Nearly sank the LSV this weekend

[chadjitsu1]

So Friday me and the wife decided to get out on the lake for a little wake-boarding. Figured we would get out there before all the idiots showed up over the weekend. Lake Lanier really isn't worth going out on on the weekends, there are way too many people and most of them are unconscious. When we got out on the boat I filled all the ballast up, roughly 2300 lb for wake-boarding and proceeded to drive to our favorite little out of the way cove.

After about a 5 minute boat drive I noticed that the temperature on the boat was reading around 100 degrees. Obviously this isn't a temperature that you would expect to see after a 5 minute boat ride, even though we really never got on it, we really just cruised at about 15 MPH to our destination. After seeing the temperature I immediately ran to the back of the boat and lifted the engine hatch.

The entire engine compartment was filled with water and I noticed that the water was starting to come out on the carpet. I saw water gushing out toward the back of the engine (actually the front if it were a car) and noticed that the large J shaped tube that is connected to the raw water pump was split the entire length. Not knowing exactly what to do I figured that the best way to stop the water flow was to shut off the engine. This stopped the flow of water into the boat and allowed the bilge to catch up. I immediately dumped all my ballast and then disconnected the drain line on one of the bags and stuck the hose into the bilge to assist with draining all the water.

Fortunately there was an extremely nice person in a malibu that pulled me back to the marina. If I see that guy again I will fill his gas tank for sure. Now that I have stopped shaking and changed my underwear I have a few questions about my incident.

So here are my questions.

Why would that hose split? I changed it out already and asked the guy at the boat shop where I bought the replacement hose but he said it just happens because of the heating and cooling of the hose. I just want to make sure there is nothing else that would cause this to happen.

Why is there not a shutoff on the freshwater intake from the factory? in my panic i really noticed that there is no way to shut the water off if anything would happen. Should I install a bronze shutoff valve?

Anyone carrying a manual pump? I have heard of manual pumps you can buy for emergency situations just like this one.

I think thats it for now, I still haven't put it back in the water. I want to make sure this wasnt caused from something else.

[wolfeman131]

FWIW - you'd be hard pressed to actually sink the boat due to flotation foam in the hull. There have been pics posted on here of a LSV that was filled to the top of the deck & it was still floating and running.

[cornrickey]

maybe with the piece of mind to ruin it a little each time prior to filling the ballast. I fill mine on the run.

[viking]

Why is there not a shutoff on the freshwater intake from the factory? in my panic i really noticed that there is no way to shut the water off if anything would happen. Should I install a bronze shutoff valve?


To ease your mind this is a more common issue than you would think. I've blown a hose and several members have over the last few years as well. As far as shutoff on the intake, I don't see the point. Yes it would stop the water flow but it would certainly burn up your impeller and overheat your engine too!
You did the right thing.......shut her down, meet another nice boater, and change it out for a good hose when back on land. Ain't boating fun :)

[KG's Supra24]

Ugh, that hose

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[smokedog2]

Not my #1 worry but my washing machine hose is metal reinforced. The water line at teh lake is designed to not break even after being frozen. You would think such lines would be available for the boat as well. I might have to look fro that.

[ericnel]

That happened to me a couple of years ago. Went to NAPA and bought a new hose. Took me about five min to replace.

[sicktc06]

Makes me want to go back through and check all my hoses now with a fine tooth comb..

[KSmith]

I had the same hose give me grief this year too. First launch of the season, but mine only slipped off one end so I was able to find the clamp in the bilge and put it back on. That was my miss from de-winterization, I didn't get the clamp tightened enough. As for a shut off valve my boat has one for the freshwater intake it is right above the engine fresh water intake. Had the water not stopped when I'd shut off the engine that would have been my next step.

Like you I also used one of the ballast drain lines to help out the bilge pump which had kicked on. That was my first clue something was not right was the bilge pump kicked on and started dumping water.

It is a scary feeling having that much water being dumped into the boat. This hose seems to be problematic... maybe I need to get a spare and toss in the boat.

Do you have a part # for the hose?

[parrothd]

It's scary the first time, but you're not going to sink.

I installed a new ballast system this year and didn't glue in my fittings so every once in while one of them pops off and floods everything. The first time I was terrified and my bilge wasn't working, water up to the carpet, but I did your same process, disconnected one of the ballast fittings and used it to suck all the water out.

Yesterday I knew one of them popped off again(I need to fix that, 4th or 5th time), I could see the bilge running constantly, I was more annoyed we'd have to stop and re-fill the ballast....

[Wax]

When I saw the title for this thread, I thought you had forgot your drain plug or something really silly.

I've never done that or anything...

[cab13367]

Why is there not a shutoff on the freshwater intake from the factory? in my panic i really noticed that there is no way to shut the water off if anything would happen. Should I install a bronze shutoff valve?


I gree, there should be a shut off at the intake. As it is, if you rupture a hose that is below the water line, there is no way to stop the water from coming in. I guess you can disconnect the hose and have someone put their hand on the fitting to block the water flow while you are being towed back to the dock.

All my hoses are still original and I have about 325 hours now on my '06. I guess my time is coming.

[mcdye]

I gree, there should be a shut off at the intake.

I believe it may be required now, maybe wrong. But do know new ones have a main water intake shut off.