Muskegon 6/28

[GLF]

I made it to the boat around 9pm Friday night. I rigged the boat for fishing, then proceded to drink some popular priced beverages with the neighbors. Around 10:30pm, I noticed my bildge pump kept kicking on and off. So......I went to investigate.

I pulled the engine hatch and looked in the bildge. I was suprised when I saw a small stream of water coming in. :eek: The bildge pump was pumping it out faster than it was coming in, so I wasn't to worried.

Not knowing exactly what the cause was, I cancelled the trip for Saturday. A few barley pops, and a lot of stories later(around 1 or 2 am), I went to bed. At 5:30am my phone started beeping. Someone was 2-waying me wanting to know if I was out. I get off the phone with Joe, and get back to sleep, and the phone rings around 6:00am. Its Don, wanting to know if I was out, and he was turning around in the channel heading back in. Somewheres around this time, I hear a charter boat start(twin 454's with side exhaust). blupp, bluppp, bluppp. I hear them go past my boat as they leave. Around 7am, I hear another charter boat start(twin 454's with side exhaust). blupp, bluppp, bluppp. They leave and I get back to sleep.

Somewhere's around 8:30am I finally get up. The boat is still afloat! I make arrangements with Bluffton Bays owner and we pull my boat so I can address the issue. The shift cable bellow had came off at the transom, and this was where the water was coming in. 5 minutes later, I have the bellow back on and ready to put the boat back in the water.

Its now noon, the boat is back in my slip and not taking on water, so I packed up, and went home.

I did not make it out fishing on Saturday, so I will be going back up Sunday morning to go fishing. If the big lake is too rough, I am planning on fishing Muskegon Lake for some walleye, or whatever will bite! Dont be alarmed if you see a salmon boat trolling around Muskegon Lake tomorrow. No I am not lost!

I am planning on leaving the dock around 7am.

[Priority1]

I'm glad you got the problem fixed. I wonder if that small bellows was clamped in somewhat an extended position when the OD was in. When the OD was trimmed out it pulled the large end of the bellows. Bellows problems are right up there for the cause of sinking boats.

GL tomorrow on the eyes.

[Nailer]

Not a total loss mike, You did get to have some Barley pops and hang out at the boat.