Running outboard out of water

[Wannabe bass angler]

So, before I start, I've already beat myself up as much as I can take. If anyone feels the the need to take up where I left off, please do it privately.  I'm just looking for technical advice and/opinions. At the boat ramp, where the weather was fowl and everyone was trying to get off the lake, I was loading my my boat solo. In my haste to get the heck out of the way, somehow I forgot to shut-off the motor before pulling away from the ramp.  I know it was running several minutes before I realized how stupid I was.  It's a fairly new Mercury 60 with low hours. Any suggestions on what I should do now?

[fishnkamp]

Yes, take it to your dealer and have them change the entire water pump, not just the impeller, as you most likely have damaged the housing too(they will also drain and replace your lower unit fluid).  Next have them pull the thermostats and make sure there are no pieces of impeller stuck behind them  If they are okay then all that will cost is some gaskets or o rings and labor.  If your engine has a poppet valve have them service that as well.

Have them test run the engine in a tank and if you have a water a pressure gauge they can verify it is all working properly. If you do not have a water pressure gauge I would take this opportunity to have one installed. This is a safety item to help you while running your engine.

I hope you did not toast the engine.  Probably not, since you said it only ran a few moments and it already had water in the engine.  No guarantees though.  I hope it is not too expensive of a lesson. 

 

MOST IMPORTANT DO NOT START IT UP TILL THESE REPAIRS ARE DONE!

 

Good Luck and I will not beat you up. You are just going through the "NEW BOAT" learning process. You will have the opportunity to make lots of mistakes.  We all have done something stupid, but learn from it.  Get in a habit of preparing your boat in the same order everytime you get to a ramp. I always do the same things in the same order, so I do not forget anything. I start my prep in the parking lot, not at the ramp. I go to the rear of my boat. I install the plug first, Next I remove the engine support and stow it, next I remove the rear straps. I then move forward and install the depth finders/gps units and so forth starting in the rear and moving forward til I unstrap the trolling motor and install the keys in the ignition. I also pull out my life jackets and hook up the kill switch. Do all of that before you get to the ramp. Now you can move to the ramp. Get the boat lined up on the ramp and the back of the boat partially into the water, It is now that I remove my front strap. You will not hold up people too long doing this, but you will not drop your boat on the parking lot either. This is a time to hook up your rope from the boat to the truck if you are offloading by yourself or climb in the boat if you have someone backing you in.  Coming back onto the trailer has similar steps.  Being efficient but methodical will be faster than being in a rush. Find the magical spot to back your trailer in the water. It maybe that some of your fenders are submerged and say 4 or 5 inches of the bunks are above water. Once you find the magic spot you will be able to quickly back your trailer down the ramp, go load your boat. Shut off the engine and raise up the trim so you do not hit the bottom of your engine while pulling out. Walk forward and climb out of your boat. Hook up the front strap and get in your vehicle. Drive back to the parking lot. Here is where you will finish your details like pulling the plug, installing the rear straps, and installing the engine support.  If you do this and someone is impatient screw them.  Do not harm your toys to satisfy them. 

By the ways there are great videos on You Tube that teach trailering boat skills.  I would watch how others do it, it will speed up your learning curve. If you fish by yourself often I would recommend a product calle Z Launcher. It is a special bungee rope that lets you easily offload your boat by yourself. It is not as cheap as a rope but I am glad I use one. The are available from Tackle Warehouse and other suppliers.   Good Luck and let us know what you find out.

[Goldstar225]

Follow fishnkamp's advice.

 

I won't beat up on you.  I have a concern that I'll do the same thing.  The four stroke on my new boat is so much quieter than my previous 2 stroke, I'm worried that I won't realize it's running when I load up.

 

Establish a routine or ritual for launching/loading, don't get rushed and don't let anyone interfere.

[NHBull]

Given all the mistakes one can make while boating, this is far from the worst.  At the most it huts your wallet.  Likely you will not make the mistake again, and a good reason to add " trimming it up" to the checklist prior to getting back in the truck

[Wannabe bass angler]

Thanks, y'all. I'll definitely need your advice.

[fishnkamp]

It may look like your fellow members here are geniuses, in reality we have just been doing this stuff long enough to have either learned from our mistakes or from others mistakes.  I doubt you will have harmed it too bad.  The good thing is your boat dealer should be able to get to it quickly since they are not likely too busy yet. 

By the way check out these two videos for launch and loading tips.

 

 

[WRB]

It would nice if the wind never blew! Unfortunitly where I fish it's usually windy in the afternoons when you need to load the boat. Docks help a lot and backing down as close as possible so you can get out of the boat after loading without climbing over the TM and walking on the trailer tongue trying to get back into your vehicle makes it easy.

I always keep the big engine running in gear to hold the bow agianst the roller hooking up the winch while still in the boat, then turn off the engine and trim it up. When it's windy you don't back down as far and need to surf the boat onto the trailer and drive up to the roller, otherwise you end up crooked on the bunks.

The bunge cord rope takes up the shock saving the bow eye or hook from breaking. You need a bow guard protector with glass boats whenever the bottom contacts rocks or concrete ramps. I don't use this method because of windy conditions.

Take your time, back down straight as possible and do it safely the first time, it saves time trying to correct a mis aligned trailer and crooked boat.

Agree with having your engine checked out and replacing the water pump. If you don't have a water pressure gage have one installed do you know how the water pump is working.

Take your time when launching and loading.

Tom

[fishnkamp]

WRB is right, you need a keel protector to launch the way the guy demonstrates launching his fiberglass boat. I do not run fiberglass, but I do not want to scrape my aluminum hull up either. My method follows his instructions, but I do not pull my trailer so far out of the water. Instead I leave the back of my trailer partially submerged, thus my boat's nose is  is settled on the keel roller in about 1 foot or so of water. When I get out I am still dry and the rope is not under too much tension. Just release your strap and unwind the winch till the boat is loose. I unhook the Z Launch and put my boat on a dock or slowly pull it to the ramp. It takes a few tries to find a sweet spot, but once you do it is easy.

[rboat]

I am guessing that you probably didnt do any real damage. Normally a high pitched overheat alarm is supposed to go off before damage is done. This time of year the water you were in was probably pretty cool and the outside temp was cooler this time of year as well. It would be best to have someone check your water pump components for piece of mind.

[Wannabe bass angler]

I really appreciate all the input. Nothing to report yet. Boat is in the shop, but turn around is not overnight here in Houston. Season is well underway and shop is busy. I will post outcome when all is said and done.

[Tucson]

Happened to me once, 4-strokes are really quiet so you don't get much warning.  Had the impeller/pump replaced, it was in pretty bad shape after running maybe 2-3 minutes.

 

Decided to try replacing it myself once (Yamaha 60).  The process went very well, amazing easy to do.  Now I can save myself a few hundred bucks by doing it myself as preventive maintenance.

[Wannabe bass angler]

The verdict is in.  I got my boat back today from the shop. I've attached a picture of what's left of my impeller. 

I believe luck was on my side.

Another angle.