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You DO or DO-NOT leave a deck over tied to a dock

W

Wild Hair

Well-known member
I am afraid my boat sale is going to go to court.
I need expert opinion from Airboat Owners on wheather it is standard procedure to leave a deckover tied to a dock in deep water overnight.

Please comment, I need as many opinions as possible. thanks, joel
 
I dont see why you cant leave a properly maintained boat tied up overnight. Of course, its the owners responsibility to make sure that it doesnt leak, as 99% of aluminum boats do, and if so, to put an automatic bilge pump in it. What are the facts surrounding this? Seems to me if someone bought a boat, tied it up, and never checked on it to see if it was leaking or not, its on them. Best, Charles Morehead Esq
 
When I delivered the boat, I told him that the front cross seam needed re-siliconeing but it had new auto bilge pump that would take care of any seepage while the key was on.
I have always heard thatsome bass rig owners would throw a wake intentionally by accident to drown an AB if they saw an opprotunity.
i also told him that on the way i had to stop and pump the boat out due to rainwater.that tells me that it didn't leak enough to cause it to sink. there was a lady working at the petro in tampa that saw me pumping it out and came over and talked a minit.
 
Given what a lawyer/airboater just mentioned above, it sounds like you will be in the clear. Of course, any lawyer would need to see ALL the facts of the ENTIRE situation to be able to give any truly reliable advice. As would any of us.

I'd not leave any airboat tied up in deep water to a dock WITH THE KEY IN AND TURNED ON unattended for even a couple hours!!!!!!

I'd be VERY reluctant to leave one in the water, unattended, over night with the key off.

As for the bass boater comment... Meaningless in my opinion. There are spiteful and nasty people in every shape, nation, & color on this planet... INCLUDING airboaters. Unless you saw someone throwing a wake in a no wake zone, and got their reg. #, well, that's not even an issue - whoever is crying on that one.

You sold a boat, the buyer left it tied to a dock, and in the morning found it on the bottom?

Sounds to me to be the new boat owner's fault. At least, if I had just bought a boat, that's how I'd see it.... EVEN IF you had told me the automatic bilge pump would make everything alright. I'd not trust the battery, wakes (as you mentioned) or theivery. I'd never have left the boat out.

But that's just me. I'm not an expert.

matt.
 
Wild Hair, I'm far from an expert on this also but my take on an automatic bilge pump is to have it wired direct to the batteries ..... completely removed from any switched circuit.

The reasoning is that an enormous number of boats are sunk right in their own slips from a heavy rain. If the automatic bilge is wired direct to the batteries and independent of any switched circuit, they'll kick on and bail the boat as needed.

Your batteries may be flat the next morning, but hopefully your boat will still be afloat

olf
 
I'm guessing the check must have cleared. If it cleared than you're cleared. If he wants to take you to court then let him. It will cost him more in attorney fees than he could ever recover from you.

The guy is a jerk. He liked the boat. He bought the boat. He sunk the boat. That's his preogative to do what he want's with his boat. Remember, it's his boat at that point. Not yours.

Just tell him you're sorry you can't stop stupid.
 
Yep, as they say, Hindsite is 20/20.
I have learned alot. Any auto bilge shoud be wired direct thru a breaker. j
 
I own a 10 foot sled (full deck) has not one but two bilge pumps one auto and one wired to a on off switch; I don’t even trust one pump and the boat dose not leak much at all. I would never think of leavening it tied up over night. If this guy left it out with out turning on the pump I don’t think you have any worries. Don’t know of a law, but I’m sure the Coast Guard would tell you to have one and use it, it’s common since. Every boat in a marina has a pump and they are left on (AUTO), Sounds like this guy used no common since at all. Bottom Line, No, an Air Boat is not the type of boat you leave out in the water over night.
 
Wild, I'd wire one through an inline fuse, well sealed ... fuses aren't as sensitive to moisture as are breakers. Keep it direct and as simple as possible.

olf
 
My boat isn't a deck boat. But if I'm campin over night. I run mine up on the hill and even thought its has trouble comin off the hill. It's not on the bottom of the lake/river in the morning.

my 2 cents
 
any boat left in water deeper than the boat should have a bilge alarm, will save you much pain and piece of mind. an old car horn and float switch is all thats needed..
 
Seems to me I remember that full decked boats aren't supposed to be or arent water tight top and bottom. Most have to be sealed on the deck side if ya want them water tight. I think most have a hatch to the lower inside of the hull that CAN be sealed but I don't think they come sealed.

Bottom line is though, you didn't sink it, HE did. His boat.

If he is in Ga. and wants to bring legal action against you he has to come to Your county in FL to do so, is this not tight? His expense and not his home turf. This guy is way out of it.

Scotty
 
I would never leave my boat in water over night unattended. I don't like to leave my off shore boat in the water over night. It has 2 auto bilge pumps. Shi# happen!!!! Thats a rough way to learn for a new boat owner.

The old boy is SOL. I can not tell you how many times I had to check on work boats along side the ship or pier side while I was in the navy.

Keep us posted on how things work out. If the check cleared you are in good shape.
 
I own a deck boat and I leave it over night at the fish camp ,a friend of mine leaves his at the fish camp in deep water.as do other friends with open hulls deck boats are no differant than other boats . If a boat leaks than it will sink. Now if all the boat needed was a little silicone why didn't ya fix it be fore ya sold it, just currious?
 
we have left our boat floating at Camp Mack before and no problems. We don't have an auto bilge pump and there was no water in the boat when we got to it the next morning. It happens and as long as you told him it leaked a little I don't see that there is anything he can do. He bought the boat as is. Sounds to me like he may not be a true airboater because true airboaters would know that this happens.
 
Been watchin this one and without knowing what was said to whom about what ..it is hard to form an opinion on it. I am sure the bill of sale you gave them said that it came with no warranty and it also disclosed the fact that it leaked and needed repair ... right.

Now if you told them it leaked... but the bilge could handle it and then it sank well that could be a problem for you.

Situations like this is what the courts are for .... an impartial view of the situation at hand. I would assume the devil is in the details of the bill of sale and the conversations that took place at the time of sale.

I sold my boat and then followed up with the guy who bought it to make sure he was happy with it. I disclosed several problems that were on going issues with the boat and were a fact of life with that boat ... no surprises for the new owner. But that was just me ... hope it works out for everyone involved
 
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