# Close call in the Gulf this weekend........



## Parker Phoenix (Jul 21, 2008)

I almost lost my boat this weekend. It appears I had a small leak in an access panal on my diver platform. We were 22 miles offshore from Steinhatchee when I happened to look back and see more water than I normally see. Wondering why my bildge didn't kick on auto, I hit the switch and nothing. Seeing a boat, a miracle, about a mile off, I told the fellow fishing with me to release the water from the bait well, grab the cooler kits and get to the front of the boat. I started the engine and the boat would not plane out, so I just slowed her down, she was about straight up, called a buddy on the radio. He was 12 miles away, and said he was coming my way, give him 30 minutes. I told him unless I could get this bilge pump going I may not have 30 minutes. I fought the boat to withing 50 yards of the anchored vessel, and told the guys I didn't mean to crowd them, but my boat was taking water, and the bildge wasn't pumping. As soon as those words came out of my mouth, the bildge started pumping. I guess when I stopped and all that water that my boat had taken flushed the trash out. I honestly thought the LMD was gonna sink. 

I call my buddy and tell him she was pumping, and I was making hay for the hill and not sparing the ponies. We made it back OK.

I flushed out the transom and found the trash, it appears that when they built the boat they left some plywood scraps in the hull, and that's  what clogged my bildge. I'm taking photos of the debris and emailing them to Trophy, let them know some fools careless actions almost cost me, my boat, gear, and possibly my friends and my life.

I went out today, bought me a spare high capacity bildge pump, with two long hoses, and two long electrical cords with large alligator clips. I keep this in a bag where it can be easily accessed. I suggest all of you do the same. Some of you probably already have.

After we fixed the leak, and the pump, we went 10 miles offshore the next morning to catch some grunts, since the grouper aren't biting in Steinhatchee. All worked well and we got home safely, with two 5 gallon buckets of grunts.

That scared me more than lightning, my buddy, who is a greenhorn, thought I was joking, untill I yelled I'm not playing, get the freaking life jackets. We were fortunate, it wasn't our time to go. It did remind both of us just how fragile life is.


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## Mechanicaldawg (Jul 21, 2008)

That big ole pond can look a WHOLE LOT BIGGER at times like those!

Glad you kept your head and the pump kicked in!

I haven't thought about a spare electric pump but I do have a hand pump. If you have a total electric/power failure them 'gator clips ain't much use!


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## Twenty five ought six (Jul 21, 2008)

I'll second Jeff's suggestion.

When I was coastal fishing, I always carried a manual pump as a  backup.


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## Parker Phoenix (Jul 21, 2008)

Bought one of those too.


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## 2tines (Jul 21, 2008)

that pretty serious stuff out there i live pretty close so i go a good bit know and am thankfull nothing like that has happened YET. glad you made it


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## dawg2 (Jul 21, 2008)

Extra bilge pump is a given off shore and a manual backup is a good practice.  I had wood chips / debris jam my bilge, but it was a different brand boat, but it happens.


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## capt stan (Jul 21, 2008)

Parker Phoenix said:


> I went out today, bought me a spare high capacity bildge pump, with two long hoses, and two long electrical cords with large alligator clips. I keep this in a bag where it can be easily accessed. I suggest all of you do the same. Some of you probably already have.



I've had one of those for years never leave home with out it.

Or a float plan

or CLASS 1 life vests (not the cheap crap around the neck vests)

or an EPIRB

Or a spare kit to include everything you need to rewire a boat with , wire fuses tape connections soder and a torch.

I'm glad it all worked out for you and your safe.

Funny thing is this, my buds look at me funny when I run with them on their boat... I always carry my own vest and bring my EPIRB with me. If they have any questions and don't like it...I don't go!!!

OH yea.I don't allow any drinking on my boat either.. reason being just like what you experianced. You never know when something can/will happen!!! New boat or one 20 years old it don't matter. I don't need a bunch of buzzed panick folks 20 miles out if/ when an issue arrises!!!


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## Mako22 (Jul 21, 2008)

capt stan said:


> I've had one of those for years never leave home with out it.
> 
> Or a float plan
> 
> ...



I just don't go off shore, plenty of fish to catch up by the hill.


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## capt stan (Jul 21, 2008)

carters93 said:


> I just don't go off shore, plenty of fish to catch up by the hill.



More power to ya.Fishing is fishing. Best of luck with it, But you won't have days like this "by the hill " either....


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## Parker Phoenix (Jul 22, 2008)

Amen Captain...Also we all know there is risk involved, sometimes a little exitement is good for the soul.


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## Limitless (Jul 22, 2008)

Thanks for posting Parker; sure made me feel dumb!  I been boating a bunch of years and always have a hand pump and bucket, but never thought of a rigged spare bilge pump.  I leave for the Keys tomorrow for 2 1/2 weeks -- I'll have one with me after a stop at West Marine today and some work on it tonight!!!

Glad it went OK for you guys !


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## Georgiagator (Jul 22, 2008)

*Boat*

Man Glad ya got back safe and sound, Now for the important question did ya get the hole fixed or we gonna have to take my boat out next time, Oh yea with ya blindfolded got to kept holes safe He He He


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## XTREME HUNTER (Jul 22, 2008)

Glad everything worked out for you.  I keep thinking about getting a spare but just aint done it yet.  I will make sure to have one before my next trip.

I am ready for Steinhatchee but going to wait until the Grouper start up again 

See ya then,
GW


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## Parker Phoenix (Jul 22, 2008)

Georgiagator said:


> Man Glad ya got back safe and sound, Now for the important question did ya get the hole fixed or we gonna have to take my boat out next time, Oh yea with ya blindfolded got to kept holes safe He He He



Yeah, the hole is fixed. Thats OK, I can work my handheld by touch. Bring on the blindfold....LOL...


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## Parker Phoenix (Jul 22, 2008)

XTREME HUNTER said:


> Glad everything worked out for you.  I keep thinking about getting a spare but just aint done it yet.  I will make sure to have one before my next trip.
> 
> I am ready for Steinhatchee but going to wait until the Grouper start up again
> 
> ...



By all means, get a spare. that is a helpless feeling. I was just plain lucky not to sink. Last year the grouper were biting good by  the middle of September, by October it is rocking.


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## capt stan (Jul 22, 2008)

Hey man, what caused  the leak at the swim platform??? something from  the factory or just wear /tear just curious. I go over my boat all the time looking and searching, ya can never learn enough of what to look for.

Again, glad it all worked out for ya!!


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## crackerdave (Jul 22, 2008)

Glad you're OK,Parker! That's NOT a good feeling,especially that far offshore.  
A lot of commercial boats have this little plaque in the wheelhouse that says "Oh Lord,Thy sea is so great and my boat is so small."


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## Parker Phoenix (Jul 22, 2008)

capt stan said:


> Hey man, what caused  the leak at the swim platform??? something from  the factory or just wear /tear just curious. I go over my boat all the time looking and searching, ya can never learn enough of what to look for.
> 
> Again, glad it all worked out for ya!!



There is an access panel back where the engine sits. There was a hairline crack in the caulking around the seal allowing water in, also the o ring on the pop off panel appeared to be a little worn. I fixed the caulking but I'm waiting for the new panel to arrive. I also checked my transducer, as it is bottom mounted and it wasn't leaking.


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## Parker Phoenix (Jul 22, 2008)

rangerdave said:


> Glad you're OK,Parker! That's NOT a good feeling,especially that far offshore.
> A lot of commercial boats have this little plaque in the wheelhouse that says "Oh Lord,Thy sea is so great and my boat is so small."



I have seen another that reads, "You have to go out, but you don't have to come back in".

Maybe when I asked for travel mercies before I left on my trip someone was listening.


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## Mako22 (Jul 22, 2008)

capt stan said:


> More power to ya.Fishing is fishing. Best of luck with it, But you won't have days like this "by the hill " either....



Don't really care to have days like that as I can't afford the gas bill that goes along with em.


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## capt stan (Jul 22, 2008)

Parker, so am I hearing you right? The water getting into the splash well(normal) leaked thu an access pannel? If so I have seen this many times and have had the rubber "o" rings go bad on me as well.


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## capt stan (Jul 22, 2008)

carters93 said:


> capt stan said:
> 
> 
> > More power to ya.Fishing is fishing. Best of luck with it, But you won't have days like this "by the hill " either....
> ...


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## Parker Phoenix (Jul 22, 2008)

capt stan said:


> Parker, so am I hearing you right? The water getting into the splash well(normal) leaked thu an access pannel? If so I have seen this many times and have had the rubber "o" rings go bad on me as well.



Yes, that is correct. Something so simple can cause bad things to happen.


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## capt stan (Jul 23, 2008)

Ok Got it thanks man.


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## How2fish (Jul 23, 2008)

Just glad it turned out OK...whew!


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## Nautical Son (Jul 23, 2008)

Parker, I almost lost my boat at the stinking dock. Waves from a storm blew into the splashwell area and before enough leaked thru the access hatch it had come on over the separator wall and had too much stern weight and took on more than the bilge could remove (750gal/hr). Saddest thing is the water also got to the batteries and shorted out the entire system. The only thing that kept the boat from sinking was my custom spliced docklines.

State Farm covered everything and even paid me for my labor to fix it. Needless to say the batteries will never get flooded again where I moved them, and also balanced out the weight at the same time.

Just remember the best bilge pump in the world won't pump if the batteries are gone.

It has been almost a year and I am still finding acid residue in places I never thought it got to.

Also replace any plastic thru hulls with stainless or brass as the plastic will fail at the worst possible time.


The best thing I ever heard was---- When you step on a boat you just stepped down the a few steps on the food chain.


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## crackerdave (Jul 23, 2008)

Definition of boat: A hole in the water surrounded by wood,metal,plastic,or fiberglass into which you pour MONEY!


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## Jr Branham (Jul 23, 2008)

*Trophy*

Let us know how the boat builder responds. I have seen this before, lotsa debris left over from the manufacturing process, just too plain lazy to remove it. Should be part of Quality Control.


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## Redbow (Jul 24, 2008)

Glad everything turned out ok for you guys,,kinda scary ain't it to know you might have to abandon your boat at Sea!

My wife and I almost drowned in the inlet last November when we were thrown out of our boat! It wasn't our time to go either, there was no one to help us, we were own our own in cold water but we made it, thats what counts!

You don't have to be in the Ocean to drown,,its dangerous out there no matter where you are!


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## Mechanicaldawg (Aug 8, 2008)

Look what I found last night!

Article with pictures:

http://teamgoa.com/content.aspx?IsHome=1&MemberID=1293&ID=2503&Module=Quickpage


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## Mechanicaldawg (Aug 8, 2008)

I'm not sure why the link didn't take you there, but go to page 15 for Parker's article.


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## MudDucker (Aug 8, 2008)

Scary...glad it worked out.

I always test my bilge pumps and my radio before I go offshore.

I'm like Stan on my equipment other than I never got around to getting a EPRIB.

Another thing I do is carry a length of the same pipe that goes on my bait well pump so I can rig the bait pump to bail the bilge as well.


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## volguy (Aug 8, 2008)

*offshore*

that is quite the scary story.  the reason the bilge wouldn't pump is because water rushed in so fast that the bilge got a air pocket in it and was made even worse by the debris in the bottom of the boat.  anytime the bilge will not work you can usually just shake it around or turn it upside down while it is running to flush the air bubble out.  same thing happened to me in the story below.  unfortunately i didn't know this occurred until i got home and a mechanic told me it happens all the time with bilge pumps. 

one thing to remember also, and you guys will think i am crazy for saying this, but it is common physics.  if you are taking on water and the bilge won't pump, you can take the plug out to get the water out.  water will not rush in as long as you are moving at a pretty good speed.  of course if the boat won't crank you are just in a pickle unless you have a 36 volt trolling motor that can get you moving pretty good.  as soon as you stop you put the plug back in as fast as possible.  you will get water back in, but it will not be near as much as you had and hopefully you will have made it back to the dock anyway so you will be in a safer environment than offshore.  never a good thing to do unless ALL else fails, but it is better than losing the boat completely.

i had a thru hull that had pvc pipes  and we were in apalachicola bay on the first trip out in my old 18 foot boat.  it was COMPLETELY full of water in the hull.  i had to take the action above to get enough weight out to even run.  needless to say HEWES BOATS WILL NOT SINK.    just glad i can laugh about it now.  i mean i opened up the anchor locker and saw water in the hull.  man it was scary cause i was still green when it came to saltwater.  i replaced all that pvc with copper as soon as i got home.


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## Parker Phoenix (Aug 8, 2008)

volguy said:


> that is quite the scary story.  the reason the bilge wouldn't pump is because water rushed in so fast that the bilge got a air pocket in it and was made even worse by the debris in the bottom of the boat.  anytime the bilge will not work you can usually just shake it around or turn it upside down while it is running to flush the air bubble out.  same thing happened to me in the story below.  unfortunately i didn't know this occurred until i got home and a mechanic told me it happens all the time with bilge pumps.
> 
> one thing to remember also, and you guys will think i am crazy for saying this, but it is common physics.  if you are taking on water and the bilge won't pump, you can take the plug out to get the water out.  water will not rush in as long as you are moving at a pretty good speed.  of course if the boat won't crank you are just in a pickle unless you have a 36 volt trolling motor that can get you moving pretty good.  as soon as you stop you put the plug back in as fast as possible.  you will get water back in, but it will not be near as much as you had and hopefully you will have made it back to the dock anyway so you will be in a safer environment than offshore.  never a good thing to do unless ALL else fails, but it is better than losing the boat completely.
> 
> i had a thru hull that had pvc pipes  and we were in apalachicola bay on the first trip out in my old 18 foot boat.  it was COMPLETELY full of water in the hull.  i had to take the action above to get enough weight out to even run.  needless to say HEWES BOATS WILL NOT SINK.    just glad i can laugh about it now.  i mean i opened up the anchor locker and saw water in the hull.  man it was scary cause i was still green when it came to saltwater.  i replaced all that pvc with copper as soon as i got home.



I would have to jump in the water to remove the plug. It is a brass screw in type located outside of the boat. Good information though.


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## Parker Phoenix (Aug 8, 2008)

Jeff Young said:


> Look what I found last night!
> 
> Article with pictures:
> 
> http://teamgoa.com/content.aspx?IsHome=1&MemberID=1293&ID=2503&Module=Quickpage



Dang, someone did read it.


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## Parker Phoenix (Aug 8, 2008)

MudDucker said:


> Scary...glad it worked out.
> 
> I always test my bilge pumps and my radio before I go offshore.
> 
> ...



I did check it, I check it several times an outing. That is what surprised me. I have all sorts of spare stuff now. I may have to get a bigger boat.


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## Mechanicaldawg (Aug 20, 2008)

Parker Phoenix said:


> Dang, someone did read it.



I always enjoy reading your articles!

Did you happen to catch my letter on page 4?


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## MudDucker (Aug 20, 2008)

Parker Phoenix said:


> I did check it, I check it several times an outing. That is what surprised me. I have all sorts of spare stuff now. I may have to get a bigger boat.



Sounds like a good excuse to get a bigger boat to me.


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## Parker Phoenix (Aug 20, 2008)

Jeff Young said:


> I always enjoy reading your articles!
> 
> Did you happen to catch my letter on page 4?



Yes I did.  Maybe you should do a regular article. Your good with words.


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## seaweaver (Aug 20, 2008)

I have a rule 2000 in the hull and I made a stainer around it to keep out errant trash. I took the super course 3M scrubby and cut it and zip tied it around the intake slits of the pump.
After a failed situation at the dock I have relocated the batt's to the center console to center weight and secure from imersion.
The next thing was a very loud high water alarm that the neighbors can hear should there be trouble.
I have a 1.5 live well discharge in the hull that I can quickly remove the hose and drain the hull quickly should I need to.
cw


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## Parker Phoenix (Aug 20, 2008)

seaweaver said:


> I have a rule 2000 in the hull and I made a stainer around it to keep out errant trash. I took the super course 3M scrubby and cut it and zip tied it around the intake slits of the pump.
> After a failed situation at the dock I have relocated the batt's to the center console to center weight and secure from imersion.
> The next thing was a very loud high water alarm that the neighbors can hear should there be trouble.
> I have a 1.5 live well discharge in the hull that I can quickly remove the hose and drain the hull quickly should I need to.
> cw



A high water alarm sounds like a good idea. A loud one.


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## Southbound (Aug 20, 2008)

I second that emotion of putting a portable bilge in the boat. I put a bigger bilge in my boat and took the other on and put so alligator clips on the wires. I then pulled out the ole beer funnel from the college days and took the hose off jk really it is a 7 foot hose.  now I have a portable bilge I can clip on the battery in a second and start pumping.


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