Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by bigmike0601 on 02/12/10 - 10:09 AM

I have a 1964 16'-7" Whaler. I took it duck hunting the last day of the season two weeks ago. It was during a blizzard and a fantastic closing day. However, my battery was dead when I was leaving and I had to leave the whaler at the duck blind. Now it's locked in ice and I can't get it home. Boat is filled with ice and snow. I'm leaving for a week and am getting worried. It's a CC with a Yamaha 70 and 10 gallons of fuel toward the bow. My question is:

Will the boat be safer if I pull the transom plug rather than letting it fill with potentially more snow and water? Logic tells me to pull it and it will equalize will a certain level of water, but not risk submersion while I'm gone if it fills more. Comments?

Edited by Tom W Clark on 02/12/10 - 7:14 PM

Posted by brikyrd912 on 02/12/10 - 10:20 AM

I'd take out a new battery, fire the engine, pull the fuelhose and let the engine run itself out of gas. Pull the battery(s) and the fuel tank out, and leave the plug in. It'll be fine until spring.
Janis

Posted by kamie on 02/12/10 - 10:57 AM

I would pull the plug so that as the temps warm, the water has a chance to drain if the drain opens up. The boat will float even filled with water, so she may sit low, but don't worry too much about it. Can you get to it to remove the gas tank? I would be more worried about leaving 10 gallons of gas floating around in my boat.

Posted by bigmike0601 on 02/12/10 - 11:03 AM

I can't get a battery there, it's over a 1.5 miles through woods, marsh, and fields. I can see it across the creek with binoculars, but can't get there with canoe since frozen over. I will walk thre to shoovel snow out and/or pull the plug. I basically should pull the plug or leave it in risking more rain/snow while im gone for a week...Will it reach a comfortable equilbrium with the plug out and snow melted?

Posted by bigmike0601 on 02/12/10 - 11:56 AM

It's up near the bow under the console front seat. My gut says at equilbrium there wouldnt be that much water to float it around near the bow. I guess that's what im asking though. How much water should i expect in the boat at equilbrium? Somone down south do it and take a pic and post it.

Posted by tom blinstrub on 02/12/10 - 12:00 PM

Bring some rock salt and pour some over the drain plug area to melt ice enough to get plug out .I think you should get as much weight out as possible espesially the fuel. If you could get there with 5 gallons of hot water you could use a fuel hose to siphon the warm water against the ice to get to the drain plug. I have done that and it works like a blow torch melting the ice as it goes. LOL

Posted by bigmike0601 on 02/12/10 - 12:35 PM

Getting plug out is not a problem. I don't have the interior one even in, just the exterior one. So, I plan to just break with a little axe to get it out. The boat's made of foam and I would think the potential of water retained inside would be worse than flowing in and out at equilbrium with no plug. Worse case is that it sinks due to water logged foam, but if that were so then it shouldn't haul ass like it does with a 70hp hangin' on it.

Posted by Joe Kriz on 02/12/10 - 12:48 PM

This may be too late if the surrounding water is frozen,
BUT,
doesn't your engine have an emergency pull rope for starting the engine should the battery happen to go dead?

My 70hp Evinrude and my 150hp Evinrude have the emergency pull rope.
I have used it many times on my prior 70hp Evinrude to start the engine when it had a dead battery.

You might read your manual and let us know if your engine has the emergency pull rope.

Posted by bigmike0601 on 02/12/10 - 2:10 PM

#10

It doesnt have the pull rope. It a pain to start in the cold too, i'm not in shape to pull start that thing. However, you got me thinking. What about a battery powered impact driver to start it? That should work shouldnt it?

Posted by kamie on 02/12/10 - 3:25 PM

#11

Mike,
at this point, if she hasn't sunk under the weigth, don't sweat it. We aren't supposed to get that much more snow/ice and maybe temps will be a bit warmer when you get back.

Posted by bigmike0601 on 02/12/10 - 3:44 PM

#12

yeah, im making the hike to pull the plug tomorrow. I'll rock it free and it should drain some im hoping. I'll deal with it when I get back. Thanks guys!

Posted by HarleyFXDL on 02/12/10 - 4:22 PM

#13

You could bring a charger pack to start the engine. How thick is the ice? I think i would be more concerned with ice around the outside of my hull. If the ice shifts it would crush your hull.

Posted by Harvey Boysen on 02/12/10 - 8:46 PM

#16

We had a problem with a boat in a small lake in Wisconsin.
When we could we pulled it up on the ice.
We kept pulling it up as the ice melted.
Trickey.
You don't want the ice to chrush the hull and you don't want to fall thru the ice.
Spring finally arrived and the boat was OK.
Good luck.
Respect thin ice.

Posted by DWinter on 02/13/10 - 5:36 AM

#17

You don't mention what year motor it is, but if its fuel injected, do not run it dry (out of gas). You may damage an injector by doing so.