacuum will form holding the water in the tank....maybe your venting device is blocked.

I wouldn't have thought of that. It could also be in the drain system. Depending on if it's a pump or a manual valve, it could be several things. A clogged line, cable disconnected, bad pump, bad wiring.

The bulge pump is weird. You'll have to move the hose to whatever fitting you want it to exit from, maybe add another through hull if there isn't one available.

 

[beckoning]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.g3boats.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/G3_Fish_Boat_OM_WEB_04-05-2023.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwic_-23vayPAxU438kDHUHqE9oQFnoECFIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2zoSl1aey_gGFnyBz4lcKc

Nola Mike, Thanks. That is a big help. Sorry I didn't reply earlier.

 

[beckoning]

TexasMark and Mike, Thank you. Great suggestions. With my 81 yr old shaky hands, I fear grinding could make thing worse. If I gently drill small holes, and gently push G-Flex 650 Toughened Epoxy into the crack and newly drilled small holes, then smooth the surface and lightly sand with 400 grit, then find a touchup paint that is close to the dash color to cover the crack. STEERING is dual cable, so TexasMark's suggestion to adjust the wheel by adjusting the motor-end cables (lots of thread left), may be the only solution. I think I'll try just gettin used to an upside down wheel. BILGE: It worked last year. I'll clean and test the auto bilge pump. Maybe I've forgotten something to make it work again this year. LIVE WELLS: The only problem child is the middle well, port side. Bow live well doesn't fill, and stern well is manageable. I'll try all your recommendations for port side middle well. I've already put compressed air and "snake" though, but there seems to be a check valve, and maybe that is stuck. Somehow, I need to find the input, and close that off since I never use that well, just the stern well for Lake Michigan salmon, steelhead, and lake trout (more fun that a barrel of monkeys!!). Currently, Lake Michigan is low 40's, and weather outside is about the same. Needs to warm up before this old man will venture out. Grandson and me on Beckoning IV.

 

[nola mike]

I assume the steering wheel doesn't just have a cover that you can pop off and rotate