Battery Compartment Flooding

[Capt. Ed]

Hi All,

Anyone ever flood there battery compartment (and I mean a real flood like the batteries and oil tank under water)?

If so, what did you do afterwards?

I have already replaced the bilge pump floatt switch that failed and made sure the oil was ok and all electrical conenctions are ok (I use liquid rubber to seal just about everything).

1. Did you throw away the batteries (the batteries are not the sealed AGM variety)?

The engine managed to stay above water but the transom was under. I replaced the Racor filter already.

Any ideas?

Story to follow in my report ...

Capt. Ed

[Luna Sea 5]

did this just happen to you.. I told Coty Marine what happened, and not only fix the bilge, I told them also to replace my water seperator filter, and check for any other type of damage.  I couln't tell if my batteries were under water.  Hopefully the trained mechanics will notice if there was any other damage.. I HOPE

[Luna Sea 5]

what are the odds of water getting into the oil holding tank, on the outboard

[IrishAyes]

It seems to me that if you can give everything a good freshwater flush, most items will be ok.  After all, you boat and many of it's components are exposed to salt water/air all the time.

I don't know if the batteries would allow water into them or not.  Perhaps you can drain and add new battery acid to them and then a recharge.

[Luna Sea 5]

i hope your correct.  I hate to get the boat back with the fixed bilge pump, then find out later that other things are malfunctioning because of the water..

[Capt. Ed]

Hi All,

This afternoon!

The remote oil tank is in the battery compartment (aka bilge area).

The remote oil tank has an O-Ring in the cap on a Yamaha setup.

Water getting into the batteries seems remote but may be possible. For $200, if I see a problem, I will throw them away. They are holding a charge.

The only thing I see as a problem is that the engine is making 5100 RPMs when this morning it was 5200+. But, this afternoon was a bear so I will have to test while under better conditions.

Nick - the water good through the hole for all the cables pass through. It did not happen at once. It happended during the course of the day as apparently, the float switch failed before I even got on the boat today. I know it worked yesterday.

Oh well ... just another thing to manage. Funny, no one was worried ... only looking to help.

Ed

[wingshooter]

hey Cpt. Ed,,,,hope all works out, hopefully your next on the water test will prove that all is good to go

[Luna Sea 5]

even replacing the batteries for me is a pain in the butt...  they could have made these things eaiser to access

[Capt. Ed]

Thanks Wingshooter,

All the tests are OK but I am trying to find out what a certified mechanic would say/do. I cannot get in touch with "my guy" until tomorrow afternoon ...

Nick - I hear you. I have to be double jointed and stand on my head to get the first one out.

I am thinking about chucking them ... BUT, they did work under water. That is pretty impressive. I am a bit concerned about my battery charging system. That "short circuit" condition had to do something bad.

I am now considering running in snotty weather with the bilge on the whole time ... changing the battery and pump has to be easier than rehabilitating an engine that became a submarine ...

Ed

Thanks all,

Capt. Ed

[Luna Sea 5]

true

[rb218]

Capt ed,
  Have you thought about replacing just one battery just to be safe?  I know they reccomend to replace in pairs but it might just save your butt having one good one on board should the other start to corrode internally.

Just my .02

[Luna Sea 5]

better to be safe then sorry, one battery charges the other, so both should be replaced at the same time.

[Capt. Ed]

Hi RB218,

Thanks!

After research and info from friends (thanks JG) there is no way that I am leaving them on the boat. I do have a third battery under the console for extreme emergencies. It gets charged but I would have to move it for it to crank the battery.

I am replacing with Optima Blue Top.

Great point!

Ed

[Capt. Ed]

Hi All,

The reason I mentioned what happened was important to me. I want people to know that even very well maintained systems break unexpectedly. Even with redundant equipment, we had to execute. We had the following:

1. A plan
2. PFDs on
3. Execution

I knew I had to keep the boat moving and the engine running. I knew where I was going to put it ashore if the time to do it came. I was 100 yds. off the shoreline during the water evacuation process and had a place picked out in the ocean and inside the Manasquan River. If I had to "beach" the boat, it would have been in the river (and I knew exactly where). So being familiar withthe area was important. The guys( crew), besides donning PFDs, had phone numbers for my towing services and my radios were on Channel 16 ready to broadcast some level of distress if things got worst. They lsitened and helped out.

It may seem embarrasing that this happened but I wanted to share it in case something similar happens to you. The boat and money are replaceable - people in your life are not!

Ed

[Luna Sea 5]

I did the same thing.  ONce I realized that I was taking on water over the transom and my bildge wasn't working, I immediatly started the engines.  THANK god they started.  Now I knew I couldn't shut them off and had to get back to the dock quickly.  I also put a plan in my head if something else was to happen.  ONce I got it to the dock, I picked up my trailer and took the boat out of the water and removed the plug.  Water was coming out for about 2 hours.  YES, 2 hours...  If the water got higher, then I could have lost power and not be able to start the engines. 

[mboy]

Hi All,

The reason I mentioned what happened was important to me. I want people to know that even very well maintained systems break unexpectedly. Even with redundant equipment, we had to execute. We had the following:

1. A plan
2. PFDs on
3. Execution

I knew I had to keep the boat moving and the engine running. I knew where I was going to put it ashore if the time to do it came. I was 100 yds. off the shoreline during the water evacuation process and had a place picked out in the ocean and inside the Manasquan River. If I had to "beach" the boat, it would have been in the river (and I knew exactly where). So being familiar withthe area was important. The guys( crew), besides donning PFDs, had phone numbers for my towing services and my radios were on Channel 16 ready to broadcast some level of distress if things got worst. They lsitened and helped out.

It may seem embarrasing that this happened but I wanted to share it in case something similar happens to you. The boat and money are replaceable - people in your life are not!

Ed

Mishaps or misfurtunes are not embarassing.
being unprepared for them or panicing while they occur is what's embarssing.

[mboy]

Are those OPtima blue tops physically (dimensions) smaller then their other brand counterparts for their size. They group 31 and 34 seem to be physically smaller then what UI recall seeing other brands listed as.

That is a HUGE benefit to me in my very small battery compartment/bilge area.

If they ae smaller (altho exopensive, they might be what I need for when I go to duals end of season.

I have 1 group 24 now, but if a 31 Blue top is same size as mine in a 27, I may go with dual 31's or 34's if i can fit them.

[rb218]

One more thing to think about when you are replacing the batteries is a High Water Alarm.  You can place it in the bildge and it will give you an audible tone and visual light to tell you that you are taking on water long before it becomes a major problem.

[Capt. Ed]

Hi RB218,

Jiust installed ... you are right on the money with that ...

Mboy - the Optima Blue top is smaller, charges quicker, a bit lighter (I think) and has good specs.

The best is you don't have to buy that at a Marine dedicated store or marina. Someone said they may sell them at Costco or one of the big Warehouse stores. I am looking into that now.

For what its worth, the batteries that were underwater worked. They were just tested (hydrometer) and check out OK. However, a lot of things in life are abut confidence. While they did not and are working, I just want new ones.

They do make sealed acid batteries to. If someone wants numbers for the battery places I went to, give me a call/email.

Ed

[ped579]

Hi Luna & Ed,

Just a question...How long did it take you to get back to the dock from the time you realized you were taking on water till the time you got back to relative safety at the dock?

Paul