AH-HA moment

C-Time · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:36 pm Post subject: AH-HA moment

My first ,but not last, trailer AH-HA moment. I have always been a blue water sailor. I have traveled thousands of miles, and crossed oceans on my sail boats. So it is with a red face Embarassed

that I tell you a most embarrassing thing that happened last night. I hope some other newbie Trailer Boater will learn from my experience.

I was in my nice warm water bed, dreaming of future cruses on C-Time, when my wife started waking me up with the most feared words any sailor could hear. Dear, I think the boat is sinking. As I came awake and jumped out of bed, I remembered that we had had a wonderful time that day going from Gig Harbor to Vasion Island and back. When we returned home I cleaned up C-Time, and closed her up as it was starting to rain. If C-Time was safely in my driveway, how could she be sinking?

As my fast beating hart started to slow back to normal, I asked Rose what had happened. How could we be sinking? She told me that she had gone out to our boat to get the camera so she could down load the pictures from that day. When she stepped on board, and then down into the cabin, her feet splashed in standing water.

Sure enough when I ran out to check, C-Time was filling with water. Standing water on the forward cabin floor. Dipped a finger in and tasted it. Freshwater. Turned on all of the lights and started looking for the source.

I found that the cockpit was fulling with rain water and pooling forward against the cabin door. Once the level rose higher than the bottom of the door it started leaking into the cabin, soaking the carpet, and pooling forward about 2" deep.

Here is were the AH-HA comes in. I was so proud of the way I had backed the trailer into the driveway.All nice and straight. But it turns out that the drive way slopes out to the street. Not a lot, but enough to cause my problem. With C-Time backed in she was now sloped forward.

Got out the 5hp wet or dry vac and removed all of the water. no harm done, but a lesson learned. As a newbie trailer boater I learned to always park, or raise the bow, so all of the water will run aft. Hope this will help some other newbie.

Ernie
Embarassed

journey on · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:49 pm Post subject:

Well, I've done trailer boats, but that's one thing that I'd of learned by experience only.

Congratulations and welcome.

Journey On

Sea Wolf · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:59 pm Post subject:

And don't forget to pull the plug!

C-Time · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:52 pm Post subject:

And to put it back in. I did worry about that one. Very Happy

Opsal · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:15 pm Post subject:

Thanks, As we are soon to bring home our 22 for the first time. I will watch how I park it. Not that we ever get rain in Shoreline.
Gregg

rogerbum · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:42 pm Post subject:

For the present, the only place I can park my boat is on a downhill slant towards the bow and the jack isn't enough to make it tilt towards the stern. Sure I could (with some effort) get some 4x4 or similar and with another jack get the boat raised but that would take time going in and out. Hence for the time being, I have a 500 gal/hour fully automatic bilge pump that I have wired to a long length of wire with a 12V cigarette lighter adapter on the end. I set this pump in front of the door and plug it in when I park the boat. A 9' piece of bilge pump tubing lets me route the pump out to the transom well.

This keeps the water level down and gives me a pump that I can drop into someone else's boat to de-water it while on the water. It's come in handy a few times for the latter use.

Opsal · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:48 pm Post subject:

Roger, are there any other areas to watch out for leaks? Window seals etc?

Opsal · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:50 pm Post subject:

....and welcome aboard Ernie. Since you already have your boat, you are an old salt compared to me.
Gregg

rogerbum · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:07 pm Post subject:

Opsal · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:15 pm Post subject:

Thanks, This site has been so helpful. We are very anxious to get the boat home! We will take it out on Lake Washington for the shakedown cruises this winter. I kayak the Lake often and know it can be quite calm on some winter days.
Gregg

flapbreaker · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:21 pm Post subject:

Boy since you dipped your finger in and tasted it I'm sure glad you didn't have a leaky toilet. Crook

starcrafttom · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:53 pm Post subject:

The Susan E also collets water in the cock pit when it rains. the pad I park on also slopes in the wrong direction. I just leave the forward bilge set to auto and the water runs out. Good tip is to set the battery selector to one battery only. That way when you go to launch you have one good battery. Don't ask how I know.

Opsal · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 12:00 am Post subject:

After all this discussion I went out (raining in Shoreline - Go Figure) and checked my new pad. The way I will have to park my boat I will have a slant in the wrong direction also. This was a valuable discussion for me.
Thanks,
Gregg

DaveS · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:57 am Post subject: Re: AH-HA moment

Luna C · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:43 am Post subject:

If your boat parking has a bit of a slant to it, just put a block under the jack to get you a few more inches of bow lift. Bow down is a bad idea in the rain.