Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Good times were had this weekend.....boat was pulled Monday night, winterized Tues/Wed. We had 50s around here so I figured id better get out to the boat and wash her up and clean her off....

This is what I found. I have NO CLUE how this happened. Wasn't like that when I bought it. The marina said that when they pulled it was like this. I tend to believe them. I was told it can just be welded. My other thing is how can I do this damage and not mess up the lower unit? What are your thoughts?



Then the marina owner tells me that the boat ran well, but has a feeling there might be water in my toons since it sits low in the back. I told him its a 18 foot toon with 40hp motor and 2 gas tanks sitting in the bank, so I would think by the laws of physics her butt would sit lower. Sheets and giggles I pull the plugs, and sure as sheet the left toon had about 2 gallons of water in her. I inspect and find a small hold in the weld under the back end right up by the deck. About 8 inchs above the water line. Guess that's better than having a the hole lower. Again, another welding issue.

2 words: zebra mussels. They are all over the transom and engine. She wasn't peeing at the end of the season and the mechanic said its probably clogged and to check the intake hose. Now I wonder if the mussels were clogging the intake suction. Where is the intake hose? the owner didn't know where it was, unless its IN the lower unit, which at the point I don't know if I should fiddle with it being that its winterized and I don't want to mess that up.




Thanks for the help!

Fox Lake welding does all my welding Katie, they are in spring grove, if they can fix the "sheet" I break, yours should be no problem. JT

I would guess you hit a dead head, thats a floating log or one thats a foot or so under the water and its some what common, and as far as water in the logs, I dont think you do, its very common for a boat to sit lower in the back and if the water lines stay about the same on both your fine, its when you see those creeping up on one or the other its taking on water. I dont know any thing about the mussels but i have heard they do get into a water pump intakes. and thats on the bottom or the LU.

Thanks MH!

She did have water, about 2 gallons. I noticed a gap in the welding just under the deck.

And where you showed the intake holes, those had mussels in them. I cleaned them all out and are now free of those.

Depending on how often you used the boat and how hot the engine got, you may have mussels inside the engine cooling passages. It takes 140+ degrees to kill them, and only a month or so for them to take hold on a wet surface. Even if you ran above 140*, but they had already taken hold, they would be dead, but still clinging on to the interior surfaces.

Can I open it up after its been winterized or wait till spring?

that wood in the transom doesn't look too good either, towards the bottom where the engine bolts on, might check that out also

Grandpa, its the angle and dirt. The wood is good.
Good eye though