outdrive in muck

[Cool It]

hey here's one for you guys-- at low tide at my dock my outdrive ends up sitting in the muck- new dock space is hard to come by so my question is can I leave the drive in the up trailer position or will that stretch the bellows or any other problems over time-- or should I just leave it in the muck -- but then I worry about all of that getting into the prop and will I end up with a seal problem????<br /><br />Any Opinion<br /><br />Thanks<br />Cool It

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: outdrive in muck

Leave it up! Sucking crud into your impeller will cause premature failure....<br />You will not hurt the bellows by leaving it in the up position....JK

 

[Cool It]

Re: outdrive in muck

Thanks-- Iwas always told that you stretch the bellows and put more wear on them by leaving the drive up --is that just a myth???<br /><br />Thanks<br />Cool It

 

[Bondo]

Re: outdrive in muck

While it may stretch the bellows,+ cause premature failure,........<br /><br />Packing the Waterpump Impeller,+ pickup tube with Mud,.... will lead to Sudden Catastrophic Failure.......<br /><br />In Your Unique situation,.....<br />I'd be changing the Impeller Atleast yearly,......And paying extremely close attention to the Bellows..........

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: outdrive in muck

Get rid of the muck !! thats the solution to your problem.Doesent sound like an option but it is.The easiest way to do this is to make sure the boat is tied up tightly and at high tide with the drive 1/2 way down, run the motor and put in reverse for about 30 seconds and shut down.Wait until the murky water clears and settles and do this again.After you repeat this a few times ,you will have blasted a hole in the muck around the drive.Next(as long as it is still high tide)Run the motor again and lower the drive after putting it in reverse.This will blow the muck forward and get it out of the slip.Dont expect to do this all in one day.You will have to do this at several high tides to be effective.Eventually as you make some progress you can turn the drive side to side and really open up your slip.If you are fortunate enough to not have a bulkhead behind your boat you can do the same in fwd.The keys to doing this correctly are to not run the motor more than about 30 seconds ,after that is usually when the muck really kicks up and you want to avoid the drive sucking it up.dont let the motor warm up .You want the tstat closed so if any muck does get sucked up it wont enter the block.Only do this at high tide so there is suffecient water between the drive and the muck .By the way this is all assuming you are backed into the slip.My slip had no water and all muck at low tide when we got it .We now have the deepest slip in the marina.I am able to keep my drives down all the time.

 

[Cool It]

Re: outdrive in muck

I park broadside. it seems to me that the muck will just settle right back in -- Not sure sounds good I guess Ill have to try it -- I need to do something!!!!!<br /><br />Thanks <br />Cool It

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: outdrive in muck

Being broadside will actually make it easier to clear out.My slip is in the corner of the marina.Before it was my slip ,it was the worst slip in the marina.Zodiacs would tie up there.Now it is the most desired slip in the marina.Five feet deep at the drives .

 

[Speedwagon]

Re: outdrive in muck

Originally posted by crazy charlie:<br /> Get rid of the muck !! thats the solution to your problem.Doesent sound like an option but it is.The easiest way to do this is to make sure the boat is tied up tightly and at high tide with the drive 1/2 way down, run the motor and put in reverse for about 30 seconds and shut down.Wait until the murky water clears and settles and do this again.After you repeat this a few times ,you will have blasted a hole in the muck around the drive.Next(as long as it is still high tide)Run the motor again and lower the drive after putting it in reverse.This will blow the muck forward and get it out of the slip.Dont expect to do this all in one day.You will have to do this at several high tides to be effective.Eventually as you make some progress you can turn the drive side to side and really open up your slip.If you are fortunate enough to not have a bulkhead behind your boat you can do the same in fwd.The keys to doing this correctly are to not run the motor more than about 30 seconds ,after that is usually when the muck really kicks up and you want to avoid the drive sucking it up.dont let the motor warm up .You want the tstat closed so if any muck does get sucked up it wont enter the block.Only do this at high tide so there is suffecient water between the drive and the muck .By the way this is all assuming you are backed into the slip.My slip had no water and all muck at low tide when we got it .We now have the deepest slip in the marina.I am able to keep my drives down all the time.

Would that work if one is using a boat lift?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: outdrive in muck

yes it will work with the lift situation. we had a lake house, where we would beach the boat, and always have to lift the motor to get back out. threw 2 anchors out the stern, out motor in forward and at high idle blasted us a slip so we could come and go. work great. a friend bought a house on the river. wanting to dock his deep draft sail boat. the army corp of engineers wouldn't let him dredge, so he hire a tug boats to blow it out for him.