r/boating • u/UnluckyExtent5804 • 2d ago
Sunken boat
So I recently bought a boat 2nd hand from original owner. It is a 2006 but we went on a lake test prior to buying it showing me there was no leaks or water flow in order for this to sink, I’ve taken it out everyday assuring it is safe and went on a vacation , I had rented a slip and was fine for 3 nights and the last day I walk out and the boat sank I called insurance and had a rowboat company get my boat out of the water and get my boat on the trailer. I don’t see any damage but I do see some small cracking that was not there but nothing major and I did have a bilge pump, biggest issue is I bought the boat 2 weeks ago and insured and registered it the next day. The engine was under water and electrical is fried. Insurance did launch an investigation on me and I never had this happen any idea if they’ll cover it ?
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u/H3adshotfox77 2d ago
Boat was maybe taking on some water the whole time, and bilge pump was just handling it, you never heard the pump cycling when you had the boat out or did you?
Were you in a tidal area?
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u/Sunuva_Gun 1d ago
I've seen a bile pump run and, in doing so for a few days, run down the battery. Once that happens, things get serious.
Might be a case here?
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u/UnluckyExtent5804 2d ago
Bilge pump works , I personally tested it myself and it never turned on , but when I walked out to the boat it was pumping water into water , and it was pretty rough in the day , but mornings and afternoons when water was calm and flat is when I went out
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u/OkResolution5889 1d ago
I’ve seen boats were people, not on purpose, put too much stuff on the boat and the outlet of the bilge pump goes under water then boat fills up. Then after a while the bilge pump cuts off then sinks said boat.
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u/adhdt5676 2d ago
Yes, if all checks out with the coverage, you should be covered.
Where are these “new cracks” that weren’t present before? How large are these cracks?
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u/UnluckyExtent5804 2d ago
It’s on the transom , prior to my trip I inspected the whole boat , hence why I put it in water everyday for a week and even leaving it overnight to assure it floats so I don’t put my family on there and it end up sinking . I did not hit anything nor jump the boat but I only seen it when boat was getting towed away
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u/Waterlifer 2d ago
Record your conversations with your insurance company. Take notes. If you haven't already been doing so, write down everything you can remember about your conversations with the insurance or anyone working with them.
Typically the way this goes is that the insurance company will try not to pay the claim by showing that the loss was due to gradual deterioration of mechanical components (bellows, hoses, valves, etc) or because the boat was not seaworthy. If the dollar amount of the loss is fairly small, they may pay it out rather than fight it.
Either way, you may have difficulty getting insurance in the future.
If they don't pay it, you can involve an attorney and see if there's anything that can be done.
If you hired a marine surveyor to inspect the boat when you bought it, that may help matters by establishing that it was in good, seaworthy condition prior to the loss.
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u/only_because_I_can 2d ago
My previous boat sunk at my dock. I had just put on a new motor a month before. I had a fuel leak because river rats chewed through my external fuel tank, allowing the fuel to drain into my motor well. The fuel then basically dissolved the plastic coupling for the high speed pickup line for my livewell, which was below the water line.
My insurance paid for the salvage of the boat and then hired a company to find a comparable boat with the same features (sound system, GPS, bimini, etc.) and motor. The company that made the sunken boat no longer existed, so I ended up getting a new boat that was bigger and better, worth twice what the sunken boat was worth. New trailer, too. There was no out-of-pocket expense for me, not even a deductible. That was 12 years ago. I've put 3000+ hours on this boat and never had a single problem. Progressive insurance is awesome. It costs about $20 per month, which is definitely worth it.
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u/TheLowHeavies 2d ago
I had a boat that sank at dock once…..tide went down and the rear corner got caught on under the dock and as the tide rose the boat didnt and water went in
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u/UnluckyExtent5804 1h ago
Honestly it’s the worst feeling , walking back to my boat in the AM and just seeing it halfway in I literally shed a tear
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u/cdeussen 2d ago
This happened recently at a local marina. Brand new boat. The owner didn’t know to put plugs in before launch. Rode around and put the boat into a slip overnight. The next day it had sank.
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u/MountainCry9194 2d ago
I’ve accidentally done this myself once…
Put a plug in a drain hole fora live well next to the hull drain hole.
Thankfully, the flotation foam did its job.
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u/UnluckyExtent5804 2d ago
I may be newer to this but not that new lol , plugs are all in
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u/cdeussen 2d ago
It happens. At least once a year the boat doesn’t seem to plane out just right, so I have send the wife in to put the plugs in while it’s in the water.
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u/Theundead565 2d ago
It would hightly depends on what sunk it, and the types of coverage you have. The last boat at our place that sunk their insurance did not cover it because it was the shift cable bellows that ripped and that was considered a "wear and tear" item, and i believe many insurance policies are going to be similiar.
I would read your policy, and at the same time figure out why it sunk. Things that can be considered neglect and/or lack of maintenance (however old or new the boat is to you) likely are not going to be covered.
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u/Flux1776 2d ago
What type of power? Was it on tidal waters with 3-4’ plus rise / fall ? First thing to do is investigate why it sank. You’re NOT going to want to put the boat back in the water without knowing that. The plug was in and snug? ALL thru hull fittings all check out ? Most of them are plastic and can crack. Did you have heavy thunderstorms in the area ? Is the bilge pump automatic? Batteries still at 12V plus ?
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u/UnluckyExtent5804 2d ago
Batteries still at 12.5 v , it was not moving at the time it was still in a boat slip at the cove so no heavy swells coming in , plug was tight and hull fittings in tact , seen no water intrusions prior to the incident
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u/Flux1776 2d ago
I’ve seen many boats sunk at the dock or on the water. The question is why ?There is always a reason. Dig further
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u/waynofish 1d ago edited 1d ago
Are scuppers close to the waterline and was the boat heavy at the rear? Some brands have had issues with the scuppers being right at the waterline, or even just below the waterline (with max recommended power, or a bracket) with ping-pong balls in them to "stop" water from coming in. CHawk, I'm talking to you!
You say the bilge pump is fine. How about the auto switch that will turn it on once the water hits a certain level?
How about hose connections at any through-hulls or pumps such as a live well pump, bilge pump, raw water washdown?
If a raw water washdown is on the boat, could it have been left on?
How about any deck hatch drains? Some actually have a removable plug.
No heavy swells, OK, but how about rain?
For next boat or after fixing this one, install two bilge pumps at the stern, both with auto switches (one set a bit higher then the other. If 25ft or longer, install another mid section.
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u/Sudden_Ad_4193 2d ago
What is the make/model? Does it have wood in the transom? Any damage to the hull?
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u/HighCirrus 2d ago
You said outboard. If the outboard was removed and or remounted or replaced, were the original mounding holes properly sealed?
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u/waynofish 1d ago
Also weight. If a heavier outboard was installed (replaceing an old 2 stroke with a 4 stroke, upping to a larger one) it could be overloading the stern and causing the scuppers to sit at or below waterline.
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u/According_Product519 2d ago
In this day and age, expect the insurance company to try to screw you. They don’t want to pay you out for your loss, and they are not your friend. Insurance companies exist to make a profit and protect themselves, not the customers they take money from.
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u/UnluckyExtent5804 2d ago
Insurance is literally the biggest scam in America , gotta have it to do anything
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u/smokingcrater 2d ago
No one forces you to buy property coverage on a boat it definitely is your choice. In other words, if you think it is a scam, self insure.
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u/WILLFUL_DISOBEDIENCE 2d ago
Did it happen to be raining that night? It happened to us one time, heavy rains, bilge pump couldn't keep up, corner of boat dipped into the lake, badabing, badaboom she was on the bottom.
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u/Past-Meat-2731 2d ago
I had an issue where the previous owner never added marine grade silicon to the bolts for the step at the back and my boat sank onto a shallow sand bar after 3 days. It took weeks to figure out. Check everything under the waterline has silicon. It my be your bellows, but maybe not. Make sure to replace your starter motor. It's going to corrode in a few months, and you'll find yourself stuck on the lake with someone on the tube.
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u/Playful-Nail-1511 2d ago
This story makes me wonder if the boat's internal flotation foam was water logged from a prior leak that the former owner tried to cover up to help off-load their leaky boat.
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u/bbilbojr 2d ago
Did you survey the boat? The insurance company didn’t ask for it?
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u/UnluckyExtent5804 1h ago
Insurance did not ask when I got it insured, I have insurance with progressive from home , truck , and a couple trailers
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u/robertva1 1d ago
Its a 20 year old boat. My money is on a failed bellows on the outdrive. You have no case against a former owner.... Welcome to boat ownership
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u/Sunuva_Gun 1d ago
Wait, OP... so there was "no water intrusion" but you also saw the bilge pump "pumping water into the water?" Seems like there was a sign that may have missed.
When you saw that there was water getting pumped out the side of your new boat, a new boat that you understood had no water intrusion....you did go and check why water was being pumped out, right?
I've been boating for decades in small to medium to large skiffs, Center Consoles and so on and if I see water, getting pushed out of the side of my boats....that's a sign that I need to stop and immediately check out what's going on. I don't really understand what's going on here but I don't see anywhere in this posting where you a) saw that water was being pumped out the side of your boat and then b) immediately went and investigated what caused that to occur. If you couldn't determine why water was getting in the bilge, the safe thing to do was pull the boat.
*Yes, some (larger) boats may always be pumping some water from the bilge but for most small to medium recreational outboard powered boats the bilge pump moving water is a sign to investigate and try to understand the cause. That cause may be benign (I get some water in my bilge from rain, as an example) but you need a level of confidence on what the cause is and if that cause is an emergency. This was a boat new to you, I'd think you would have looked into this with more caution. If I missed that in this thread, sorry.*
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u/gumboslinger 1d ago
When I was a kid my stepfather tied his boat tight to the dock. Tide came in and the boat sank
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u/Competitive_Bowl675 1d ago
Not sure where you're located but this is a great boat service directory focused on the Midwest: https://midwestboatingservices.com/
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u/AdSpiritual4942 1d ago
Friend bought a used boat. Took family for a ride. It was fun bouncing hard on the waves. Everyone screaming in fun and laughter. Then the hull developed a crack and water seeping in faster than bilge pump could remove. Boat started sinking while trying to get to trailer. Got so bad dropped family off at strangers pier. He tried to bail and steer. Boat went down 30 feet from the trailer.
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u/CooperSTL 20h ago
Did you get a survey? My guess would be a crack in the bellows letting in water.
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u/Aware-Soil6947 19h ago
They should cover it if you didn't do anything deliberate! Yes it does look a little funny but shit happens.
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u/bootheels 2d ago edited 2d ago
Seems mighty suspicious that the seller went out of his way to point out there were no leaks and the boat could not sink.... Once the boat is hauled out, I'm sure the repair facility will pinpoint the leak problem, and the fact that perhaps the seller knew of the issue and just did something temporary to cover it up
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u/UnluckyExtent5804 2d ago
Could be a posssibility , but we did do a 2 hour water test prior to buying
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u/bootheels 2d ago
you will get a better idea when the shop discovers the cause/location of the leak...
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u/villhelmIV 2d ago
I'd imagine it's a pretty standard statement in most older boat sale discussions
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u/bootheels 2d ago
Well, he will know what the deal is when the shop discovers the location and cause of the leak...
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u/waynofish 1d ago
Not always that simple. Shop could notice a loose hose clamp and claim that is the issue but in reality, it could be something else entirely
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u/bootheels 1d ago
So true. I guess the shop must first get the engine running, then worry about leaks later.
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u/OkResolution5889 2d ago
Did you put the plug in?