new outback

HI. I am new to the board. I just picked up my brand new outback last weekend. Platinum / navy / 325 Hp. I love it, it looks awesome. I was able to run for an hour or so & then had to leave it tied to my dock at the cottage.
My question is this: Is it safe for the boat to sit idle in the water for a period of time? I won\'t be back to run it regularly for about 6 weeks. There is no issue for rough water, it is a very protected lake. I was concerned about the water that drips into the engine area & the auto bilge pump? Has anyone ever had any problems?

[4stngr]

Why can't I see my original message in the main new topic post?

[4stngr]

Here is a repeat of my original new topic:

I just launched my 05 new outback last weekend. platinum/navy/325Hp. I love it. I was able to run for only an hour or so.
The boat is left in the water tied to my dock in a very sheltered calm lake. My question is if I should be concerned at all about water leakage onboard? The boat will be sitting idle for the next 6 weeks, until I will be there using it all summer. Has anyone experienced any problems in this regard?

Thanks.

[ben624]

I have left my 1999 outback for a weekend... I didn't get any water in it... But then again... I didn't get much sleep worrying about it either.... I don't know how hard it is to put your boat in and out... But myself... I would take it out of the water... Just for piece of mind... But that is me.
Ben

[smokedog2]

Great minds think alike. The shaft seal is designed to leak a drop or two per minute. Since I do the same thing (but only when I’m at the lake), I plan to check that and be sure it is not just a little too loose (my 05 LSV has 4 hrs on it). Also is the boat covered? Rain can fill a boat like you cannot believe.

I see a lot of people leaving boats in the water on my lake for months. Every so often one sinks. I’ve never asked why but I should start taking pictures.

If it were me, I would worry a bit and tell the wife that I need to run out and check on the boat. Not for fun, this is work!

It sounds to me like you need a lift if this is going to be routine.


SD2

[4stngr]

My boat is definitely covered with the main snap cover & also front tonneau cover.
would there be an issue with the bilge pump failing or running down the battery? How much does the pump have to operate under normal conditions when just floating?

[ben624]

The only time i have to use mine... Is when it rains, a wave comes over the bow... That is the front right? That is it... But When I needed it most... The float didn't work... So i eneded up taking a lot of water.... So be careful.... You have a nice boat... To me it is worth the extra effort to take care of it... Just to see the faces when people come out the first time to ride in it.

[Wake Master]

I would not leave my boat in the water for 6 weeks without a lift. If you can take it out and find a place to keep it you'll be better off. The lake I'm on now has Zebra Mussles and those suckers attach themselves to anything not in the sun.

[Witt]

I don't know where you live, but here in Texas, leaving your boat in the water for 2 weeks, let alone 6 would destroy the hull. Here, either you get alage growth, or a stain on the hull, or both. My dad kept his I/O in a marina slip for 2 weeks in the water during the winter, thinking the algae would not grow during the winter. Wrong! The algae had grown into the gelcoat on the hull, and the only way to remove it was to strip the gelcoat off the bottom of the boat. Needless to say, he bought a lift the next week.

[Brian Raymond]

The above posts are all so true. However, the auto bilge is designed to activate when the water gets to a certain level, if, for some reason, the auto part is not fuctioning, or some debris is locked in the pump, and there is more then the recommended amount of water coming through the shaft log, it may lead to a long summer. Again, if the shaft packing, weather are not cooperative, this can lead to a perfectly functional auto bilge system to work overtime, and run the batterey down. This would also make for a long summer if the adj. weren't right, and mama nature wanted water, with a dead batt. Brian Raymond

[sextons]

I would pull it out and try to find a storage place nearby. If you leave it in best case your hull will be covered in furry alge that will be a royal pain to get off and probably leave a stain on your hull, worst case you boats sitting at the bottom of the lake. My neighbor left his boat in while on vacation, his cover pole snapped in a heavy rain, tore his cover and his boat was filling up with water. We ended up taking our fat sac pump over to help pump out the water.
If you boat wasn't brand new you could probably take that risk but I wouldn't recommend it for your new pride and joy.

[smokedog2]

Have you left for the lake yet? By now you should feel the dark cloud of doom gathering.

SD2

[4stngr]

My boat is in a small lake in Northern Ontario, Canada. There is no problem with zebra mussels or algae. My only concern was with the packing drip & auto bilge pump operation. Is there any reason to be concerned about this?

[Lpfeil]

4stngr,

you need to go back and read the reply from Brian Raymond from Skiers Choice. There is some real concerns. If you dont have someone who can check on it every couple days, you should take it out of the water.

I would not leave my Moomba in for 6 weeks.

Larry

[captainfun]

4stngr,

Sounds like good advise here.
I have a cottage in Ontario as well near Dorset. I leave the outback in the water all summer because my wife and kids are there through the week. The boat is also docked on a calm bay but I always pull it if no one is at the cottage for more then a couple days. There's just too much that can go wrong, be it mechanical or weather related. Remember this pointer when you pull the boat at the end of the summer. Clean the hull as soon as the boat is removed with a soap and water. Lie on your back and wipe it down. When the brown stuff is damp, it comes off in a snap. My hull is as white today as it was new.

Enjoy your new outback

[Schmitter]

I keep 04 Outback in the water all summer. Several times a year I just get in the water and wipe off whatever slime accumulates on the hull. when I drag it out in the fall I wipe it down before I drive away from the ramp. A good cleaning, and it still looks brand new.

Oh, one more thing, a good coat of wax on the entire hull makes the slime easier to wipe off.