New to Boating

[Terrifoster20]

Well, here goes. I just bought a 1997 2744 WA Sea Sport with a Volvo Penta 5.7 gas motor..
I know nothing about boats and would like some help please...

first thing is the buttons on the panel are marked for what they do but im not familiar with what they mean and what they do... ok so first button is blower and I know what it is for, the next button is Pump this is where I get lost I thought this was for the manual bilge pump but how do I know if this is working I don't hear the pump start when I turn it on. we are trying to learn the boat before taken it out on the water so is there away to test this to see if its working.. I turned it on and ran water in the sink but my husband seems to think this is a different bilge pump from the manual bilge for the boat.. is this it or is it one for all bilge pump.. also we have the battery switch it has position off 1 both 2. now the boat will only start in position 2 or both is that right? being position one is for everything else and how can I tell if my charger is working from shore power is there a way to test it..
thank youuuu for your help in advance..

 

[chawk_man]

Welcome to the wonderful world of boating. Of course, the only thing that works on an old boat is its owner."

Generally, you need to get on line and educate yourself. Several good sites include BoatUS (you should become a member and subscribe to their towing service) West Marine, and Jamestown Distributors. I'm sure others on this thread will have other recommendations.

Contact Seasport Boats at http://www.seasportboats.com/ and ask for an Owners Manual and Maintenance Manual for your boat.

You can usually find a manual on the engine and outdrive on line.

You should take a Boaters Safety Course. In many states it is now mandatory. BoatUS provides one online and it is usually accepted by most states.

The good news is that the Volvo Penta 5.7 is an excellent engine. The bad news is that it requires regular maintenance and care. I assume that you also have a Volvo outdrive - the part on the outside of the transom with the prop attached. Those are typically a very good outdrives. The other bad news is that replacement parts for the Volvo equipment is quite expensive compared to other manufacturers. The weakness in all outdrives is the large hose that pulls water up through the outdrive into the engine to cool it and the large exhaust hose which allows exhaust gases to escape through the bottom of the outdrive. If either breaks while at sea it can sink your boat. They must be inspected regularly and changed out if it has been compromised in any way.

Battery switch - This is the normal setup: Off = both batteries shut off. 1=house battery for running all the stuff on the boat not related to the engine (e.g. running lights, cabin fans, cabin lights, and so forth.) 2=starting battery for starting the engine and running the engine electronics, such as the tilt/trim of the outdrive. Both = Both batteries are connected together. When running the boat, if the switch is in the "both" position while the engine is running, then the alternator will be charging both batteries.

Blower switch - ALWAYS run the blowers a full 2 minutes before starting the engine. That is designed to get any fuel vapors out of the bilge before starting. If you fail to do that and even have a very small fuel leak on the engine or fuel line, that could cause a disastrous explosion.

Pumps - most boats of that size may have two or three pumps. The most critical one will be the bilge pump, which has two switches. Usually there is one on the console - that will often be marked "Bilge." The other switch is a float switch in the bilge near the pump. If it "floats" due to excess water in the bilge, it turns on the bilge pump automatically. Another pump your boat may have is a raw rater pump that allows you to draw in water the boat is floating in to wash down the deck. If your boat is so equipped, it will have an outlet on the deck for a garden hose to fit to. This pump will typically be a "demand" pump whereby it will start to pump when the hose is opened up. The third pump you may have is a freshwater pump. This is also typically a demand pump that will pump water from a freshwater tank on the boat to operate a sink, shower, or commode.

Bottom line - learn much more about your boat before taking it out. Take that boating safety course. Make sure that you always have a good operational VHF radio on board to call for help if you need it and to talk to other boaters while on the water. Get to know other experienced boaters and learn from them. Above all, be safe and don't do stupid things.