Scuppers and engine in water

[White Horses (Mike)]

OK - I LOVE my 225 Tournament - everything about it - except the following item:

The Yamaha 250 motor's "nose cone" sits about 3" into the water when the engine is in the UP position. Also the scuppers are about halfway submerged.

The result is barnacles and growth on both that get pretty gross and possible dangerous if the scuppers get clogged with growth. I don't know if barnacles are growing inside the scupper piping, but that would be a disaster.

The nose cone was bottom painted with the appropriate aluminum compantible paint, but it has worn off quite quickly.

Doesn't it seem like a boat as well designed as a Grady (in every other respect that I can judge) should not have this issue?

BTW - I really do love everything else about this boat - it has been an awesome summer.

 

[cdwood]

The dealer that hung your motor should have known it was too heavy. Especially out there on that bracket. Have you contacted them. Alot of the yammies I've seen do not tilt over enuff to get them out of the water. Keep a close eye on your water intakes as well, any obstruction there will be a problem.

 

[BobP]

Not likely the drains will clog, perhaps line the sides a bit and at the opening and on the flap, that's it.

Try with a small brush getting into the first 3 inches of the opening with botom paint (or use your finger). Paint flap too inside and outside. That will do it.

Paint gear case cone with paint too, be sure to use Trilux or the like on the alum alloy engine.

 

[fishingFINattic]

Have you considered adjusting the load a little in the boat - maybe putting some stored items up front to help offset and pull the motor out of the water?
Tim

 

[whitey]

i would never accept this if this was my boat.this is a design flaw,plain and simple.your boat also appears to have the same antifouling paint on the hull as on the bracket.i'm just looking at the picture.i know this is a problem,the bracket on my boat was painted the wrong way,it had to be replaced when the transom was replaced.
i would contact grady white directly and see what they have to say concerning this.this is a shame,for what that boat cost and to have this kind of problem,grady should take care of this,free of charge !

 

[leek]

Scuppers and engine

I have an 08 T225 as well and am very pleased generally. I also have a 9.9 kicker. The Yami 250 has 3-5" of the cone in the water and the scuppers are very close to being under water. I can see the water looking down in the drains.
My current solution is to dry stack the boat but this kind of boat should be able to be left on a buoy or at least in the water.
Maybe they can raise the floor and increase the floatation in future boats. Maybe if they got rid of some of the wood and used more (and less in some cases) composite it would drive the ability to store the boat in the water with the scuppers and the engine clear of the water.
Also, I am not sure I need the kicker, yesterday I was trolling at 1.8 knots with the F250 and it never loaded up.
Still the best riding 22' boat I have ever been in and a joy to own. The Yami feels bulletproof and Jacobsens in Ballard have been a joy to deal with. I am a happy camper.

 

[MFP]

GW Customer service told me that the engine sitting in water when tilted up is normal and that we will it occur much more as additional 350 Yamaha engines are sold. I noticed the same thing happens on Regulator's and other boat models with Yamaha engines above 225 hp.

GW suggested painting the engine with bottom paint designed for aluminum engines. I notice that there is marine growth on the bracket which also sits below the waterline.

Water in the scuppers occurs while I am on the boat and standing near the back of the boat. Otherwise the water drains out naturally when I sit at the helm.

 

[Strikezone]

My scuppers are nearly below the waterline also but I've never been able to see water in the drains. I have a 2S Yamaha that weighs less than the 4S. The tip of my engine is in the water when fully raised. Being dry stacked this hasn't been a problem for me however.

 

[Brad1]

The heavier the motor on the transom, the lower the stern of the boat's going to sit in the water. I keep my boat on the trailer so it's not a big concern for me. But I have considered keeping the boat in a wet slip. Maybe someday. If I do ever make the change to wet slipping the boat, I know it will bother me that my scuppers are 1/2 under water when the boat is resting at the dock with a full fuel tank and coolers (sans people). I believe the obvious solution is to move the main fuel tank forward. Why Grady White has not done this to accomodate the heavier four strokes is beyond me.

 

[uncljohn]

I want to know how someone looking at that little picture could say the boat"appears to have the same antifouling paint on the hull as on the bracket" Uh its black paint. Use black Trilux on the bracket and black paint on the hull and all of a sudden everyone assumes its the same paint. Duh.....

 

[KingJ]

Luckily our HPDI stays completely clear of the water when on full tilt. But, a short term solution could be to use a few 5 gal water jugs to weight the bow to keep the motor out of the water. Easy to drain and fill upon use and put-away. But you want to keep the water line at the bow above seal level too.

All the best!
Jim

 

[BobP]

I was also thinking something similar, get a 50 lb plastic bag of play sand for 4 bucks at the Depot, double plastic bag it and place in 3rd mesh bag, drop in bottom of anchor locker. May even get a beter ride !

 

[KingJ]

I’ve said before, the heavier the better for our little 208 - especially in the bow. But, there are things I need to do to help this and I'm positive an upcoming Sting Wray fin addition will help a lot in many regards. As I’ve learned from this great site.

The water can work well for weight in the slip because it can be in the form of a large Sun Shower (or two) or used for other useful FW options. Or, it can just be drained out before you leave the slip to minimize weight when out and about doing your thing. They are then easily refilled when you put her away, to weigh the bow down in order to get the motor completely out of the salt water with all the electrolysis and stuff.

Take care,
Jim

 

[cdwood]

MIKE, HAVE YOU CONTACTED THE DEALER. Scuppers should not be under water for extended periods. If your engine is too much for that bracket you are going to have constatnt issues. Give this some thought.

 

[Tashmoo]

I have the same issue with my 275, the engine bullet sits 4-6" into the water 24x7. I called GW on it and frankly their answer was bush league. They told me that all engines on boats of this size sit in the water to which I asked if I should send them a photo of the 26' Contender that is next to me with twin 275 Veradios that are 6" out of the water???

In the end there is nothing that you can do about it, I was able to extract a letter from GW that said that the lower pickup on the engine would not fault (the 350 has a second water intake at the bullet) and if it did they would warranty it for the life of the hull warranty. Big deal, the problem will come in year 9-10 or 13 not 0-5. In the end it is a design fault on GW's part and my fault for not seeing it on my sea trail.

I love my boat but I have to say based on this and two other customer service issues, I had better much results dealing with Pursuit's customer service than I have had dealing with GW's.

 

[gw204]

Geez...you guys are picky. Make sure the scupper hoses are double clamped, put some Trilux on the engine and forget about it. :roll:

But if it bothers you that much, dump the Yamaha and get a Merc. They tilt farther up...

Grady could switch to a bracket that provides more flotation, or go to a 30" motor mounted higher to fix the problem though...

 

[MFP]

My dealer told me that Yamaha determined the tilt position of the motor. He thinks Yamaha want to achieve a position that will cause fluid levels within the engine to be maintained at specified levels. Therefore, the end the motor sits in water. My transom bracket also sits in water. Both were scrapped, cleaned and painted yesterday with engine clear anti fouling paint. Looks good now except I can see the bracket interior parts are now developing marine growth. Not sure if they could have been painted when the boat was out of water. Dealer told me I could put a couple of 5 gallon containers full of water on the bow and see if that did the trick by shifting weight to the bow and raising the stern. Not sure I like this idea.

This issue raises doubts about GW's engineering. When I spoke with Yamaha customer service they acted like they had no idea what I was talking about and told me to call GW. GW said it was a fact with all newer engines.

We need to develop a solution that GW will stand behind. All ideas would be welcomed. I bought my boat new less than a year ago this week.

 

[Attitude Adjustment]

This issue is solely related to the fore/aft center of gravity in the floating, loaded hull, in other words, it's a design issue you'll need to work around.

The best ideas on this thread are all related to "temporarily" weighing down the bow while the boat is at rest. Using the correct types of anti-fouling paints for the different parts of the boat left in the water goes without saying.

There are other high-quality outboard boats with the same problem, if it makes you feel any better. This tends to happen more on boats with brackets, due to the lack of buoyancy astern.

 

[White Horses (Mike)]

Holey Cow - I guess this is a topic of interest...

First let me say - the bracket and motor were indeed painted with the correct aluminum compatible bottom paint by the dealer. I could see that it was different paint from day one, and because of other posts on this site, I was already bugging the dealer about that. In the case of the motor, it is mostly worn off as a result of my first encounter with a sandy shoal at low speed. Nothing damaged, but the bottom paint on the motor just sort of evaporated.

Second - I do believe this is a design flaw, because there are several ways it could be corrected in the future if the design team chose to do so.

In the meantime - I do notice other Yamis consistently in the water. There is a 26 regulator right beside me with a pair of 150s and the same issue exactly.

The scuppers are not all the way submerged - about halfway I would guess.

I am not prepared (psychologically) to start altering the boats balance by carting around sandbags, etc. I have not contacted the dealer or GW yet, but I will. mostly for the benefit of future owners.

Gotta say though - the boat is absolutely fabulous in every other respect that I can think of. I would recommend one to anybody. I just wish I didn't have crap growing on the scuppers and the motor....

I will take the advice of whoever proposed bottom painting inside the scuppers and doing the flaps. I will also replace the flaps every year.

Thanks everyone - I love to hear everyones advice and perspective.

 

[seabob4]

Weight distribution issues are sometimes not totally addressed by the the designer. Hence, the stern heavy at rest situation presents itself. Ballast is whats needed, centerline, forward, and permanent. It is too much a hassle to add and remove ballast every trip.

Try this. In a forward storage locker, place birdshot, 50 lb. bags encased in burlap, until your hull angle is as desired. Foam them in place with spray foam you can buy at Walmart, then glass and paint over them.

Builders do it all the time (trust me, I work for one), and it will take care of your problem, and you'll hardly notice the weight difference. With a fully loaded boat, you might have to use the tabs to get you over the hunp quicker, but, then, that's one of the reasons you have tabs.