Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

[kmarine]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

I recommend a temp sensing bilge heater and some propaline glycol to melt the ice and then carefully drill holes in the ice and fill with the antifreeze stay away from the hull and let the glycol melt the ice, you probably have no engine damage. Rebuild starter and prey for no structural damage. If you have room you may want to add a second bilge drain hole or install a seacock as a LAST!!! resort. I say you have a 65% chance of no structural damage to hull. hopefully you

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

The first thing to do is to open up the plug!

Either drill through the plug itself. (Preferred.) Or remove the screws holding the fitting to the hull and put a wrench on it.
The Sealant will let go and you can then repair/replace the plug without putting another hole in the boat.
Even a 1/4 inch hole will drain 1000 gallons a day.

Remember that removing the fitting or drilling a new hole is going allow water into the sides of the hole.
If there is unsealed wood within the opening, you create another problem.

The ice is going to melt from the bottom up.
As the air temperature warms the hull will warm and the ice next to the hull will melt first.

Forget the Heater idea. 100 watts will melt 1 quart of ice per hour. 6 gallons a day.
Antifreeze will work but you would need a lot of it. Like 10 gallons or more.
Any damage is already done. Don't add to the problem. Just let nature do the work.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

I recommend a temp sensing bilge heater and some propaline glycol to melt the ice and then carefully drill holes in the ice and fill with the antifreeze stay away from the hull and let the glycol melt the ice, you probably have no engine damage. Rebuild starter and prey for no structural damage. If you have room you may want to add a second bilge drain hole or install a seacock as a LAST!!! resort. I say you have a 65% chance of no structural damage to hull. hopefully you

Are you sure antifreeze melts ice? I don't think it will.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

Plug removed or drilled through it to allow water to exit, I would shy away from drilling any new holes, this will only create more water damage in the transom. No need for salt anti freeze lite bulbs or heaters either. Tarp the boat with a darker colored water proof tarp as already mentioned. Now you will wait for nature to melt the mess. Check your water exit daily to ensure it doesn't get plugged back up with bilge debris. Don't turn anything on in the boat, remove dead battery and wait. While you're waiting for your ice to melt, you can consider what will need repairing or replacing. If you have ice/water in other areas of you boat, you will have some water damage, carpet, cabinets electrical. But that will come after you fix your drain plug, battery, starter, bilge. One thing at a time and you will find out how bad the mess is. There is no location on your signature so it's hard to tell where you are.


Make this mess a learning experience I guess, you already know the list of mistakes made.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

Ok so i just ordered this new drain plug . Amazon.com: Invincible Marine Brass Garboard Plug Kit: Sports & Outdoors
This is the right diameter right?

It's your money I would gone with iboats........... Seasense Garboard Drain Plug however your lack of listening to advice is showing and it will get worse before it gets better. All I see is neglect.

A heater will not melt the ice since heat rises and if you need to generate enough heat to melt the ice you will end up setting the hull on fire.

 

[BigDog98]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

It's your money I would gone with iboats........... Seasense Garboard Drain Plug however your lack of listening to advice is showing and it will get worse before it gets better. All I see is neglect.

A heater will not melt the ice since heat rises and if you need to generate enough heat to melt the ice you will end up setting the hull on fire.

Yeah. Nobody advised me to look on iboats for one. And i am listening to everyone's advise. Like i said the plan for the next time i see the boat is to get that plug out and drill through the ice where the exit hole is. Then i will put up the summer canvas and on top of it i will put on a big tarp to try and keep away from water entering the boat with the next few days of rain. All i was thinking was just to break the ice in the cabin and carry it out in trash cans to put less stress on the hull. But i have decided to not put any heaters inside. Also i will be taking the battery's home with me to fully charge them and also remove the starter to rebuild or buy a new one. After the ice melts i will clean out the bilge and check for cracks or damage and then go from there. I am sure withing the few days ill have a thread on the starter if any questions occur on it. Thanks Again

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

For how long should i put the heater in there? I mean i don't want the boat to catch fire. And thanks for giving me hope.

Until all the ice is gone and it's drained...keep that plug out.. I think once drained you will find your damage manageable.. you drained the block.. if after draining, u put plug back in.. outside water hopefully did not get back in... ice will expand to a point as long at it's got someplace to go...looks like it had room to move.... I'm guessing you will survive this one.... next time.. "blue tarp" (a waterproof tarp) over canvas cover will keep you mostly dry. we all know some water will get in... my canvas snap cover does not keep water out after hard rain... good luck......

 

[superbenk]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

Blue tarp over canvas will also grow mold & mildew on your canvas cover nicely. It'd be better if you can leave an air gap between the two covers or just replace the canvas with a full plastic tarp (or shrink wrap). If there isn't air movement under the cover you'll get mold/mildew growing in your carpets and other places in your boat too. Water tight is important, but so is air movement & ventilation.

Any way you could pay someone at the storage yard to remove the plug sooner or could you get up there sooner? We're having warming weather now. I'd hate to hear about that water just sitting in there longer than it absolutely needs to or staying in there just so it can freeze again. Maybe take a half day off from work and go up there to deal with it right away and improve your chances of avoiding damages? Seems like a bad time to wait.

 

[Alumarine]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

Are you sure antifreeze melts ice? I don't think it will.

You're right sort of, it will melt the ice if you preheat it to 200 degrees...

 

[QC]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

Summary of this thread, all of it: get the plug out, and leave it out.

When all the water is drained out, then start with the next thing. One thing at a time Good luck!

P.S. Make sure the bow is up enough that she will drain!!!

 

[MikDee]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

IMO, I would try heat from a hair dryer on the plug, I don't think it would get hot enough to do any damage, but maybe just enough for you to get out your square socket, & breaker bar, to give it a go! If worse comes to worse, just drill out the plug with increasingly bigger drill bits, so it's a good size hole, just to let the water out. Eventually once you get all or most of the water out, you should be able to use a good size "easyout" tool to get the remaining hollow shell of the drain plug out. In the future, use Teflon tape on the plug threads so it doesn't corrode, & get stuck in there.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

summary of this thread, all of it: get the plug out, and leave it out.

when all the water is drained out, then start with the next thing. One thing at a time good luck!

P.s. Make sure the bow is up enough that she will drain!!!

Amen!

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

Bummer

At this point my advise is to crawl under the boat, remove the 3 or 4 screws and remove the old plug and flange like we told you last fall. (I know, its salt in the wound)

Now if mother nature is not helping, not much you can do other than possibly removing your canvas and hoping the sun hits the inside.

and FWIW, insurance is not only a good thing (even on your 1991 boat) it is mandatory in many areas.

Then drill thru the ice like you have been instructed to allow the water to start flowing out once the ice starts to melt

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

As far as the engine, its most likely fine, but your starter is probably shot. If it isn't bad now, it will fail sometime this season. There is no way I'd trust it!

Definitely agree with this. You already learned one lesson about taking shortcuts, no need to learn another one.

By the way, 11V is a dead battery. No way it would ever allow you to turn over your engine.

These types of threads are good, except for the OP of course. I wonder how many people have gone outside to check their bilges/plugs after this!

 

[Maclin]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

I just went out and hooked up the battery for monthly maintenance charge, thanks for the reminder Bruce!

 

[superbenk]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

I just went out and hooked up the battery for monthly maintenance charge, thanks for the reminder Bruce!

Why not get a float charger & just leave it on all the time? I do that with my boat & camper batteries throughout the winter. Keeps them constantly maintained & fresh.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

This time of year can get pretty loud around my house as snow melts off the roof during the day and trickles through the gutters, then freezes again each night. You can see the spot in my gutters where it happens because it's pushed out and on a couple occasions I've had to reattach it to the fascia. The cracking sounds are insanely loud and sometimes you can feel them. Freeze/thaw cycles are not a good thing, I'd find a way of getting it inside.

 

[BigDog98]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

OK guys. Advice taken! Will get to the boat ASAP do get that plug out and will put o a tarp ontop.

 

[roffey]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

I bet you will be fine, worst case is a new starter. I had asked a similar question for a boat I had just purchased. I was told boats are meant to get wet. Maybe not submerged LOL. Some of these guys in here can be pretty tough on you but I think they are looking out for your best interests.

Good luck, it won't be as bad as you think.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Total Mayhem At The Boat!! (Totally Screwed)

These types of threads are good, except for the OP of course. I wonder how many people have gone outside to check their bilges/plugs after this!

My boat is in a relatively new shop building, and I'm even paranoid now! I ALWAYS leave the plug out, but for some reason I want to check now... Never know, the roof might have caved in from the relatively minimal snow we had, and it might be dumping all the spring melt right into my boat...

umm, back in an hour or so!