2017 ar190 ski locker and bilge ?

[Boatchick]

Tried to search but couldn’t get the answer.

New to jet boats but just got a 2017 ar190z
My previous boat didn’t have a ski locker. I notice water sitting in it today but was afraid to pull the plug out before checking as it’s stored in the water.

I read on other threads some people keep this plus open… is this ok? If so, what’s the pt of the plug there?
Also see that even with the plug open the boat needs to be at a pretty good incline to empty out. How can I drain this on the water?

I’ve also read mixed things about the ability of the bilge pump to kick on while the battery is off. We are waiting for the new cover to be delivered so it’s being stored in water, (rainy florida) without a cover. Id rather not drive over and turn on the battery just to turn on the bilge but I will to be safe if that’s my only option!
Thanks for any and all advice!!

 

[TimW451]

If you boat is wet slipped, no lift, make sure the bilge pump is powered at all times. Some boats need to have the battery switch on, some are always on. As much as it’s good to know what the manual says or people with similar boats say, check YOUR boat yourself.

That said, I’d recommend you get a second pump and install it lower in the boat, search here for second pump installs. The short of it is that the factory pump is about engine bay level and not at the bottom of the boat, or the “true bilge”. Get power to your boat while it is slipped, so the batteries can’t die and the pump doesn’t run. This would entail installing a charger and having a place to plug it in.

Drainplugs, Yamaha recommends that they all be close when in the water and all be open on the trailer. Not everyone agrees. I follow Yamaha’s advice, as to me the idea of multiple sealed compartments is to contain water in the vent of intrusion. On the water, the best way to extract the maximum amount of water is to hit plane and let the bilge extract it. Per the above, you won’t get it all. The only way you’ll get it all is by pulling the boat out of the water, opening the stern drain plug and tilting the boat as much as you can.

HTH

 

[Cambo]

I’d recommend you get a second pump and install it lower in the boat, search here for second pump installs. The short of it is that the factory pump is about engine bay level and not at the bottom of the boat, or the “true bilge”. Get power to your boat while it is slipped, so the batteries can’t die and the pump doesn’t run. This would entail installing a charger and having a place to plug it in.

Agree 100% and hopefully your on a lake not in salt water

 

[2kwik4u]

Tried to search but couldn’t get the answer.

New to jet boats but just got a 2017 ar190z
My previous boat didn’t have a ski locker. I notice water sitting in it today but was afraid to pull the plug out before checking as it’s stored in the water.

I read on other threads some people keep this plus open… is this ok? If so, what’s the pt of the plug there?
Also see that even with the plug open the boat needs to be at a pretty good incline to empty out. How can I drain this on the water?

I’ve also read mixed things about the ability of the bilge pump to kick on while the battery is off. We are waiting for the new cover to be delivered so it’s being stored in water, (rainy florida) without a cover. Id rather not drive over and turn on the battery just to turn on the bilge but I will to be safe if that’s my only option!
Thanks for any and all advice!!

I have a '17 AR190. This will be season #7 for us with it. We've wet slipped a few times, but it mostly lives on the trailer.

Bilge only runs when the switch it on. Period. Battery has to be on for the switch to be powered. Battery switch kills power to the entire boat, including the bilge pump. With the bilge on, assuming it's the factory bilge pump, it will cycle every few minutes. If there is load, it will pump, if no load (no water to pump) it will shut off and cycle again in a few minutes. This will drain the battery flat in a week or so.

The ski locker leaks. Like a damn sieve. The seal around the top is NOT water tight, it's splash tight at best. If you have the boat outside, uncovered and in the rain it WILL fill the ski locker with rainwater. I've sat in the rain for just a few hours and had almost a foot of water in my closed and plugged ski locker. Also, keep in mind each one of the cupholders drain into the bilge. Including the swim platform cupholders. So any rain they collect is being dripped right into the bilge. Also, keep in mind the fuel tank hatch also leaks. Not as bad as the swim platform, but it drips some. You'll want to remove it periodically and clean/test the plugs that is in that compartment as well. I leave that plug in, and check it once a year, but I'm not wet slipping either.

Finally......The boat sits "bow heavy", so once you get water in the bilge, it will begin to pool in the front of the hull, and continue until it's above bilge pump level and pumped out. Once you get water in the ski locker, the only way to drain it below about 2-3in of depth is to get on plane with the ski locker plug out, or put it on the trailer and let it drain. It sucks. This boat is a really really poor choice to leave wet slipped without a cover in stock arrangement. With the cover is better, but with the stock bilge setup, I still wouldn't consider it a permanent solution.

If I was to wet slip this boat I would do a couple things.
1st. Pull it out of the water today. Not tomorrow, not this weekend, today. Drain it dry, and keep it on land until you get the below modifications complete.
2nd. Install a second bilge pump with a float switch, and direct wired to the battery. The factory pump is acceptable for lake days, but that's about it. The second bilge should be in the "true" bilge" not the engine compartment. Open the rear wet storage on the swim platform, look in there and you'll see a panel that is screwed in place. Remove this panel and put the new bulge pump down in there. That's where the water actually accumulates, and where you want to pump from. Put the float switch down there with it, and wire it all directly into the battery, bypassing the switch.
3rd. Get a good mooring cover and treat it with NeverWet, Aerospace 303, or similar hydrophobic coating. Once the factory cover saturates, it drips and lets water in. You need to treat it well to keep the water on the outside of it during torrential downpours. I've driven through rainstorms and had wet carpet at the end of the trip. I've also moored through a thunderstorm and had wet carpet. The mooring covers keeps a LOT of the rain out, but not ALL the rain out. If you're wet slipping, you'll want to be as proactive on keeping the water out to begin with as you can. While you're here, make certain the bilge outlet is ABOVE the waterline, but BELOW the cover line. My cover is precariously close to the bilge pump outlet. A poor fitment/installation could potentially cover it!
4th (optional IMO). Put a solar trickle charger on the tower to keep the battery topped off. Just in case you have multiple days with multiple rainstorms the bilge might have to work a lot. You'll want a way to recover the battery capacity when you get a few days of sunshine. It's likely inexpensive insurance.

With those 3 (maybe 4) mods I would be comfortable wet slipping my boat. It doesn't "leak" on it's own, but it's not exceptionally well suited from the factory to deal with water ingress. I've always been fairly disappointed with how much water is in the bilge of my boat after extended days on the water. It doesn't drain exceptionally well on it's own, and it has a hard time keeping the water on the outside of the boat on it's own.

Finally......An easier (but far more expensive) solution is to find a slip with a boat lift. You'll still want the secondary bilge, but at least you won't be fighting all of the things all the time. This will keep the boat out of the salt water as well, which will lead to a longer life for the pump/nozzle assembly.

Let me know if you have any questions, or need any pictures to help with the process. I love my AR190, it's been a stellar boat for our family with exceptional value. You're asking a lot of it to wet slip in salt without a cover, so you'll have to be proactive on a couple fronts, and getting water management nailed should be priority #1 for you.

 

[2kwik4u]

Sorry, wanted to make sure I answer your questions directly after I wrote that wall of text there.

Tried to search but couldn’t get the answer.

New to jet boats but just got a 2017 ar190z
My previous boat didn’t have a ski locker. I notice water sitting in it today but was afraid to pull the plug out before checking as it’s stored in the water.

I read on other threads some people keep this plus open… is this ok? If so, what’s the pt of the plug there?

I leave the plugs closed on the water, and open on the trailer. The point is to "compartmentalize" the boat. The more compartments you have the less likely it is to sink in an emergency situation. You get additional buoyancy from sealed compartments. Same premise as the Titanic was built on. However, same problem as the Titanic, once water reaches the top of a compartment it will spill over and leak into the otherwise empty space. For now, just understand that you should leave them in and closed on the water, and open on land.

Also see that even with the plug open the boat needs to be at a pretty good incline to empty out. How can I drain this on the water?

Once on the water, remove the plug from the ski locker and drive at 10-12mph. This will put you in a VERY bow high attitude, and the water will drain back to the bilge. Once the water is drained from the ski locker, reinsert the plug to seal the space. Should take a few minutes to get done. I've done this a number of times with good results.

I’ve also read mixed things about the ability of the bilge pump to kick on while the battery is off. We are waiting for the new cover to be delivered so it’s being stored in water, (rainy florida) without a cover. Id rather not drive over and turn on the battery just to turn on the bilge but I will to be safe if that’s my only option!
Thanks for any and all advice!!

Drive over. Turn on the battery, then turn on the switch. Let it pump whatever amount of water is in there back out. Then take it for a ride to recharge the battery to full. When you leave, keep the battery switch on, and the bilge switch on. In a factory stock AR190, this is the only way to get the bilge to operate. See my wall of text response above on ways to get around that.

 

[Boatchick]

I have a '17 AR190. This will be season #7 for us with it. We've wet slipped a few times, but it mostly lives on the trailer.

Bilge only runs when the switch it on. Period. Battery has to be on for the switch to be powered. Battery switch kills power to the entire boat, including the bilge pump. With the bilge on, assuming it's the factory bilge pump, it will cycle every few minutes. If there is load, it will pump, if no load (no water to pump) it will shut off and cycle again in a few minutes. This will drain the battery flat in a week or so.

The ski locker leaks. Like a damn sieve. The seal around the top is NOT water tight, it's splash tight at best. If you have the boat outside, uncovered and in the rain it WILL fill the ski locker with rainwater. I've sat in the rain for just a few hours and had almost a foot of water in my closed and plugged ski locker. Also, keep in mind each one of the cupholders drain into the bilge. Including the swim platform cupholders. So any rain they collect is being dripped right into the bilge. Also, keep in mind the fuel tank hatch also leaks. Not as bad as the swim platform, but it drips some. You'll want to remove it periodically and clean/test the plugs that is in that compartment as well. I leave that plug in, and check it once a year, but I'm not wet slipping either.

Finally......The boat sits "bow heavy", so once you get water in the bilge, it will begin to pool in the front of the hull, and continue until it's above bilge pump level and pumped out. Once you get water in the ski locker, the only way to drain it below about 2-3in of depth is to get on plane with the ski locker plug out, or put it on the trailer and let it drain. It sucks. This boat is a really really poor choice to leave wet slipped without a cover in stock arrangement. With the cover is better, but with the stock bilge setup, I still wouldn't consider it a permanent solution.

If I was to wet slip this boat I would do a couple things.
1st. Pull it out of the water today. Not tomorrow, not this weekend, today. Drain it dry, and keep it on land until you get the below modifications complete.
2nd. Install a second bilge pump with a float switch, and direct wired to the battery. The factory pump is acceptable for lake days, but that's about it. The second bilge should be in the "true" bilge" not the engine compartment. Open the rear wet storage on the swim platform, look in there and you'll see a panel that is screwed in place. Remove this panel and put the new bulge pump down in there. That's where the water actually accumulates, and where you want to pump from. Put the float switch down there with it, and wire it all directly into the battery, bypassing the switch.
3rd. Get a good mooring cover and treat it with NeverWet, Aerospace 303, or similar hydrophobic coating. Once the factory cover saturates, it drips and lets water in. You need to treat it well to keep the water on the outside of it during torrential downpours. I've driven through rainstorms and had wet carpet at the end of the trip. I've also moored through a thunderstorm and had wet carpet. The mooring covers keeps a LOT of the rain out, but not ALL the rain out. If you're wet slipping, you'll want to be as proactive on keeping the water out to begin with as you can. While you're here, make certain the bilge outlet is ABOVE the waterline, but BELOW the cover line. My cover is precariously close to the bilge pump outlet. A poor fitment/installation could potentially cover it!
4th (optional IMO). Put a solar trickle charger on the tower to keep the battery topped off. Just in case you have multiple days with multiple rainstorms the bilge might have to work a lot. You'll want a way to recover the battery capacity when you get a few days of sunshine. It's likely inexpensive insurance.

With those 3 (maybe 4) mods I would be comfortable wet slipping my boat. It doesn't "leak" on it's own, but it's not exceptionally well suited from the factory to deal with water ingress. I've always been fairly disappointed with how much water is in the bilge of my boat after extended days on the water. It doesn't drain exceptionally well on it's own, and it has a hard time keeping the water on the outside of the boat on it's own.

Finally......An easier (but far more expensive) solution is to find a slip with a boat lift. You'll still want the secondary bilge, but at least you won't be fighting all of the things all the time. This will keep the boat out of the salt water as well, which will lead to a longer life for the pump/nozzle assembly.

Let me know if you have any questions, or need any pictures to help with the process. I love my AR190, it's been a stellar boat for our family with exceptional value. You're asking a lot of it to wet slip in salt without a cover, so you'll have to be proactive on a couple fronts, and getting water management nailed should be priority #1 for you.

Thanks so much for all the details. We ordered a cover but we are waiting for it to be delivered Wednesday. When we bought it it was garage kept so they gave me the POS $25 Walmart cover which is useless. Thankfully he boat is in fresh water not salt and unfortunately there are no lifts on the lake. I’ll deff do the battery solar option which is a great recommendation and then the other bilge!
Thanks!

 

[Boatchick]

Sorry, wanted to make sure I answer your questions directly after I wrote that wall of text there.



I leave the plugs closed on the water, and open on the trailer. The point is to "compartmentalize" the boat. The more compartments you have the less likely it is to sink in an emergency situation. You get additional buoyancy from sealed compartments. Same premise as the Titanic was built on. However, same problem as the Titanic, once water reaches the top of a compartment it will spill over and leak into the otherwise empty space. For now, just understand that you should leave them in and closed on the water, and open on land.



Once on the water, remove the plug from the ski locker and drive at 10-12mph. This will put you in a VERY bow high attitude, and the water will drain back to the bilge. Once the water is drained from the ski locker, reinsert the plug to seal the space. Should take a few minutes to get done. I've done this a number of times with good results.



Drive over. Turn on the battery, then turn on the switch. Let it pump whatever amount of water is in there back out. Then take it for a ride to recharge the battery to full. When you leave, keep the battery switch on, and the bilge switch on. In a factory stock AR190, this is the only way to get the bilge to operate. See my wall of text response above on ways to get around that.

So I went over and turned bilge on and after a quick drive like you recommended got all the water out of the ski locker and sealed it back up. I now have water it seems in the engine locker but was not sure which plug I should be undoing.

also seems that my bilge Is only running when the boat is ON… I had the battery on and the bilge switch on but water didn’t start pumping until I turned the boat over. I ran it for a good 30 min and still had a small amount of water coming out. The second I turned it off the water stopped as well.why Isn’t is kicking on without the engine being on. Now I don’t trust it would do that on its own without me there. Is there a sensor that could have gone bad?
Thanks again!!

 

[Boatchick]

If you boat is wet slipped, no lift, make sure the bilge pump is powered at all times. Some boats need to have the battery switch on, some are always on. As much as it’s good to know what the manual says or people with similar boats say, check YOUR boat yourself.

That said, I’d recommend you get a second pump and install it lower in the boat, search here for second pump installs. The short of it is that the factory pump is about engine bay level and not at the bottom of the boat, or the “true bilge”. Get power to your boat while it is slipped, so the batteries can’t die and the pump doesn’t run. This would entail installing a charger and having a place to plug it in.

Drainplugs, Yamaha recommends that they all be close when in the water and all be open on the trailer. Not everyone agrees. I follow Yamaha’s advice, as to me the idea of multiple sealed compartments is to contain water in the vent of intrusion. On the water, the best way to extract the maximum amount of water is to hit plane and let the bilge extract it. Per the above, you won’t get it all. The only way you’ll get it all is by pulling the boat out of the water, opening the stern drain plug and tilting the boat as much as you can.

HTH

Thank you! I went and turned on the battery and the bilge. However the pump doesn’t run until the boat is actually turned on despite the switch being on. It turns off as soon as the boat is off. This is councerning. What could cause that? A second bilge is deff coming

 

[Boatchick]

Agree 100% and hopefully your on a lake not in salt water

Yep lake!

 

[2kwik4u]

So I went over and turned bilge on and after a quick drive like you recommended got all the water out of the ski locker and sealed it back up. I now have water it seems in the engine locker but was not sure which plug I should be undoing.

also seems that my bilge Is only running when the boat is ON… I had the battery on and the bilge switch on but water didn’t start pumping until I turned the boat over. I ran it for a good 30 min and still had a small amount of water coming out. The second I turned it off the water stopped as well.why Isn’t is kicking on without the engine being on. Now I don’t trust it would do that on its own without me there. Is there a sensor that could have gone bad?
Thanks again!!

Glad you got over there and got it emptied. Sounds like you're in pretty good shape honestly. Also, really glad to hear it's in a fresh water lake. These boats will handle salt just fine, you just have to put some additional effort into maintenance to keep them in good condition.

The engine compartment is NOT sealed between itself and the bilge. There's a plug at the front, but as you've found there is also a giant hole in the bottom where the bilge pump sits. So, any water that's in the bilge will also be in the engine compartment. In your case, I would leave the ski locker plug in, and the fuel tank compartment plug in, and the engine compartment out when you leave it slipped. This will keep MOST of the water near the bilge.

I suspect also, that you are confusing the factory witness outlet (some call it a pisser, or pee hole, but I hate that terminology) on the side of the boat. If the engine is running, water comes out of this hole. This is so you know the engine is getting raw water for engine cooling. You'll see similar witness outlets on outboard motors (usually a small jet streaming from powerhead directly down into water), or from PWC's where they shoot a water jet up in the air. This isn't your bilge pump. Your bilge pump is the larger, less directed opening. I suspect that the bilge has been working the entire time, and you didn't have much water in there. More on the bilge in a second.

In the image below, the red circle is the bilge outlet. This only has water flowing when the bilge pump is on and actively pumping water. The blue circle is the witness line for the cooling system. This should have water flow anytime the engine is running. A slow, relaxed stream at idle, and a pretty strong jet while on plane or high rpm conditions.



I couldn't find a 2017 AR190 running on the water. Here's a 212X though. They have a similar setup to ours, but have (2) engines instead of one. You can see the witness lines both lightly streaming water. This means both engines are running in this picture. Notice the bilge pump outlet is not streaming in this picture. Don't worry, you'll get used to everyone and their brother telling you "Your bilge pump is on" when you leave the ramp. It's a very common misunderstanding because our boats operate like PWC's, but look like traditional bowriders. Welcome to being a jetboater!!



Next, you don't have the factory bilge pump setup. So all bets are off in regards to how it's wired, and you'll want to track down some wires. What you have is a float switch that's tied into your bilge pump. If wired properly, this switch will activate the pump if/when it floats up due to high water levels in the bilge. Not even sure there is a factory pump in there at this point. Anyone that upgrades to a switched setup, likely upgraded the pump as well. The red circle below is around your float switch. I can't see where the wires go, but if you get us an idea of model numbers off the switch and pump, as well as where those wires lead, and what they are tied into, we can help troubleshoot how the previous owner wired it in. Hopefully, it's tied direct to the battery and you don't have anything more to do.



Here's how to check how it's wired.

1. Turn off battery switch, turn off dash switch, and turn key off.
   1. reach down into bilge and gently pull up on the float (left side of switch, it's hinged on the right)
   2. If bilge turns on, it's direct wired to battery (you're done - YAY! - This is how you want it setup for a wet slip)
   3. If it does not turn on, continue to next step
2. Turn on battery switch, Leave dash switch off, and key off
   1. reach down into bilge and gently pull up on the float
   2. If bilge turns on, it's wired to battery switch
      1. You'll have to track down wires from here, and move them to non-switched side of battery
   3. If it does not turn on, continue to next step
3. Turn on battery switch, and dash switch on, leave key off
   1. reach down into bilge and gently pull up on the float
   2. If bilge turns on, it's wired to factory bilge wiring
      1. You'll have to track down wires from here, and move them to non-switched side of battery
   3. If it does not turn on, continue to next step
4. Turn on battery switch, dash switch on, and key on
   1. reach down into bilge and gently pull up on the float
   2. If bilge turns on, it's wired to a switched ignition power source
      1. You'll have to track down wires from here, and move them to non-switched side of battery
   3. If it does not turn on, continue to next step
5. If it doesn't turn on at this point, we're into checking fuses, and power wires and chasing connections.
   1. This is beyond the scope of testing here.

Ultimately, you have some additional investigating to do, but this is good news, as this is the upgraded setup you want for wet slipping, you just need to get an understanding of how it's wired, and possibly make a small change.

 

[TimW451]

@oakley24 @2kwik4u I see something red next to the float switch. Is that the location of the factory bilge pump? May still be there, the PO may have just added in a float switch.

 

[2kwik4u]

@oakley24 @2kwik4u I see something red next to the float switch. Is that the location of the factory bilge pump? May still be there, the PO may have just added in a float switch.

That is the location of the factory pump. Also the factory pump is a Rule unit that has a red top on it.

Hopefully the PO didn't just add a float switch. I *hope* that they rewired and replaced the pump at the same time. If they just added a float switch in line to the power, then the battery will need to be switched on, and the dash switched on for the pump to work. It's better than running constant, but still not ideal.

This is a picture from when I replaced mine a few years ago.


Rule makes several pumps of the same shape/size with different features. Check out this post from '20 where I was asking questions and getting help.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/bilge-pump-is-this-the-right-one-is-there-a-better-one-that-fits-in-the-stock-location.27244/#post-457879

 

[Boatchick]

Glad you got over there and got it emptied. Sounds like you're in pretty good shape honestly. Also, really glad to hear it's in a fresh water lake. These boats will handle salt just fine, you just have to put some additional effort into maintenance to keep them in good condition.

The engine compartment is NOT sealed between itself and the bilge. There's a plug at the front, but as you've found there is also a giant hole in the bottom where the bilge pump sits. So, any water that's in the bilge will also be in the engine compartment. In your case, I would leave the ski locker plug in, and the fuel tank compartment plug in, and the engine compartment out when you leave it slipped. This will keep MOST of the water near the bilge.

I suspect also, that you are confusing the factory witness outlet (some call it a pisser, or pee hole, but I hate that terminology) on the side of the boat. If the engine is running, water comes out of this hole. This is so you know the engine is getting raw water for engine cooling. You'll see similar witness outlets on outboard motors (usually a small jet streaming from powerhead directly down into water), or from PWC's where they shoot a water jet up in the air. This isn't your bilge pump. Your bilge pump is the larger, less directed opening. I suspect that the bilge has been working the entire time, and you didn't have much water in there. More on the bilge in a second.

In the image below, the red circle is the bilge outlet. This only has water flowing when the bilge pump is on and actively pumping water. The blue circle is the witness line for the cooling system. This should have water flow anytime the engine is running. A slow, relaxed stream at idle, and a pretty strong jet while on plane or high rpm conditions.

View attachment 199969

I couldn't find a 2017 AR190 running on the water. Here's a 212X though. They have a similar setup to ours, but have (2) engines instead of one. You can see the witness lines both lightly streaming water. This means both engines are running in this picture. Notice the bilge pump outlet is not streaming in this picture. Don't worry, you'll get used to everyone and their brother telling you "Your bilge pump is on" when you leave the ramp. It's a very common misunderstanding because our boats operate like PWC's, but look like traditional bowriders. Welcome to being a jetboater!!

View attachment 199970

Next, you don't have the factory bilge pump setup. So all bets are off in regards to how it's wired, and you'll want to track down some wires. What you have is a float switch that's tied into your bilge pump. If wired properly, this switch will activate the pump if/when it floats up due to high water levels in the bilge. Not even sure there is a factory pump in there at this point. Anyone that upgrades to a switched setup, likely upgraded the pump as well. The red circle below is around your float switch. I can't see where the wires go, but if you get us an idea of model numbers off the switch and pump, as well as where those wires lead, and what they are tied into, we can help troubleshoot how the previous owner wired it in. Hopefully, it's tied direct to the battery and you don't have anything more to do.

View attachment 199968

Here's how to check how it's wired.

1. Turn off battery switch, turn off dash switch, and turn key off.
   1. reach down into bilge and gently pull up on the float (left side of switch, it's hinged on the right)
   2. If bilge turns on, it's direct wired to battery (you're done - YAY! - This is how you want it setup for a wet slip)
   3. If it does not turn on, continue to next step
2. Turn on battery switch, Leave dash switch off, and key off
   1. reach down into bilge and gently pull up on the float
   2. If bilge turns on, it's wired to battery switch
      1. You'll have to track down wires from here, and move them to non-switched side of battery
   3. If it does not turn on, continue to next step
3. Turn on battery switch, and dash switch on, leave key off
   1. reach down into bilge and gently pull up on the float
   2. If bilge turns on, it's wired to factory bilge wiring
      1. You'll have to track down wires from here, and move them to non-switched side of battery
   3. If it does not turn on, continue to next step
4. Turn on battery switch, dash switch on, and key on
   1. reach down into bilge and gently pull up on the float
   2. If bilge turns on, it's wired to a switched ignition power source
      1. You'll have to track down wires from here, and move them to non-switched side of battery
   3. If it does not turn on, continue to next step
5. If it doesn't turn on at this point, we're into checking fuses, and power wires and chasing connections.
   1. This is beyond the scope of testing here.

Ultimately, you have some additional investigating to do, but this is good news, as this is the upgraded setup you want for wet slipping, you just need to get an understanding of how it's wired, and possibly make a small change.

Thank you so much for this detailed response! It’s greatly appreciated
went and did all your steps…so there is a float that is only activated when the battery is on the the switch on the dash is on as well.

I left both on tonight as we are supposed to get rain and the new cover which was supposed to be here from rpm is not coming till tomorrow.

I attached pictures of the pump and the wiring. I couldn’t get the battery out to really find where the wires ran to it. Ideally I would like this to kick on without the battery on obviously.

 

[HawaiiBreeze]

On my 2017 SX 190, water just sitting in the ski locker, with the plug in, comes from the anchor storage in the bow. Theres a little drain at the bottom and whatever gets sprayed or washed into or brought up on the anchor, chain or line will make its way down to the ski locker including sand and bits of seaweed or algae. If water is present and the plug is out, water from the bilge (never mind how it got there yet) will bubble into the ski locker when leveled if there is enough volume. If not enough volume and water is present in the bilge you can see it through the hole. The only other way I've observed water mysteriously getting into the ski locker is from water in the gas tank locker seeping through the bulkhead between the two. This can happen if you regularly hose out your ski locker and then bilge or drain it out. The water that seeped in to the gas locker will find its way back in to the ski locker. That's how I found out my mystery waters.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Thank you so much for this detailed response! It’s greatly appreciated
went and did all your steps…so there is a float that is only activated when the battery is on the the switch on the dash is on as well.

I left both on tonight as we are supposed to get rain and the new cover which was supposed to be here from rpm is not coming till tomorrow.

I attached pictures of the pump and the wiring. I couldn’t get the battery out to really find where the wires ran to it. Ideally I would like this to kick on without the battery on obviously.

The best way to have it wired is as you wish it to be, with the battery off. And, you should be able to manually turn the pump on after you turn on the battery switch. Always a good idea to have a second bilge pump for redundancy as well.