crossing ockeechobee lake without air nor water, Help!

[sixtysomething]

:huhls someone help! my husband and i were leaving ft myers bringing our boat home to homestead fl. and as we started our voyage, our water pump went first then a continuous high pitch beeping and light on the dash showed generator...the generator cuts off. we tried to start it back up and after a few tries it does start, but it will either cut off or we would just have to turn it off cause of the continuous beeping. we are new at this as you all can tell by now, the boat is a 98' and we dont know if we are doing something wrong. long story short, we crossed ockeechobee lake without air or water, but managed to make it home in one piece (sort of) ... pls anyone help!:smt100

 

[JimG]

The simplest, most common failure is the impeller on the generator.

 

[RobnBern]

Very similar thing happened when we were bringing our "new to us" 370 down the Chesapeake. Could not figure out what it was. Contacted the broker, who said the impeller on the generator had just been replaced. Long story short, we continue the remaining 150 miles without electrical service. The mechanic opened the generator water pump and found impeller PIECES!!! Hope that's all the problem is for your guys. Simple fix. Best of luck.

 

[Art]

Check/clean your strainer look under the boat might have sucked up a plastic bag. It might be as simple as picking up some debris that restricted the water flow to the genny. However, if you ran the genny too long after the alarm the impeller is probably destroyed.
Good luck, Art

 

[RobnBern]

This was found in my generator hose when I made it to a marina on day one. The impeller was shot and the wire spring in the hose was GONE!! I'm amazed the generator even worked. Almost 3 years later, it runs like a top though. Westerbeke generators seem to be really good quality.

 

[sbw1]

So what is that stuff anyway??

 

[VinceR]

Sixtysomething
You may want to check when the water pumps were changed onyour main engines. Try to find when your exhausts manifolds and risers werelast changed. Check their raw water strainers along with the A/C strainer. Check the bilge pump under the cabin sole nextto the shower to see if it is working. The A/C condensate and shower drainsinto that box. Pour a small amount ofbleach into that box and let sit. It will help keep the float switch and thepump free of slug.
Also sixtysomething

 

[RobnBern]

So what is that stuff anyway??

#1. Sorry for such a HUGE picture, I couldn't figure out how to shrink it. #2. The best we could figure, it was the spring from inside the rubber hose. It had rusted apart and that was all that was left.

 

[sixtysomething]

Wow! Thanks to all of u for all the great help. As u all know, we r in homestead fl. About 20 minutes from key largo. Does anyone know of a good and reasonable mechanic in our veciny? Cause for sure we r going to be needing one.

 

[ardeprint]

Sorry you had a bad first journey! I hope its a quick and cheap fix, it sounds like it.