Don't get your boat wet
 

i know seems an odd statement.
but i got home late trailering the boat last week and made a couple key mistakes
(I will mention them here in all my stupid glory so maybe someone else doesnt make the same mistake again)

didnt cover the boat, thinking about going out again toamrow, forcast clear
well, it poured rain
no big deal i gues i mean it is a boat right
well, mistake number 2: didnt pull the plug
so thats right, the boat basically became a big bathtub with the stopper in and all the electronics (ie battery, trim pump) that sit in the back of the boat submirged in water
pulled the plug, water drained for a while (ie. felt like an idiot)

tested engine, eevrything seemed to work
went to lake, boat in water, engine started, all fine
went to trim down....

a very fast click, click, click, click, click
kinda like that sound when your battery is dead on your car
trim wouldnt move up or down

guy there says the electric pump or cylinoid is shot
boat back on trailer (day not totally ruined, went on friends boats and since not driving, drank too much)

next day (hot, sunny ...ie drying) everything worked again
not sure what i shorted out
also not sure it is 100% fixed or whether i messed something up

chaulk it up to another boating lesson learned

ps. i dont loose my membership for being stupid do i?..LOL

Well I havent left my covers off my boat before,.. however ... I have managed to have a wave of water come over the bow of my boat :(

My girlfriend and I were out on one of the larger lakes near me (Lake Couchchiching) and as we did a U-turn in the channel and were heading back into the 10km/hr zone towards shore, we had three 30-40ft cruisers just start up onto plane to take off down the channel and into the lake. Needless to say I backed off the throttle to take the waves and we were ok for the first two boats. However.... the third was throwing a far bigger wake then I thought and I knew it was big when we were about to hit the first wake. So we went up, down and then through the second wake and that was about it.

Needless to say, we had a good lesson in really big wakes. Get anyone out of the bow and dont take the boat completely off of plane, keep it at half throttle and plow through the water. Let the hull hit the wake and hold on.

My girlfriend was soaked (it was hot out anyways) and I was a bit shocked that it had happened. Tossed the bilge pump on right away and made sure there was a stream of water coming off the starboard side. My girlfriend started bailing out the ski locker which was full of water. I dont know exactly how much water was in the engine comparment, but I wasnt about to find out. We did have a hand pumping bailer ready if needed.

Experience is something that cannot be taught in a classroom :)

Straad, if we lost membership for doing "stupid" boating accidents, this board wouldn't exist!!! I would have thought of doing the same thing (no chance of rain, using it tomorrow, that top is too much trouble...), but I must admit - pulling the plug is one of the first things I do when pulling the boat out (while putting on the transom tie-downs). Don't know why, it's just something my dad always did, and now it's second nature to me. I won't list all of my "stupid" mistakes here (that could start a whole new thread).

I think you may have had a slight short from the wet wires and connections. If it's working now, no harm done in my mind. Thanks for sharing the tip though.

.... One of the first things to do when putting it back into the water as well ;)

I am suprised your battery was not dead, my Bilge pump works with the battery in OFF. It would only work as long as the battery had enough juice, but it is a nice backup for a short down pour!

Leaving the plug in is a bummer, I have had mine in a slip (have to leave the plug in DUH) when a moonson came through (AZ) and was happy that the Bimimi top must have keep out most of the water, as my battery was still good in the morning.