A sinking feeling Thank you USCG

[nicklewinski]

Last night I took out my boat

Last night I took out my boat for the first time! Me and a buddy decided to cruise upriver. This is when I found my first problem. When the boat comes up on plane as soon as you hit a wave (1') the boat kicks out sideways. It is so violent we were afraid it would either A flip over or B throw one of us out. We then just plowed down river about a mile with no problems till we heard the belt howling. My buddy took the motor cover off to find the water just shy of the floor. We immediately turned back. It was apparent that we were going to sink put out the distress flag and called 911. Coast guard was there in 2 minutes. After a few more tense minutes we started to get the water down in the boat. Before it was all said and done the water was just below the air cleaner. The USCG towed and pumped out my boat back to the launch. Once we got the boat on the trailer I could see that the brand new transom seal had a hole in it and was separated from the lower unit. I had replaced it Because the original had a hole in the exact same spot. I dont know much about boats as this is my first. But the motor mounts look homemade. The motor seems very solid in the boat. Could it be the motor shifting in place on plane causing the violent turn. Both times it turned to the right hard. As anyone had this problem or know the cause? How expensive is it to repair? Is it best left to a shop? Is it worth it to repair or should I get another boat I will post pictures later today. The Boat is a 1973 Stuery 18' with a 165hp Omc Chevy straight 6 250ci i beleive.

 

[hystat]

sure sounds like the engine an

sure sounds like the engine and intermediate are not attached to the stringers. Lucky the engine and drive didn't accelerate up between the front seats when you gave it the gas...
I bought an OMC parts boat once where the engine was held in with chains because the stringers were all rotten. In fact the sellers wife gave it to me when the guy was at work because she was scared for her kids' lives...
Maiden voyages always involve wearing a life jacket for me now.. I had a scare like that once in a boat I was going for a test drive in...the transom was so rotten the (Mercruiser) engine was moving and the seller kept bombing around the lake telling me it's fine and why I should buy it...no life jackets on board...and it was late October or maybe Nov...cold water

 

[nicklewinski]

Could this be from a bad gimba

Could this be from a bad gimbal bearing. When the boat throws you there is strange noises it runs quiet. Anything I should be looking for?

 

[hystat]

"1973 OMC doesn't have a g

"1973 OMC doesn't have a gimbal bearing. You should be looking for rotten stringers. See if the lag bolts holding the engine in are tight or if they are screwed into a rotten mushy pile of pulpwood. Tilt the drive up - stand behind the boat and push the drive hard side to side, lift it and jump on it, and see what moves."

 

[nicklewinski]

"I checked out the damage done

"I checked out the damage done today to the boat. The motor mounts have been completely ripped out. There were not like this before. They were probably damaged when the boat threw us. I talked with the previous owner. He said when hey bought the boat he put the wood in because the original fiberglass boxes were broken. The person he bought it off of said it threw him and that is when they were broken. A marina put a new engine in it a year ago. The new mounts were in it at that time and said they were good and sound. I now will have to replace the stringers but I don't think this is the cause of the problem. Could it be jumping out of gear into neutral or reverse? A problem with the electric shift? i have included som pictures of the damage to show how violent it is when it throws you.

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