Outrage 18 Engine Splash Well Has Water

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
OlivierNL
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Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2020 3:02 am

Outrage 18 Engine Splash Well Has Water

Postby OlivierNL » Fri Apr 17, 2020 3:13 am

Hi. I'm Olivier from Holland. I just bought an Outrage 18--finally!

In the [engine splash well as shown in Figure 1 below] where the batteries are placed, there is water coming in through the [splash well drain] holes. The boat trim seems to be a bit low in the water at the stern. The engine is a Yamaha 150-which should not be heavier than others.

Give me a suggestion what is causing water to enter the aft compartment.

Olivier

spashwell_.jpg
Fig. 1. Engine splash well on OUTRAGE 18 with water present.
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boatEngine_.jpg
Fig. 2. Outrage 18 with engine.
boatEngine_.jpg (39.88 KiB) Viewed 3375 times

jimh
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Re: Outrage 18 Engine Splash Well Has Water

Postby jimh » Fri Apr 17, 2020 6:19 am

The cause of water entering the engine splash well on the OUTRAGE 18 appears to be from the splash well drains being submerged below the boat's static water line at rest. The cause of the boat's trim being down by the stern is the weight of the Yamaha engine, which appears to be a four-stroke-power-cycle model, and from the weight of two batteries.

If the engine is the current model Yamaha F150, it weighs 221-kg (487-lbs). That weight is probably without any oil in the lubricating oil sump, which adds another 3-kg (7-lbs, or more). Add the weight of hydraulic steering and other rigging, and the total transom weight is well over 250-kg (550-lbs). The two batteries probably add another 50-kg (110-lbs), bringing the total weight at the stern of around 300-kg (660-lbs). The boat also has an upholstered aft seat which probably weighs about 20-kg (44-lbs) to the aft cockpit weight. The combined effect of all that weight is the cause of the static trim being down by the stern and submerging the engine splash well drains.

Of the four items at the stern, only the two batteries can be relocated. The two batteries can be moved to be inside the center console. This should shift over 50-kg (about 110-lbs) of weight out of the stern. This will reduce immersion of the splash well drains.

I cannot see clearly in your photograph if the water in the engine splash well is only rising to a level that keeps the water contained to the deeper center part of the engine splash well, or if the water level rising above that sump and begins to flood into the entire splash well.

If the water is contained to only the lower part of the splash well, I would not worry about it. If the water is flooding the entire splash well, you can consider moving weight out of the stern to help improve the static trim.

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Phil T
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Re: Outrage 18 Engine Splash Well Has Water

Postby Phil T » Fri Apr 17, 2020 9:10 am

Water in the splashwell is not a concern. It is a spash...(wet) well. Water is expected.

Many owners relocate batteries to the console for the reasons Jim mentions. In addition to removing stern weight, you are adding weight amidships.

When you relocate the batteries, you should cut the floor of the console for each battery so it sits on the deck. This reduces the amount of storage you loose with the batteries there.

After you have completed this project, you should consider reviewing the engine rigging, prop selection and performance. I have a feeling the boat is not setup as efficient/fast as possible.

This help?
1992 Outrage 17
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003

OlivierNL
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Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2020 3:02 am

Re: Outrage 18 Engine Splash Well Has Water

Postby OlivierNL » Fri Apr 17, 2020 9:36 am

Many many thanks for the replies. Since I was concerned about soaked foam in the hull, I'm much more relaxed now.

Relocating the batteries is a good suggestion. Because of the weight and to have them stored dry (Holland ;-) although they are installed in a box now. And there're even two batteries. Other boats I saw often had one. But I read somewhere that the floor in the console couldn't carry the weight, but it's more because of the space.

After this is done, I'll definitively go for the engine setup check.

ConB
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Re: Outrage 18 Engine Splash Well Has Water

Postby ConB » Fri Apr 17, 2020 10:15 am

I have a back seat with storage boxes under on my Outrage 18. One battery and a oil tank for the old Johnson in splash well.
I’m not surprised that the heavier 4 stoke has some water in the splash well.

Con
!987 Outrage 18 / 2011 Yamaha F150
1969 13 / 30hp Johnson tiller

dtmackey
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Re: Outrage 18 Engine Splash Well Has Water

Postby dtmackey » Fri Apr 17, 2020 11:44 am

With constant water in the motorwell area, make sure all holes previously drilled in that area are sealed extremely well. I see 2 holes by the battery box and would imagine there are more. The last thing you want is water getting into any core material of the foam of the Unibond hull.

Based on the amount of water, it does not appear that moving the batteries will have a great enough impact of the static water level in the motorwell area. Another option that would keep it free of water while at the dock, would be to install stopper plugs in the brass through hulls and then install a small auto-sensing bilge pump in the low water collection spot and it would cycle as needed. I've done something similar with my past 3 Whalers and happy with the results. Rule make a nifty little unit that is on of the smallest available and does not require a float switch, this is the one I've used.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/rule-industries--500-gph-automatic-bilge-pump--17967472?recordNum=3

I am not endorsing West Marine with that link as I find their pricing to be rather high.

D-

biggiefl
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Re: Outrage 18 Engine Splash Well Has Water

Postby biggiefl » Fri Apr 17, 2020 12:06 pm

Mine is almost like that with a F115 which is only about 60lbs lighter. Move that batteries or put the plugs in.
On my 24th Whaler. Currently in the stable: 86 18' Outrage, 81 13' Sport(original owner), 87 11' Sport, 69 Squall(for sale cheap).

jimh
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Re: Outrage 18 Engine Splash Well Has Water

Postby jimh » Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:14 pm

Re plugging the drains and using a pump; I have done that.

Image
Fig. 3. 20-foot Boston Whaler with twin engines. The splash well sump pump output hose is visible next to the port engine brackt.

engineSplashWellAsStorageArea.jpg
Fig. 4. Splash well area converted to useful storage. From my 2003 trip to the inside passage of Vancouver Island to Alert Bay. We carried a lot of extra TCW-3 oil aboard.
engineSplashWellAsStorageArea.jpg (82.64 KiB) Viewed 3339 times



On my 20-foot Boston Whaler I had twin engines mounted on 10-inch set back brackets--quite a bit of weight on the transom. I installed a small sump pump in the engine splash well to lift water out and over the transom, and usually kept the splash well drains plugged.

By moving the engines off the transom with the 10-inch set-back brackets, I turned the splash well into a stern on-deck storage area, and I usually had a cooler back there, along with two batteries.

In actual operation of the boat, I only recall one time that water ever came over the top of the transom and the splash well pump came on. That occurred when I was transiting a narrow pass with a strong current running. I was going with the current when I decided I better stop and back out a bit. Backing against the strong and fast current put some water into the splash well. The pump handled it without much fuss.

OlivierNL
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Re: Outrage 18 Engine Splash Well Has Water

Postby OlivierNL » Fri Apr 17, 2020 5:29 pm

Like dtmackey said I prefer not to have constant water in that area. I will relocate the batteries anyway, but plugging the drains came up in my mind also, but didn't like the idea that the water couldn't go out anymore. A little pump would solve that indeed. As long as there's power in the batteries at least. And perhaps in combination with a new drainage hole a bit higher just in case...