I got denied entry to a lake. How do I keep my sterndrive dry???

shop vac to suck out any drippings??
 
shop vac to suck out any drippings??

Appreciate the creative thinking...Would you believe that they even threaten to stick a finger in the drain plug looking for moisture...though I don't think I've seen them actually do that.
 
Try this first............pull the speedometer hose that is connected to the drive. I do that when I have to paint my drive so all the water will drain from the inlet pickups on the drive and for the most part that has worked for me over the years. I believe that pulling the hose off the drive allows for enough air in the system to allow the water to drain out.
 
Try this first............pull the speedometer hose that is connected to the drive. I do that when I have to paint my drive so all the water will drain from the inlet pickups on the drive and for the most part that has worked for me over the years. I believe that pulling the hose off the drive allows for enough air in the system to allow the water to drain out.

Any clues you can give me about where to find the speedometer hose? Thanks.
 
Dave, can you explain how that works a little more? The water intake for the engine is a separate system than the pitot system, right? How would opening one system impact the other? I'm writing this with an open mind (and there's certainly no ill intent) - there very well could be something I'm missing. In other words, I'm not saying you're wrong... I just don't understand how you're right... If that makes sense!
 
Good thing there are no seagulls or other water fowl flying from lake to lake or ocean. I'm sure all the birds would never have anything stuck to them. Oh wait a minute that's the way nature populates isolated lake never mind I forgot.
 
Good thing there are no seagulls or other water fowl flying from lake to lake or ocean. I'm sure all the birds would never have anything stuck to them. Oh wait a minute that's the way nature populates isolated lake never mind I forgot.

They probably have someone hired to frisk the gulls and waterfowl too. :lol:
 
Dave, can you explain how that works a little more? The water intake for the engine is a separate system than the pitot system, right? How would opening one system impact the other? I'm writing this with an open mind (and there's certainly no ill intent) - there very well could be something I'm missing. In other words, I'm not saying you're wrong... I just don't understand how you're right... If that makes sense!

One of the Mercury Marine Techs at our Marina told me to do that. It seemed to help so I have done it every time since then. I just assumed it provided some venting in the drive allowing the water to drain easier. I can't imagine the pitot tube system is totally separate since water doesn't run up the tube to the speedometer does it?
 
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I can't imagine the pitot tube system is totally separate since water doesn't run up the tube to the speedometer does it?

In your boat, no. The tube does, however, run directly to a pitot sensor which converts that to something the Smartcraft can read. In non-smartcraft boats, the tube runs directly to the speedo.
 
Sounds like they just want you to stay off the lake and only allow property owners. In NC they just raise the feed to non members to keep us off. One lake had an $800 annual fee for boats over 180hp. You can only put in on weekdays. Weekends and holidays are prohibited.


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Sounds like they just want you to stay off the lake and only allow property owners. In NC they just raise the feed to non members to keep us off. One lake had an $800 annual fee for boats over 180hp. You can only put in on weekdays. Weekends and holidays are prohibited.

Bill, Many areas are very serious and maybe over zealous about keeping the invading foreign "mussels" out of their freshwater lakes that are not infected. Too bad he same cannot be said about our country...

Was that lake in NC public or private?

MM
 
Mike, Agree with both your statements and yes it was a "semi-Private" lake. All the land around the lake was owned but to have city funding the boat ramp had to be open to the public. Fees were accessed by property owner association.
 

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