firehog

The hole in mine seems to be about the size of a fat pencil. I had some carpet around mine and I cut a small piece of it off to give it a clear opening, and it still didn't seem to help. I know that area of the boat is lower, but I would have thought running the boat across the lake on a angle would have run the water out of it, but it doesn't, at least on mine. My question is where is the water coming from in the first place. I am not getting that much water from my packing nut on the shaft, I don't have any holes in the bottom of hull. No leaks off engine, and I didn't take any waves over bow. Only thing I didn't check was packing nut running up in speed. I seem to get about 3 inches in 3-4 hours in the deep end of the locker, while on the lake. Not talking about a lot of water I guess.

Thanks for the ideas, I hadn't thought of some of them, so I will surely try them out in two weeks.

Ok this is going to sound stupid, but I have a bowrider and I am simply not use to operating a direct drive boat. How do you launch and load your boat by yourself. I don't feel comfortable with the wife or daughter operating the boat nor can they back the truck down the ramp. So I am stuck loading and unloading myself. The other problem, is not being use to handling this type of boat. When heading in for the trailer to load up, I feel like I maybe going to fast in and kick it out of gear and it drifts to the left. Back up and it goes another way. I understand the priciple of it needing to be in gear to stear the direction you want, but with other boats around and wind and wave problem its a bi*** to handle. Also you better not go slow out in the open rough water, or you will take a wave and flood the thing. I am so use to a I/O and getting response when turning, and the lowness it sits in the water, for lack of a better word, and taking big waves. Just not use to this. Never had to worry about waves or swells in the water. Another thing is when running across rough choppy wake water what speed is best getting across the lake. I tried running fast 40 mph and it felt real rough, kicked her back to 25 mph and it seemed better but was wondering if it sucked more gas at the speed.

Same here. I got a 03 sport bowrider and got some water in the front locker. It seems the hole in the bottom that leads back to the bilge area, just doesn't drain good, due to it being lower in that front area. I was thinking of my options, and the only thing I can think of is to plug it some how with a removable plug, or open the hole up more. It seems weird for water to stand above the hole drain and not drain. I can't see the other side of the hole but it has to be clogging up with something.

lol, not winterizing yet, just want to get ahead of the game when it comes..

Do you take this off just like the oil filter and place another one back on? Do you do anything else? I guess the fuel pump pumps up the pressure again?

Hey what was it called? I might have seen it.

Avy, I am located in Ark. I have hunted Colorado once for elk and simply loved it. It takes 4-5 years to draw points for the place we hunt and I got two more years to go back. I also hunt Illinois as well.

Hey bigcat--- I have the MerCruiser 350 Mag MPI Tow Sports, and no i don't have any switches for ballast, and don't see anything in the lockers. Ok so boats actually have heaters, meaning to warm you up personally. This is awesome, but I have never heard of this. I learned something today on that. So this is what they are talking about being tricky/hard to drain on some boats? I have went over my boat pretty good, and I don't think I got a heater, wish I had one last saturday though. Ok so I find a garden hose, cut the end off, hook it to my fake a lake, then stick the other end in a five gallon bucket with antifreeze, and turn the moter on and it will suck up antifreeze? Should I prime the hose maybe? I would hate for this to not suck up and burn my impeller.

Whats some of your other hobbies you do. I like to play golf, scuba dive, a occasional softball game, use to play a lot of that but body tells me not to now days. I have always water skied, scuba dive some. Looking forward to wake boarding this summer. I guess my main outdoor sport is hunting and fishing. Been doing that since I was a grasshopper around 30 something years. Bowhunt, muzzleloader, modern gun, mostly deer, occasionally a duck or turkey. last years bucks

I have read all the threads on winterizing and read my manual. Still a little confused on exactly what to do. I have read contradicting things, from other engines and I guess thats what has me confused, because I don't know if my boat has the things mentioned in the other post. Ok here I go,, Fogging? Do or do I not fog a fuel injection system? Ballast tanks? I am assuming I don't have these, does anyone know for sure. I don't have anything that mentions ballast tanks. Just want to make sure. Blue Drain Plugs? Ok I have found two on the fresh water intake and outport, one on front right bottom where two hoses come together, and one at the top where I think the thermostat is. Do I have more? I read this How can I tell when this happens? Can I squeaze the top hose and when it goes limp, its open? I read this Whats the flame arrestor, and will this just suck up in the engine? Then it said to . In my manual it states to winterize, just pull blue plugs. My question is, why suck antifreeze before and then drain? Is there areas that the blue plugs want drain? thus needing to run antifreeze through engine out exhaust? Then it says to Ok don't know what this is? Do I have one on the 350 mag mpi direct drive? Where's it located if so? Transmission cooler line? Is this something I need to drain as well and where is it located? And how do I do it? I know this is alot of questions, sorry, but if anyone can help me I would appreciate it. I want to make sure I get this right. It seems like a fairly simple operation once I know exactly all the procedures, and I know some have stated go have it done. But I am one of those guys I had rather do it myself and have peace of mind, knowing its done right. I don't have a mechanic close that I know or trust. And I know liablity would be on them if I found someone and they did the winterizing, but I don't want to take the risk of being down from lake time trying to replace a block or whatever, if you know what I mean on that.

Seems my fuel gauge is off, because it showed empty and I put gas in it, and it took 11 gals. Sitting still on the trailer it showed full. Sitting in the water it went to 3/4. Went around for about a hour just testing it for first hour and it bounced between 3/4 and 1/2 tank. I have a 06 bowrider, and was wondering if there was a area I am not seeing to visually see the gas tank. I had the panel off the floor behind engine to adjust shaft packing, and I never saw a tank. Just wonder if I could stick a small rubber type hose in the tank outlet to gauge it? Of can I see the tank from another area? I actually don't know where it is. Figure it was in the back of the boat somewhere.

Just wanted to say being a new boat owner has been one with a little worry, trying to understand the maint, and operations. Several have helped me on topics and some in pm's. Just wanted to make mention of two who have went beyond the call and personally helped me. H20king thanks for the suffing rope, I just got it in and gentlemen, this fellow don't know me from anybody and offered some stuffing rope and personally sent it to me for free, don't see things like that much anymore, but its people like that that make this country awesome. Grizfan has offered me tremendous insight into the specific model boat, and took time to write and explain a few things about my boat, a big help. Others have commented on post and helped me also. You guys are the best and I appreciate it tremendously. I just hope to be able to offer my help at some point in my boating journey. Don't know the owners of the message board but appreciate the board and don't know what I have done without these guys here helping me. Thanks for giving the opportunity to post and get help. I think I am slowing down on my uncertainty of a few things about my boat, but I am sure I will find something else I don't know about.

I currently have two batteries wired together on my boat, evidently both are not taking a charge, so going to investigate a little more monday, but what type set up do ya'll have as far as batteries. I have 4 big speakers on tower, then one sub w, then 4 boat speakers. I have a stereo swith that just runs the stereo, but evidently it drains on the cracking battery.