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I am the proud owner of a new 2008 Montauk 170. I keep the boat in the water at a community dock on the IntraCoastal Waterway in Wilmington NC.

There was a huge rainstorm yesterday and the boat accumulated a good 6 inches of water in the rear of the boat. I was panicked when I saw it. I noticed that the bilge pump switch had been left in the "OFF" position, and as soon as I turned it on, the water was pumped out.
After pumping out the water, I made sure I left the switch in the automatic position and I tested by hosing some water into the boat to make sure it drained into the bilge and the bilge pump came on just long enough to pump the water out.

I am worried that this is the only way to deal with rainstorms. If I happen to leave bilge pump switch off, or the pump fails due to a bad battery, then the boat will fill with water. I know it won't sink, but I don't like the idea of it being swamped with rainwater.

The scupper drains on my boat exit below the waterline, so water is not going to drain out naturally via the scuppers. Do I just rely on the bilge pump to keep the rainwater out? When I leave town for several days at a time, I worry that the boat will fill with water and I won't be around to deal with it, not to mention that I would like not to have to worry about it all the time.

I welcome other advice for keeping my new Whaler in saltwater all the time. I have a trailer, but like leaving the boat in the water, ready for use at any time.

Thanks for any advice! Loving my new Whaler!
Joel

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Joel;
There is nothing like pulling up to the dock and seeing your boat ready to go. There is also nothing worse for it. It is the great dilemma we all face; your boat is designed to sit in the water, sitting in salt water will ruin your boat!

The other issue you have is your bildge. You mentioned a couple of the possible things that can and will happen to keep your pump from working, but left out a key one; the smaller, lower end pumps that will fit in the sump of a Montauk fail regularly. I've changed bildge pumps more than all other repairs combined on my 2000 Montauk.

My advice is to keep it on the trailer.

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Goodluck with that great new boat!! I was going to say the opposite of the last poster. Keep the switch on auto... I would even put tape over it so it never gets turned off ever. maybe getting a full cover for it might be an idea. although, that might be a pain to put on while the boat it in the water. But would also keep out the rain and the sun.
Just a thought..

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Joel -

If you leave the stern bilge plug out some water will come it, it shouldn't be more than a gallon or two. Regardless of rain, the level will stay the same. This is one of the better features of the small whalers.

I suggest you do a test. Go down to the boat. Turn OFF the bilge pump, pull the bilge plug and leave the sump cover off. Step OFF the boat and observe.

While not an expert on the 170, I would request members who own a 170 to share information on leaving the boat with the plug left OUT.

What gear do you have in the stern to explain why your drains are below the waterline. Is this the case when the boat is empty?

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My boat would take on alot of water if I took out the plug.. I have a Merc 90Hp. If I left the boat that way for a couple of weeks it would start to get slimy inside.

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Congrats on the new boat.
I second pulling out the plug. I too have the 90 on the back and the water level is only about 1/4 inch above the bilge. Most of the year my boat sits in an indoor dry stack. But in August we rent a water front home on the Outer Banks for 2-3 weeks. The last thing I do at the end of the day is pull the plug. The most you'll see is a gallon or two of water. I'm paranoid about the battery being drained from a heavy rain and with the plug out and the pump set to "Off" this won't happen.

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If battery drain is a concern, consider solar. I have never plugged my 29' sailboat in to shore power. One panel keeps my single group 27 up fine running an auto bilge, vhf, depth, speed and stereo system.

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a cover is the best way to keep water out you can get one made for not to much money <$500 it will also keep the birds from depositing crabs into the boat. or you could install a secondary dedicated bilge bump battery to prevent starting issues from battery drain.but leaving it on auto is probably fine if you only leave the boat for less than a week or two.

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on my sport 15', I wired my pump in direct (In-line fuse protected), if the float lifts It goes on, sometimes some debris might hang up the pump, it jams the impeller, fuse blows, NO BIGGIE, just bail out the boat by hand (or not), clear strainer of obstruction in pump, replace fuse, and ya good to go ! I agree, when I go boating I like to walk away with just a simple wash down. The boat filling with rain water will NOT hurt anything as long as the deck is pretty well sealed. A cover will help but, again another hassel to put on and off. I just leave my boat exposed (except the seat is covered), finding your whaler with the bilge pump fuse blown, and a few inches of water in it is no big deal, it usually happens once or twice a season to me. I made a cover for the bilge sump pit area out of plywood (use a cardboard template first, then just copy onto the plywood), then drill some holes in it (or not, water gets under it no problem), add some paint to seal up the plywood, this will keep larger things like "Leaves" in the fall from getting in the sump pit, and prevent's you from falling if you step in the pit on a pitching boat (now there's some floor there). The cover pop's right out for maint. or cleaning.

mw

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I did the same as MW, hotwired a new Rule 500 directly to the battery (single batt, 1 year old) with an in-line fuse, moored my Outrage in the ocean for over a month last summer and not one issue. This was the first time I've moored, and it was great!

I'm of the opinion that if keeping the boat moored enables you to use it more, that's the way to go. Isn't that the whole point?

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Leave your boat in the slip. If pulling the plug allows too much water to sit in the boat then I suggest a small solar panel to keep the battery topped off. I left my 18 in the water for 2 seasons. The first season, the bilge would hold a little water so I left the plug out, the second both the bilge and splashwell drains were underwater. I added bilge pumps and a solar battery charger. I never arrived at my boat to find either water or a dead battery.

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A "Rule" 500 pump draws 2-1/2 amps, you have a 100 amp battery, you should have no problem with battery issues as long as the boat is used often, and the charging system is working. A friend of mine used to trailer his 13', we would spent 12 hours getting the boat ready, then hauling out, leaving us about 2 hours of boating time. One "NIGHT", as we were cleaning HIS boat up to put away for the 800th time, I threw the soapy sponge at him and said "Do I do this to you when we take my whaler out" ? He finally got a slip behind me (he traded an old car to the guy who owns the dock and got a season for that, how come everyone get's a better deal than me). He liked the idea much better but, he's a canvass maker, so he did'nt get an auto bilge, now it's only a half hour to get started (for him), I'm usually waiting patiently in my boat in front of him (while he takes the cover off), his arguement is that he does not worry about any bilge pumps hanging up when it pours in the middle of the night.
mw

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I would be so concerned about salt build up in my motor from not flushing it after each use in salt water that I would not even consider leaving it in the water at all. Your water jackets and thermostat will cake up a new layer of salt after each use, and close up water ports in the motor, sorry to change the subject

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Just to clarify one thing I said...
I mentioned "scuppers" in my original post. Those are actually "motorwell drains" which are below the water line. I guess those aren't really "scuppers' in the sense that they don't drain anything except the motorwell.

Now, onto other things...
I'm a little leary of removing the plug as some have suggested on this thread.
Are ya'll talking about while the boat is in the water??
I assume you are talking about the Bilge Sump Drain. I guess no harm done in trying. Would this actually allow rainwater to drain out? I can't picture how this would help with the drain below the waterline

I guess what I am most concerned about now is not the rainwater and the ways to drain it, but rather the decision to leave the boat in the saltwater slip or pull it out on a trailer. I live in a community which has a dock, and many boat owners leave their boat in the water year round and they seem to hold up OK. I had the bottom painted. But now I'm worried about all the warnings of salt here, salt there, salt everywhere. Also, I might not be using the boat often enough to keep it healthy. During the winter I might go 30 days or so without using the boat. Other times of the year, one week is probably about as long as it goes unsued. All this time, it's sitting in the saltwater slip.

Joel

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Try trailering for one season, try dockage for one season, see which one you like better. Boston Whaler's are no stranger's to salt water. Mine has been used in salt water for almost 32 years, some member's on here have had their boat's in salt water use even longer that that. Not many boat makers can do "that".
mw

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joelaiken, here is my plug in vs plug out story. The first season I had my boat, actually the first month it was in the water I forgot to pull the plug when I left the boat on Sunday. Now Monday - Wednesday we had rain, 24x7 so I did not drive down to the boat. By Thursday morning, the marina called (first whaler they had) in a panic because the boat was full of water almost to the center console. They were running around trying to find a battery and a pump before the boat went under. I told them, not to panic, I would come fix it all. As soon as I arrived, I realized what was up, took off my shoes , hopped in the boat, pulled the plug. While the boat was draining out, took a bucket up to get water so I could wash the deck, a trip that took about 5 minutes. Waited a couple more minutes, hopped back on the boat, water mostly gone and washed her down. The marina crew spent most of that time on the dock, in shock and awe that the boat neither sank, nor turned over.

As for sitting in the salt water, as long as the bottom is painted and the job done right, your boat will be fine. The first season, pull the boat every two months and check the bottom and flush the engine while you have it out. You want to make sure the paint isn't flaking off otherwise it won't protect from marine growth. As for flushing the engine, if you can do it and have water at the dock, great, do it. Otherwise check with your engine manufacture as to how often you should flush it. I flush mine every couple times I go out, i have a flushing port on the outboard and I can flush the entire cooling system without turning on the engine, my boat is in salt water 100% of the time.

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Kamie,
Thanks!! Great advice.
Just to make sure I understand... when you refer to "plug", you are referring to the bilge sump drain, right? which is below the waterline, right? The same plug you would remove when pulling the boat out of the water onto a trailer?

I'm just amazed that water will flow "out" of this drain while the boat is in the water. Even though I'm an ex-Navy guy, I guess I'm learning some new things about boats and water.

Thanks again, I appreciate the time you took to answer.

Joel

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joel,
that is the one, although I left both the sump and the splash well drain plugs
out. it's not so much that water will flow out, think more of the concept that the boat keeps wanting to float higher.

It has to do with the excess buoyancy of the hull and the hulls attempt to stay on top the water. it's very evident if you leave the plug in and fill the boat with water maybe 10 or 20 gallons. With the water inside the boat, the hull is weighed down but will still float level and high in the water. If you give the water a path to escape, pull the plug, the boat rises, as it does the water flows out the drain. As it does, the hull is even more buoyant, and so there is less water to weight it down and it floats higher. This continues until all but a small amount of water remains in the sump.
If you pull the plug and apply forward motion, the water gets sucked out much faster.

You should try it, put the boat in the water, put the plug in and take a hose and add 10, maybe 20 gallons to the hull. pull the drain and watch. Then do it again, put have it in a place you can go forward, and watch the water drain. The nice thing about Whaler's is, this is what you do, if you take a large wave over the bow.

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What Kamie is illustrating is one of the major differences between Boston Whaler's and other boats. While it is expensive to build a hull of this type, the benefits are priceless.