KDavid

Fished the FJ today and after about 4 hrs , relocated to a new spot. Dropped her out and bam, bam, 2 keepers in 2 minutes. The screen was covered with bait balls and fish arches right next to a steep ledge. Man this is fixin to be the motherload! Looked back and my floor was covered in about 4 inches of water, tackle box floating,and bilge pump not making a sound. I'm thinking, this kind of stuff only happens to KDavid! Couldn't get it to work so I started in. It would not plane out so I brought her in with the bow tipped up like the titanic. On a side note it scared the crap out of my youngest son. He wasnt buying old pop telling him that ranger would not sink, no matter what I said. The waves and the rollers didn't help. Still, another day on the water, a great adventure, and some good memories. All I can say is when it comes to crazy crap you're not alone.

Glad yall made it back safe

Don't worry just about everyone that has been fishing and boating for years has left the plug out at least once. I know I have done this several times throughout my lifetime and a lot of people don't like to admit that they have done it also. And when you least expect it is when it will happen again. Most of the time if you can get up enough speed the water will run back out through the plug hole and the bilge pump will help also until the plug can be replaced. Good to know you made it back safety.

Plug was in. We took a lot of water over the back with chains out going with the the wind. That and the rain and letting the livewell overflow all combined. with nothing pumping out. At least what that's what I think. I need to check and make sure all of my water hoses are ok.

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Originally Posted by Boatbottom

Plug was in. We took a lot of water over the back with chains out going with the the wind. That and the rain and letting the livewell overflow all combined. with nothing pumping out. At least what that's what I think. I need to check and make sure all of my water hoses are ok.

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Might check to see if the bilge pump fitting to the hose is broken or cracked. I've had that happen before on a used boat I traded for one time. Bout sunk it at Butla in a bad wind. New pump and all was good.

Keep us posted as to the problem. Curious to know what caused your issue. It was twice as bad last weekend and lots of water over the back of some boats, but I guess their bilge pumps worked. [emoji4]

Glad yall made it in fine, checked my pumps Thursday, put the plug in and dropped a running water hose in the bilge area, in just a couple of minutes it was pumping water. Got mine on an auto switch the always has power to it, works good for us.

Thay sucks. I'm always looking at that when it's rainy. I remember one time Donnie and I were at sardis and it was a rainy one. Came a storm so we headed for the ramp. While parked I would jump out every 10 minutes or so and turn the bilge on. I felt bad for the guys parked beside us because I filled his boat up at 800 gph lol.

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Originally Posted by Rees Guide

Glad yall made it in fine, checked my pumps Thursday, put the plug in and dropped a running water hose in the bilge area, in just a couple of minutes it was pumping water. Got mine on an auto switch the always has power to it, works good for us.

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An ounce of prevention would a saved the day.

Glad yall were safe Mike!I had sucked a small screw up into by bilge impeller and locked it up on Butla during a thunder storm and had to make a run from Hurricane back to Hernando Point. I beached it, and by the time I got back down with the trailer the entire bilge area was under. I was able to drag the boat off the sand and got it on the trailer by hand and boat winch.Stopped just out of the water and pulled the plug. Seemed like it drained for a hour! Took the top off the pump and there was a small screw!

Man that's hard. Tough load for sure.

Hahahahahaha man it would have been hard to trust that a ranger wouldnt sink for me as well in that situation.....Dang!!!! hahahaha

I told him it woudn't sink but I did not say it would not swamp. Some things left better unsaid.

I fished Friday and Saturday both in driving rain. Bilge pump never came on...[emoji12]
Self baling is awesome!

That's why I'm not altogether sure of the reason I had so much water. Could be busted hose or pump. Haven't looked yet cause she's still soaking wet.

Mine never came on till we got off the front deck, didnt pump long then, we didn't get enough rain to cause your problem Steve.

I never had an issue either. Never ran my pump. I used the water in the boat as a ballast in the wind. [emoji4]

I tested mine two weeks ago. Worked fine..didn't work at Grenada until we were fixing to load the boat..500 gph..will be a new 2000 next week...

Got a 1000 gph on an auto switch now and fixing to add another 1000 gph on a manual switch, doubt I will ever need both but it can't hurt.

Bilge working now. Ran water in and she tested good. Fuse was blown for the auto bilge. I also have a manual bilge fuse. I don't have a switch on the console so it must be close to the pump itself. Haven't found it but I will. I'm going to put her in the water and see ifn she still leaks.

Something caused fuse to blow......could have been dirt dobbers in pump

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Originally Posted by Boatbottom

That's why I'm not altogether sure of the reason I had so much water. Could be busted hose or pump. Haven't looked yet cause she's still soaking wet.

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Haha... I think you missed what I was saying. It can rain a foot an hour and my bilge pumps won't come on. My Ranger is self baling, doesn't require a pump...what comes in, goes right back out.

Shhhhhhhh! We don't bail in a boat that costs more than 3500. :biggrin

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Originally Posted by Boatbottom

Bilge working now. Ran water in and she tested good. Fuse was blown for the auto bilge. I also have a manual bilge fuse. I don't have a switch on the console so it must be close to the pump itself. Haven't found it but I will. I'm going to put her in the water and see ifn she still leaks.

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Should have a manual bilge switch on the dash. Don't guess I've seen a boat without one, but I haven't seen em all YET!!! [emoji4]

This is one thing I don't have to worry about.

Bill, it has a fuse for a manual switch but there's no switch on the dash. I looked close to the bilge but haven't found it yet. Got to be somewhere.

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Originally Posted by martyrm

This is one thing I don't have to worry about.

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yep, you spring a leak and you are done

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Originally Posted by Boatbottom

Bill, it has a fuse for a manual switch but there's no switch on the dash. I looked close to the bilge but haven't found it yet. Got to be somewhere.

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Is the auto mechanism built into the pump or is it a separate switch beside the pump? I could see it not having a dash switch if the float was built in the pump, but like with your problem, I'd rather have a manual override like 99% of em do.

Mine has a three position switch.....auto....off......manual

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Originally Posted by "G"

Mine has a three position switch.....auto....off......manual

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Most of the three ways I see are on the live well pump. Don't see many like that on the bilge pumps. Auto is just that, Auto. Shouldn't need to switch it for that.

Is this an older ranger? Mine is a 1991, it only has 1 switch for 2 bilge pumps. A float turns 1 pump on, the manual switch will turn on both. Also you could have some plumbing leaking to flood the boat.

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Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine

Should have a manual bilge switch on the dash. Don't guess I've seen a boat without one, but I haven't seen em all YET!!! [emoji4]

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Yep, you're right. Finally just started pushing each button on the console til I found it. Button didn't have a name on it but did have a warn emblem shaped like a box.