This feels like it is going to be expensive

J3ff

My insurance would not cover it unless it was caused by an accident.. just be careful in your wording... I wouldn't say "there's no way I hit anything" because that will be "mechanical failure" to them and it'll be nothing but hard feelings after that!

rasbury

yea, did not even think about that....I don't think the bilge pumps can keep up with a torn off drive....wow, you'd be in the water stuffing crap in a hole for sure.

davidbrooks

No groundings for me at all.  I am always really careful once the depth starts getting shallow.  A lot of the Severn is really silty and muddy so even though it is not a hard bottom i am normally pretty cautious as i don't want to suck the muck up into my engine.  I definitely hit something.  There was no doubt about it.  Wife and I looked at each other in disbelief.  I mean we actually heard the clunk.  I swear it almost makes me want to go back out there with a dive mask to see if there is a sunken tree or boat.  

zaverin1

Almost same thing happened to my friend
he has Volvo drives

zaverin1

He had a crack and when getting on plane it obviously gave out
his insurance covered it since mechanic wrote it up as underwater collision

212rowboat

so long as the other drive was pulling you, you wouldn't have taken on water too much... it's when you're stationary that is a problem that would be hard to address had the bellows given... 

the clunk i wager was the breaking- obviously something caused that union to fail- it is too substantial otherwise. you gotta figure, when the drive is prying you out of the water up on plane, and the prop is literally trying to outrun the boat- the weight on that union is the entire ship.  it is the leverage point... Al is right that there is obvious gear oil on the nose of the bullet- but that doesn't have any impact whatsoever on where the breakage is.

whale.  you hit a whale.  one with lots of barnacles on it- such as an old whale.  it was an old whale you hit, and she swam away with either a smile from the message or with a headache, but it was definitely a whale.  we'll call the encounter a draw since you made it back to port unassisted- and give you props for your seamanship- she already got a prop.  upside the head. 

summerx

wow.  my first thought was how fortunate you were not to sink it.  wouldn't have taken much more for those bellows to start letting in lots of water.  Sucks that it happened, but glad you made out without any worse damages/problems.  good luck.  I hope the insurance company/mechanic can take care of you quickly.

Black_Diamond

I'd replace that whole drive too. It got whacked hard to break like that. Very unlikely it was a fatigue failure, the fractured surface can tell the story. Lucky those rams kepts things together, could have very well sank if the bellows tore up too. 

davidbrooks

I thought i would post an update.  The good news is that the mechanic is getting a little more responsive and i have a check coming from Insurance to cover some of the costs.  This was a huge learning experience i must say.  I found what seems to be a great shop to rebuild my sterndrive or tell me if it is shot.  So from hitting something i am replacing engine coupler, completely new  transom assembly rebuilt or new stern drive and new props.  Stern drive and props are on my dime though as there wasn't any apparent damage from the accident there.  While one of the engines was out i painted the whole engine compartment and cleaned up the wire looms with new ones so it doesn't look like a rats nest anymore. Discovered one of my underwater lights was shot and replaced it, discovered one of my trim rams was shot and replaced it, new gauges, chartplotter and designed a whole new dash and wired it in.  Then today i removed the raw water hose on the inner transom plate to see if it was as bad as the other transom.  With hardly any force at all one of the bolts snapped off inside the housing.  Rigged up a bolt extractor and it broke off also.  So now it looks like the other engine and transom assembly has to come out. I have a 16 year old son for sale now.  Cant afford him and the boat.

J3ff

When it rains, it pours man.  This is like me last year..one thing after another.. 

randy56

How much for the kid ? hope he does not eat to much.

bry1429

Keep the kid, have him get a good job to help with boat repairs, gas money.. Have him wash boat weekly, fresh coat of wax every 3 months. Unless, if he is lazy , then you have no choice but to sell him on the cheap !

davidbrooks

@bry1429 you must not have kids.  All 16 yrs old are lazy.

randy56

Well looks like no one wants the kid, your stuck with him, LOL, our hobby is an expensive one, I usually spend a minimum, couple Ben Franklin's every weekend, if nothing breaks. And i do not travel to far from the dock. 
Rest assured, when we die there will not be any money in our coffin. 

Dream_Inn

Well, it sounds like you are getting the boat back to showroom condition!  I know exactly how you feel, as I had both engines out earlier this year as well.

As for the kid, well, I have a 14 yr old that maybe I can make a trade.  16 is two years closer to not being a teenager!

Ian

Keep them. In the end they'll talk to you again, may even ask for your advice even though previously you knew nothing anyway apparently.

davidbrooks

@icoultha   will you please remove your cameras from my house.  Your knowledge of my family is a little scary.  I also have a 23 yr old and she is living proof of what you just said.  

reneechris14

A new boat 1 part at a time for the kid to inherit. He's only 16 so you have to take really go care that boat for long time.

davidbrooks

I'm getting close guys.  Hopefully getting buttoned up and tested this weekend on muffs and then if all goes well back in the water early next week. Its been a long expensive few months.

rasbury

good luck David, fingers crossed.

Dream_Inn

Oh man, that's good to hear!!

davidbrooks

It was a good weekend fellas.  She is back in the water and i had her out for 5 hrs on Monday.  Other than a few wiring issues to clear up I am back up and running better than ever.  In the end it was as i thought, expensive.  Insurance covered about 1/2 and then i discovered other things that needed to be taken care of as well.  In the end i ended up pulling both engines out, replacing both transom assemblies with brand new.  Sent one drive off to be rebuilt, replaced props with Hill 4x4 22p props. Replaced a bad trim tab actuator, replaced a bad underwater light, new starting battery, new bottom paint, painted engine compartment, re ran all wiring in engine compartment to clean up the rats nest, new trim pump brackets and relays and relocated them. new map sensor on one engine, new starter solenoid on another. New alternators. New Chartplotter and all new gauges.  Whew!  Now i cant afford gas.

Michael T

@davidbrooks....and before and after pictures?

Dream_Inn

@davidbrooks - Sounds like you took care of everything you needed to while you were in there!  Hopefully we'll have a nice fall that you can get some enjoyment out of the boat!

davidbrooks

Thanks @Dream_Inn I hope so.  Still have stuff i want to do but nothing that will keep me from boating...except gas prices, IRMA, JOSE..hopefully they head out to sea but it isn't looking good for FL. @Michael T what pics are you interested in?  Most of it isn't that interesting.  I did post pics of the new dash on a separate post.  

rasbury

great to hear David- should still have some good boating weather left for the season so enjoy!

Michael T

David, before and after engine bay shots, R&R of the engines......anything. I'm boatless (starved) for pics.

randy56

@davidbrooks, hope your check book heals up. September and October, are the best, you'll be set for next year. You can go up wind, at 1200 rpm's shut down let the wind blow you back. 

davidbrooks

Thanks @randy56 these days both my checkbook and my body heal slowly. 

J3ff

I'd love to see before and after pics too..of the project.

One question - why do these transom assemblies need to be replaced so often?!? I read about this before buying the boat and it sounds like if you take the engine out they end up needing to be replaced.. what the heck is that about??