1st day out and boat is broken

[Michael Guzzo]

Hi all. You may remember me from a previous thread as the guy that was deciding between the 2012 242 Limited S and 2014 with a sun damaged interior. Well I decided to go with the 2012 and things have not gotten off to a good start…

Yesterday I picked the boat up from the dealership and headed directly to the ramp with a crew of 4 as excited as can be. Dropped the boat in the water and headed out. Before we run I try and set up the new Bimini they provided me to find out it was installed backwards. This was only the beginning.

About a quarter mile into our trip I start to feel that something is off with the boat. I look back and notice that the rear deck is slightly below water level and immediately realize what the issue is. Open the clean out port compartment to find that one of the ports had come dislodged or was not in at all (I should mention that during the water test the same port came dislodged but the sales person sitting in the back noticed immediately, put it back and we were on our way). I try to turn the bilge on and am not getting power. Not realizing the danger I turn the engines back on and slowly head back to the ramp. After the boat is out of the water I look in the engine compartment and see that it is about ½ full of water. I decide to head directly to the dealership service center. By the time I arrive the water had drained out but when he opened the casing which holds the air filter water pours out and the engine oil is milky. The mechanic says that at a minimum we need to do a boil out procedure ($500 per engine) and replace both air filters ($180 per) and whatever else they find. I describe the bilge issue and after he investigates it turns out that the batteries are wired in a way where all 3 switches (including the emergency parallel) have to be in the on position for it to work.

On the way home the sales person calls and is completely apologetic and says they are taking care of everything and I have no monetary obligation in this. I have had so many other issues with them but for the sake of not making this post longer than it is I will spare you.

I was hesitant to post this and slightly embarrassed because admittedly I probably should have noticed sooner and stopped the boat earlier but being that this was my 1st time taking it out (or owning a boat at all) I was not completely in tune with how the boat should feel. Now I worry about the long term damage done to the engines. I need to read the fine print on my contract when I get off work but also am wondering if I have the option to just say thanks but no thanks and give them the boat back.

Thanks for listening. I hope to one day have a good jet boat story to share with you all!

 

[2nazt]

Sorry for your bad experience. It takes a lot to write a post like this but is great you did. You are lot more knowledgable know. You know to try all things prior to the water. Make sure bilge works etc. and you know what the boat will fell like with a bad clean out etc. I hope it all works out and you can be on the water soon. Hopefully this post will help another new boater one day as well!

 

[Scottintexas]

If your cleanout plug is not in or not in properly you should lose thrust only not take water in, I've done this a few times with no problems,

if you are taking in water you have additional problems (maybe a dislodged / not connected cleanout port tube that would pump water into your bilge/engine area)

If this same plug is "blowing" multiple times there is some kind of problem, either with the plug dogs/locks or the hole they sit in.

Is this a Yamaha dealer?

Many have successfully overcome ingesting water in their engines, you just have to get it drained, filled and drained again and again immediately.

If you had a chance to walk away I think I would, bad experience with the dealer now possible other issues with the boat, I'd roll the dice some place else,

 

[Michael Guzzo]

This is a Yamaha dealer to answer your question @Scottintexas. Good to hear that the water in the engines is not the end of the world. The mechanic said they were dropping everything to save the motors so fingers crossed.

 

[Bill D]

If the dealer does right by you, I would say that is a step in the right direction. Hopefully they can get the boat back in shape and get you back on the water. I would make sure you ask them to describe exactly what was going on with the cleanout plugs / water intrusion and what they did to fix it. As @Scottintexas said, there was more going on than just the plug coming dislodged. I would also do the same with the bilge pump wiring.

It sucks that you had this happen the first time out. I know how my heart would have sank and I would have been soured on owning a boat. Stay positive and keep us updated, we'll do everything we can to help make sure the dealer is doing the right things.

 

[OperationROL]

This will turn out just fine and you will have gained some first hand experience that will familiarize you quicker to your boat. The water in the oil just needs to be drained and refilled a few times to remove most of it. Hopefully, the mechanic can access the drain plug that we cannot easily get to and only have to drain it once. Since you have to get new filters, look into the Riva or K&N washable filters. As for the clean out plug, when you insert it and lock it in place, give it a good (actually great) tug to make sure it is properly seated. I believe you are dealing with plug that may be hard to insert and is not really in when you think it is.

Also, great that the dealer is stepping up to make your experience better.

 

[OperationROL]

Oh yeah.......have them change the bilge wiring right away.

 

[MrMoose]

Really sorry to hear about your first experience @Michael Guzzo .
Good idea to check the fine-print.
When you get a chance, poke your head into the access hatch between your clean-out tubes and feel to see if the tubes have tight stainless clamps on the top and bottom edges. If not, you'll be filling your bilge every time.

 

[Mainah]

Hope everything gets resolved quickly and you get back on the water. As others have said you noticed and did the right thing without any experience. You are a natural with good observation and decision making. That will get you a long ways. Reading this site will help you learn a lot as well.

Ever since I had a bilge pump fail (old and worn out) on my first boat I now install a second bilge with its own through hull and direct to battery float switch. I check and test both pumps monthy as well. Keeping the boat floating with propulsion is number one even in a MOB situation.

 

[swatski]

I don't think there is much you could have done different. The clean out tube clamps need to be tightened, they are usually pretty loose, but they never completely seal the tubes, so if you have a lot of water coming through the crooked clean out plug under some pressure you will fill the engine compartment (through bilge) pretty quickly.

I would be very encouraged by your dealers resolve!
--

 

[Bruce]

My first test drive of a Yamaha boat went much worse than your experience due to poor maintenance that resulted in a plug blowout.

Were you in fresh water or salt water?

It is likely that the plug was swollen and ill fitting. You should have the dealer rebuild the plugs - Rebuilding Yamaha Jet Boat Clean Out Plugs

The clean out plugs should be removed after every use and reinstalled before the next. They should be easy to remove and install. If they start swelling they will quickly become difficult to install and remove.

 

[Michael Guzzo]

Thanks everyone for the positive support and good information.

One thing I neglected to mention is that on my way back only the starboard side engine would fire up. I had made the assumption that is because the air filter is slightly lower on the port side thus more water got in it but who knows.

@Bruce unfortunately this was a saltwater excursion . I assumet that makes things worse.

 

[Julian]

Salt water corrodes more, so as long as they rinse everything and spray with some protectant....it should be fine. I agree with Bruce that you want to understand the cause and get that fixed! A swollen lower seal ring on the plug is a very likely cause and is an easy fix via the Manhole repair kit.

 

[MNdrifter]

Best practice says you should always keep the bilge switch on while the boat is in the water. My boat is in a slip so my bilge switch is on all summer.
Because it's always in the water, I also have a second bilge on a float switch as backup. It would also kick in if the primary bilge couldn't keep up.

 

[Michael Guzzo]

Yea I wanted so badly to stick around and rinse everything off myself including the trailer because you know the people at the shop don't care as much about your boat as you do. Probably doesn't help that I dropped it off at 4:30 when I'm sure they were all itchin to go home. All I can do is hope for the best.

 

[Bruce]

Water in the engine is bad. Salt water is worse. On the positive side I assume that the dealer started changing the oil as soon as you brought the boat in.

The more I think about this the less happy that I am with the dealer. The bilge pump should always be on when the boat is in the water. Your bilge pump was effectively disabled when you bought the boat. Had it been operating you might have noticed the problem earlier and it would have helped keep the water level below the intakes. Additionally if a clean out plug blows the water should run out over the swim deck. In your case it filled the bilge. Either something was wrong with the large rubber tubes that connect the clean out plug socket to the fiberglass hatch or the hatch was not properly sealed. This is likely due to someone removing the bilge access in that hatch not properly reinstalling it.

At a minimum I would want an extended warranty from the dealer.

On the 2014 Bimini crossing two boats were swamped. One owner took his boat to a dealer where it sat for days and the salt water destroyed his engines. His insurance totaled the boat. The other owner took his boat to a friends house and performed a series of oil changes. As far as I know his boat is fine.

 

[blacksapphirez]

my story is the first day i took it out after purchase...the engine overheat warning was going off and limiting my engine speed. with extended warranty, i headed to the dealer where it sat for nearly a month but they replaced the thermostat and the temp sensor...now i have to go back because the clean out hatch lock has broken(snapped) and cutting out the engine whenever i hit a wake even the smallest one...Took out the assist shock and it was much better for remainder of the weekend.... hoping they will replace the whole cover as it is bowed upward. Yay for extended warranty...Boo for downtime...

 

[fireflymedic]

O man I feel your pain. I also have never had a boat before and have no experience even riding on one. I'm nervous as a mouse at a cat conference. Your story has not helped. At least you got yours from a dealer and sounds like they're standing behind the boat, I'm sure that would change if the fix get expensive hopefully not.

As for backing out of a sale every state would have different lawa/regulations but I bet if your state did have a way to get out of a sale the dealer would have put something in the small print to take that right away from you. Hence the old slang of calling dealers stealers

Hoping for the best for you and your boat.

 

[2nazt]

@blacksapphirez you could temporarily unplug and jump the wires till end of boating season prime and repair later. Just remember engines will run when open

 

[Gym]

I question the dealers fitness on prepping your boat. Bilge pump not wired properly, bimini installed backwards and a clean out plug that keeps blowing. I wonder what else you will find. I'm guessing the salesman caught it so fast on the demo ride because it happened to him on previous demo rides.

Yamaha is currently pulling boat dealerships from locations that are not on a body of water. Many motorcycle dealers who also sold boats have lost their boat franchise. Is your dealer on a body of water? Do they have a boat franchise or are they just selling used boats?

You may want to check the consumer protection laws in Florida. There is probably a provision that allows you to return a boat that doesn't perform to minimum standards. Good luck however you decide to proceed.