Engine trimmed up but hit sand bottom!

Hi gang, I was anchored today in about 3.5 to 4 feet of water with some big swells.  I had the engine off and trimmed completely up, some big wave came up and I think the engine tapped bottom a couple of times (saw the steering wheel turn back and forth).  It's a sand bottom, my question is this anything to worry about?

Comments

  • ScottKScottK Member Posts: 26 ✭✭
    Should be fine.  I think its happened to everyone a time or two
  • Black_DiamondBlack_Diamond Member Posts: 5,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yeah it happens. I always look for 5-7' just for that reason.

    Past owner of a 2003 342FV
    PC BYC, Holland, MI
  • KYSEANKYSEAN Member Posts: 121 ✭✭
    Should be just fine. The lower unit can move with wave action when trimmed all the way up.
    2012 Rinker BR216 5.0
  • Michael TMichael T Member Posts: 7,227 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Agree with above. However, if you tend to anchor in the kind of depth above sand bars that you mention be  careful not to run your engines there for an extended period of time. As I mentioned in another thread a guy brought a boat into my friends marina for "overheating" issues and the engine and hoses were full sand from sucking it off a sandbar. MT
  • habit68habit68 Member Posts: 111 ✭✭
    Thanks guys! I didn't hear a sound but I did watch steering wheel go back and forth so I guess it could have been the waves moving the lower unit?

  • TikiHut2TikiHut2 Member Posts: 1,431 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I totally agree that it'll move some but if its a more than a gentle incident then even a sand bar can cause injury to inflexable OD/engine parts that have to somhow absorbe the huge momentum of a boats inertia.

    Course Bahamian style coral soft sand is one thing but the sand in my area is super fine sugar white quartz Siesta Key sand thats as hard as concrete if you stomp your foot on it. But if you stand in one place for a few seconds and slowly pump your feet theyll sink right in.

    Id quickly bust something if I let it bounce off the bottom in a wavey stern-to-shore anchorage......but that hard packed endless white beach is pretty tempting.

    So Id say I never want my drive to greet the bottom if it can be avoided by anticipating weather and traffic. Wish I was out on the boat with such problems... Mike
    2004 FV270, 300hp 5.7 350mag MPI Merc 305hrs, 2:20 Bravo3 OD w.22p props, 12v Lenco tabs, Kohler 5kw genset, A/C, etc.etc...
    Regular weekender, Trailer stored indoors, M/V TikiHut, Sarasota, Fl
  • brianluckbrianluck Member Posts: 174 ✭✭✭
    When a lower unit smacks bottom from a wave you feel it in the entire boat. If you felt or heard nothing id say its the drives shifting from the water not the bottom
    1994 300fv "General Madness"
  • 212rowboat212rowboat Member Posts: 2,591 ✭✭✭✭✭
    if youre anchored away from the boat, you can see it hit, too.... and not just the wheel... 
  • JoeStangJoeStang Member Posts: 1,116 ✭✭✭✭
    Most likely just the wave action moving the outdrive around. Mine does the same thing if I'm moving around alot in the waves. Mine has never hit bottom, but like posted above I'd guess you'd REALLY know from the bang of it hitting something solid.
    2013 276 Cuddy ~ 350 MAG / B3
  • LaReaLaRea Member Posts: 7,505 ✭✭✭✭✭
    To play it safe, give your outdrive a close inspection.  If you can get the boat out of the water, do a visual inspection.  If not, use your fingertips to check everything you can reach.  

    You are looking for any sign of a crack or other damage, especially in the gimbal ring.  A crack might not affect performance at first, but even a small crack will grow as corrosion sets in.  A cracked gimbal ring that breaks underway will ruin your day in a hurry.  (Been there done that.)
  • TikiHut2TikiHut2 Member Posts: 1,431 ✭✭✭✭✭
    "A cracked gimbal ring that breaks underway will ruin your day in a hurry.  (Been there done that.)"

    Wow, ruin your day, I'll bet it did. Man, That's an understatement.... I can only imagine the panic if the bellows tore from a powered up OD flailing around back there,not to mention the pain$$$. That'd be a virtually unreachable spot to stem the flow of water. Reason enough to simply keep that drive well clear of the bottom when anchored, and do a pre-flight check all the way around whenever you can.


    2004 FV270, 300hp 5.7 350mag MPI Merc 305hrs, 2:20 Bravo3 OD w.22p props, 12v Lenco tabs, Kohler 5kw genset, A/C, etc.etc...
    Regular weekender, Trailer stored indoors, M/V TikiHut, Sarasota, Fl
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