sink or float?

[bigJake]

there have been alot of threads about problems with skis taking on water for various reasons. made me wonder, if a pump hose or something develops a major leak, will enough water in the hull actually sink the ski or will it still float full of water? I'm assuming it will sink so what do you do if you are in the middle of the lake and develop a major leak? I'm guessing a pump hose can fill the hull pretty darn fast. of course the engine is going to get flooded and stop before the hull is totally full so how much water down it take to sink the ski?

 

[Dr Honda]

If you have a major cooling leak... the engine will shut off (from drinking water) before it gets to a "Sinking" stage. (but it will be riding very deep)

NOW... if you rip the boot of the driveshaft seal... it will take on water fast enough to sink the ski before you know what happened. (That's why Seadoo got away from the bearing/seal pack) With that said... it's very hard to have a catastrophic failure of the carbon seal... AND, the jetski won't completely sink... but it will be under the water, with only around 8" of the nose sticking up.

 

[bigJake]

Thanks Doc, good to know. Speaking of cooling hoses, I was just checking the 100 hour maintenance list and I didn't see anything about replacing the cooling hoses (mentions check hoses under the fuel section). I was guessing based on the age of my skis, even though the hoses don't look bad, I should probably replace them anyway. They do say "made in Canada" on them so I was assuming they are factory original although they don't look 15 years old. Would you suggest that I change them?

 

[Dr Honda]

If they aren't hard, or brittle... don't worry about them.

 

[bigJake]

ok, thanks.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

according to the manual they are 'unsinkable', but yea, that means,at most, u will have about 6-12" above the waterline... did this w/my XP once by accident... NOT FUN.

 

[LouDoo]

This is another reason to install a bilge pump, I've got them in both of my ski's. Cheap insurance.

Lou

 

[bigJake]

according to the manual they are 'unsinkable', but yea, that means,at most, u will have about 6-12" above the waterline... did this w/my XP once by accident... NOT FUN.

that could NOT have been fun!
how far from shore were you? can you tow it to shore with the front hook or would all that weight plus the resistance of the water rip the hook right out of the fiberglass? how did you get it out of the water once you got to shore?

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

I have a bildge pump. i actually just fixed it / installed it.

I had the rear cover open on the water with me sitting on the back of my XP... and a HUGE 4' wave came by. it sank my XP in SECONDS.

my wife was with me on my GTX, and we were about 150' from the actual launch. so, with me as human tow rope, i hanged on the back of the GTX and one arm / hand on the bow of the XP, dragged it at idle, got to shore. it was, no kidding, all of 12" out of the water. it was,for all useful reasons. SANK.

anyway, got to shore, where i kept hitting start (key off) to run the bildge pump... thinking it would take years, i got the wife to grab the trailer. got the XP on trailer, then GTX, pulled out of water, but left on ramp so they would be slanted back.

popped open the back cover on the XP, water comes RUSHING out like i've never seen, pulled the drain plugs, hit start (key still off) to run bildge.

let it drain a for a bit, while checking the engine that's clearly been 100% UNDER.

i FAST TAP the start (key in) knowing that water COULD have gotten in. it won't turn over. i figure it's got water, do not bend the rods!

pulled spark plugs, with the genuine $25 sea-doo tool kit the previous dumbass (i mean owner) lost... crank it a while without plugs.

blew the water off the plugs, reinstalled

it was a B*TCH to get it running, but i knew if i was going to save it, it needed to be run.

got it running, water out, launched, ran another 30 min to make sure the engine burnt out any water from the system.

new rule. unless i have to, do not open rear XP hatch. it's just too low.

I usually want to see the water level because I can burry this ski so deep and so long that water up and OVER the battery for me is.... normal.

3-4 quick spins 100% under (water 3" ABOVE the handlebars) will flood the hull. the bailers and electric pump all work 100% they just can't keep up with how fast I can flood it... and all the seals are good!

I'm thinking about adding a 2nd electric buildge pump just because of how hard I ride...

anyway, had this happend not at the launch i'd have beached it and used the electric pump and or anything i had to bail it out, then remove plugs, etc.

it was my fault for wanting to see the new pump in action, but quick thinking and experience saved my engine...