BOATS SINKING!!!! What?!?

So I took my 77 spectra out on ththe water at Pyramid today, about 200 ft out from the dock and water started poring ( YES I had my plug in). Sheriff that helped said it might be exhaust intake seal?? Any suggestions? I left it at a shop to get a diagnostic for $95 for now. (

Fresh water pump maybe?

Spectra18 said:

So I took my 77 spectra out on ththe water at Pyramid today, about 200 ft out from the dock and water started poring ( YES I had my plug in). Sheriff that helped said it might be exhaust intake seal?? Any suggestions? I left it at a shop to get a diagnostic for $95 for now. (

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Exhaust bellows?

Pouring in? Any idea from where? Drive bellow would be my guess

Do you have 4" flex hose from the exhaust manifold to through transom tips? The hose can burn through. Most people never change them, after twenty years or so they tend to fail... :eek

Bellows. I just replaced mine after 9 years.

Freeze plug(s)??

One easy way to test is with a spray bottle (with a bit of liquid detergent added) and compressed air or even a shop vac (reversed to blow) , also a very good way top check for leaks is to simply fill the bilge with a few inches of water and observe for leaks ...

When you got it on the trailer, was water pouring from anywhere before you pulled your plug? If not, I'm guessing intake hose came off

Makes me want to check my bellows

Assume,being the 18 footer,it's a jet.Most likely a Harman or Hardin manifold.Maybe the gasket gone between the manifold and the riser.It's really simple to diagnose where the leak is if it's pouring in as you stated.Fastest way your boat would be sinking just 200 feet away from the dock is, when the water supply hose from the bowl blown!

Am super happy this didn't happen at one of my night drives in Parker or middle of the freezing lake today. Water just kept coming in, even after boat was shut off. Thumbs Up to the Sheriffs. One of the sheriffs did mention it was probably related to the old seals or hoses. Is this something I can do at home guys or is it better to just get it done at a SHOP? I'm pretty handy with tools, unless it's a "headache" of a job. Any reasonable estimates I should accept ?

Jets are the simplest propulsion systems of all boats other than paddle boats. You didn't say if it's a jet or sterndrive.If you are half mechanically savvy, you can trouble shoot it yourself or ask some RDP members who live near your place to take a looksy.I'd help but am a bit of distance

Umm, put boat on the trailer, open engine hatch, back into water, observe, save yourself $95.00. Is an exhaust intake seal like one of these?

Check exhaust and intake hose like said. I would also check to see if the clean out has its o ring still or if it even right

HST4ME said:

Umm, put boat on the trailer, open engine hatch, back into water, observe, save yourself $95.00. Is an exhaust intake seal like one of these?

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This would be a muffler bearing and the failure rate is about the same as headlight hoses, which I don't believe would be his problem D

Assuming by your name your boat is an 18 footer. Spectra never put a sterndrive in one of those hulls. Check the exhaust hoses steering tube seal or packing gland for leaks.

My 21' daycruiser jet boat had one of the rubber exhaust couplers (that connect the exhaust log to the metal exhaust tip) blow out (had been overheated in the past, and they were old). You want to see water just POUR in.....let one of those 4" rubber hoses blow out with exhaust tips that are @ or just below the water line!

I was able to swim the boat to one of the beach campsites @ park moabi (it stalled...) and drag the ass-end of the boat up on the shore with the help of a few people, that was the only thing that kept it from going down that day.

I say find out what it was...and REPLACE all the rubber hoses on that baby!

I would say exhaust hose over bellows, Even if the gimbal bellows is totally gone the leak isn't going to be super catastrophic as the water has to get through the gimbal bearing, and the input shaft the outdrive fits rather tightly into the bearing, it will weap in, it won't pour.

That or hull delamination. A buddy of mine with an old ~21 nordic had that happen up here at mead, hull split along the strake/stringer about 4' long almost lost the boat.

OP hasn't replied about his propulson yet,which we're 99.99% sure it's a jetdrive model. Since most engines are solid mounted on the stringers [ some Fords still had the rubber engine mounts ] for jet and V-drives, there's not much movement by torque to warrant to use flexible exhaust hoses that eventually burn out.I've replaced rubber hoses on every jet boat I worked on with s/s tubing in between riser manifold and exh tips, only using two small exh hose to clamp it.Leave 1/8 or 1/4 inch gap both end of the tube between the riser and at the exh tip.You'll never need another hose replacement even if the engine runs dry for a few seconds.
Also, some jetdrives have only a rubber hose coming from the water supply at the bowl,I recommend using a hard tube with a shut off lever on it,so in case, any of the water hoses burst,you can reach into the engine room and shut off the incoming water.
Racey, have you ever seen a Spectra hull delamination, just curious?

spectras only said:

OP hasn't replied about his propulson yet,which we're 99.99% sure it's a jetdrive model. Since most engines are solid mounted on the stringers [ some Fords still had the rubber engine mounts ] for jet and V-drives, there's not much movement by torque to warrant to use flexible exhaust hoses that eventually burn out.I've replaced rubber hoses on every jet boat I worked on with s/s tubing in between riser manifold and exh tips, only using two small exh hose to clamp it.Leave 1/8 or 1/4 inch gap both end of the tube between the riser and at the exh tip.You'll never need another hose replacement even if the engine runs dry for a few seconds.
Racey, have you ever seen a Spectra hull delamination, just curious?

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Pretty much every mfg can have delam under the right (wrong ) circumstances..... Even Schiadas

Spectra18 said:

So I took my 77 spectra out on ththe water at Pyramid today, about 200 ft out from the dock and water started poring ( YES I had my plug in). Sheriff that helped said it might be exhaust intake seal?? Any suggestions? I left it at a shop to get a diagnostic for $95 for now. (

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Later, is that you?

Seriously, I hope you get it all worked out on the cheap and back on the water soon.:thumbsup

Mr. C said:

Later, is that you?

Seriously, I hope you get it all worked out on the cheap and back on the water soon.:thumbsup

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Yep, I was waiting for that.




I had an exhaust Y pipe blow out a quarter size hole on Lake Tahoe several years back. That was a freaking eye opener. Bilge pump would run neck and neck with it.

Racey said:

Pretty much every mfg can have delam under the right (wrong ) circumstances..... Even Schiadas

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Watch what you say! That will get you a night in the box!

Wakebrdr94 said:

When you got it on the trailer, was water pouring from anywhere before you pulled your plug? If not, I'm guessing intake hose came off

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Yup!!! Jumped out of bed this morning yelled out the intake hose!!! I feel so stupid. I always check my engine at home make sure its working once a month, forgot to friggin re-attach it. Cant fix stupid :/

Racey said:

Pretty much every mfg can have delam under the right (wrong ) circumstances..... Even Schiadas

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Yes i got the good ole Berkeley jet , Spectra 18 .

Spectra18 said:

Yup!!! Jumped out of bed this morning yelled out the intake hose!!! I feel so stupid. I always check my engine at home make sure its working once a month, forgot to friggin re-attach it. Cant fix stupid :/

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I'm sure if we started a most embarrassing thread, this wouldn't even top the list. Glad it was an easy fix!

And I should go by a lottery ticket with that guess