Rigging and water intrusion

[Quick6848]

Hows it going family, question probably topic has been already discussed sorry for any inconvenience in advance.
87 SR 17 08 90hp honda 4stroke
ive noticed water going into the splash well and going into the rigging hole. What have you guys done to prevent water going inside?

Suggestions iv'e thought of
dense foam spray interior side of rigging and adding a rubber seal with slit. my boot is split on the bottom  and i dont feel like removing the rigging to replace so im thinking of seal from the inside.
i have cable steering and all power electronics and addition bildge going through it. thanks again

[croaker stroker]

I am raising mine and plugging the lower holes.

[Quick6848]

I am raising mine and plugging the lower holes.

im assuming your having the same issue brother i was wondering were all the extra water came from when i pulled the plug and this was after a very short run 10 min and back caught a couple of waves over the splash wall and im also going to add a scupper to the outside of the splash drain

[croaker stroker]

I think most of us have this problem.

The holes were made low to accomodate cable steering. It probably wasn't an issue back in the day when they used much lighter 2-stroke OB's. 

With hydraulic steering, the hoses (SeaStar) are flexable and can be routed higher.

[Batsquatch]

Haha.  Backtrolling on a pretty rough day, I didn't realize how much water could come in through that hole until my deck hatch was being pushed up by a bumper I had stored in the box.  It took over 1/2 hour for the bilge pump to catch up. 
I ended up tightly packing some closed-cell foam around the cables in the hole which mostly solved the issue.

[Yachter Yat]

   I believe I may have a copyright on this.     Black "sillycone"....injected from the inside worked for me. Don't use anything tougher.....I mean, like LifeSeal, in the event you ever have to remove it.

Yat

[AJFishin]

The way I fixed this problem was first I used silicone and sealed around the boot and the splashwell wall. After it dried I wrapped everything, including about 2" of the boot, with silicone tape nice and tight, going in between my rigging and my cable.
I done this on my SC16 and again on my SR19 and it has worked great, hardly any water leaks in, if any. If you ever need to remove or replace wires or cables, you simply cut the silicone tape off and when you're done, you just wrap everything back up, no mess.

This was on my SC16....

[Quick6848]

thanks again bros i went ahead and filled the backside of the grommet with hgih density foam and did silicone to the transom side thanks again for all inputs really help

[Tunacious]

I don't have a photo because my boat is 2 hours away on the water.

I found a product called rescue tape.

I even keep a roll in my tool box on my boat.

I used the tape, which sticks to itself, to wrap my cables from about 12 inches away from the exit hole where I can squeeze the cables together.

I continue to wrap the cables towards the exit hole until I can wrap enough to cover the entire hole.

I kept wrapping until the entire hole is covered.

Really easy to do and simple to remove if needed.

Mine has lasted for years.

[FishBio]

I cut out a new hole higher up and plugged the lower hole. A little fiberglass cloth and some gel coat went on quick. As CS said, it only works if you have hydraulic steering. I consider this a must have upgrade. I have two bilge pumps but prefer to just keep the water on the outside of the boat. Belt, suspenders, and a spare pair of pants! Before I moved the hole, I used the same rescue tape Tunacious suggested. 
The Suzuki rigging hose looks nice enough but doesn't really help keep water out since the hole is already so high up.

[croaker stroker]

Fishbio, Thanks for posting the photo. That is very similar to what I am doing. I think they might be moving my control cables slightly higher, between the anchor light and the bait box.

[Yachter Yat]

  Nothing wrong with steering cables. In fact, Arima's steering cables can be mounted low. They should just simply be isolated and separate from the other cables and passed into the motor well through this:

https://defender.com/en_us/scanstrut-cable-clam-deck-seal?utm_id=143783458262&utm_campaign=19735474067&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid&utm_content=649599978904&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_-GxBhC1ARIsADGgDjuumliAoA3y8JGlzXHBPfXoeu1HFWTIS9htiLeX20fX_TE_EfxmYY8aAiLLEALw_wcB#76=30598&493=43624

   You would see this on my new Sea Hunter.  You know......the model Defiance refuses to build?


Yat

[FishBio]

Nothing wrong with steering cables. In fact, Arima's steering cables can be mounted low. They should just simply be isolated and separate from the other cables and passed into the motor well through this:

https://defender.com/en_us/scanstrut-cable-clam-deck-seal?utm_id=143783458262&utm_campaign=19735474067&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid&utm_content=649599978904&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_-GxBhC1ARIsADGgDjuumliAoA3y8JGlzXHBPfXoeu1HFWTIS9htiLeX20fX_TE_EfxmYY8aAiLLEALw_wcB#76=30598&493=43624

   You would see this on my new Sea Hunter.  You know......the model Defiance refuses to build?


Yat

All the cable steering I've seen needs to be lined up with the steering bracket on the motor. Which is down low. Which is why Arima originally put the hole down low.
Nothing wrong with cables... unless you want to move the hole up higher. Then you'll need hydraulic steering.

[Yachter Yat]

Nothing wrong with cables... unless you want to move the hole up higher.

   That's right! The original hole would be plugged, then the cable gland installed to align with the tilt tube.  A new boat would be ordered with 'no' holes. Steering cable gland and control cable rigging tube would be installed following the motor installation. If you want it done right, then you probably know who has to do it.

Yat

[Dai20bt]

This is timely discussion! Went bottomfishing this past weekend drifting, back trolling and getting wind chips slamming into stern for a couple hours. Started heading to sucia island to explore and boat would not plane. Turned on bilge and water started pumping out 10 plus minutes. Accelerated to sucia dock and maybe beach landed since I had never seen so much water getting pumped out of bilge while on water. Arrived at dock and bilge had finished pumping water out. Looked down in splashwell and saw cable boot with large opening where cables enter boat on starboard. Side. I'll be buying rescue tape today to seal up, then schedule appt to raise that hole higher on splash well. I have raised jack plate for 25" shaft so higher cable entry will work better. Also checking hydraulic steering. It was a bit scary!

We returned to fishing spot and conditions worsened. I kept bilge on and it did nice job keeping water out but I definite need to seal that up and a float switch.

[Yachter Yat]

  I've often contemplated about who it is that would be 'vacuous' enough to build a small "ocean- going" fishing runabout with a cable boot that allows the infiltration of water such as we see here. I've been bitching about this for years.....and not just with Arimas. That said, however, the potential hazard of such an arrangement is particularly exacerbated by the fact of how these Arimas can oftentimes sit so low in the stern.  I don't get it! I loved my Arima, and (at times) have been called-out when criticizing it, but (IMHO) I've always felt there was a certain legitimacy and justification for that criticism. 
   If you've got a minute take a look at how this small German-built Hellwig Poros is rigged. Freeze this clip at about :46 and you'll not only see how the cables exit high-up in transom, but also how there appears to be some sort of watertight fixture employed for the steering cable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xOEf090lbc
 
  This might be interpreted as a "scream from the woods", but I honestly believe these U.S. builders have to get with the program. I don't think anyone would disagree that top priority with any small ocean-going craft should be how it can safely withstand the nature of its intended environment.  In the final analysis, the additional cost of fitting and rigging these little boats with fixtures that will maximize that safety factor is a small price to pay for the security provided.

   With that said, we (obviously) may not have to be concerned about how the new Arimas may be rigged, as it appears this boat line may soon be completely phased-out. However, those who own Arimas that have these cable boots, should be concerned.  I found, reading Dai20bt's post to be a bit "awakening"; to say the least. Luckily, his bilge pump seemed to suffice for preventing what might have turned-out to be a catastrophe, but I don't believe any of us should put all of our "eggs" in that basket.
 

Yat
 

[FishBio]

... the potential hazard of such an arrangement is particularly exacerbated by the fact of how these Arimas can oftentimes sit so low in the stern.  I don't get it!

Yat
 

Four strokes are way heavier than two strokes, kickers add more weight, my fishing buddies are fat, I backtroll when bottom fishing in lumpy weather. Those last two may be my own bad decisions but Arima didn't design for any of that when they built my '87.
I love my Arima but often dream of a self-bailing design.

[fishmeister]

my fishing buddies are fat

Hey now....How can you possibly say that?  I haven't been on your boat.....Yet.   

[Yachter Yat]

Four strokes are way heavier than two strokes,

   I hate to be the one, but somebody's got to do the "dirty work".    

   Okay, from the factory brochures: 

   Evinrude 60 HP 3 cylinder two stroke..........320 lbs.

   Evinrude 60 HP "2 cylinder"  two stroke......250 lbs.

   Honda 60 HP 3 cylinder 4 stroke.....................239 lbs.

   FishBio, you forgive me......don't you? 

Have fun, Yat

[Tom C]

2010 Two stroke Yamaha 90 weighs 261 pounds

2010 Four stroke Yamaha 90 weighs 375 pounds

[FishBio]

Four strokes are way heavier than two strokes,

FishBio, you forgive me......don't you? 

Have fun, Yat

Sure, I forgive you. But those numbers look bassackwards. My df90 weighs 343 lbs dry. You aren't quoting weights for 1920s models are you? 

[croaker stroker]

Four strokes are way heavier than two strokes,

FishBio, you forgive me......don't you? 

Have fun, Yat

Sure, I forgive you. But those numbers look bassackwards. My df90 weighs 343 lbs dry. You aren't quoting weights for 1920s models are you? 

My ETEC 90hp (2-stroke) published weight is 335-375.

Not sure why the spread in weights?

So, Yat is uncharacteristically not totally incorrect. 

Wait... did I just admit Yat is right?

[Yachter Yat]

Sure, I forgive you. But those numbers look bassackwards. My df90 weighs 343 lbs dry. You aren't quoting weights for 1920s models are you? 

   Nope!  Brand new. Go take a look for yourself.

Yat

[Yachter Yat]

2010 Two stroke Yamaha 90 weighs 261 pounds

2010 Four stroke Yamaha 90 weighs 375 pounds

  Tom:  Well.....I'm quite sure there are many past examples dealing with the weight advantage of certain 2 strokes over 4 strokes. That said, we shouldn't think for a moment that we could legitimately paint this issue with a broad brush.  So.....if you wouldn't object, I'm going to avoid singling-out any specific older models, but simply refer to what is currently available. Since you used Yamaha in your example, I'll focus on the specifications I found for two of the motors that fall into the HP class you posted.  It's like this:

  Yamaha 85 HP two stroke (latest available) "3 CYLINDER"........273 lbs.

  Yamaha 90 HP four stroke  "4 CYLINDER".........................366 lbs.

   Similar (in some ways) to the comparison I made earlier, with the 60 HP motors, it's understandable why we see such a disparity. Unfortunately, Yamaha no longer appears to rate their 3 cylinder 2 stroke at 90 HP, but rather, 85. Without further research, I suspect it's probably based on a similar block. I trust you might agree that we could safely call it close enough for this discussion.

   Unlike the comparison I made in my previous post (comparing three 60 HP motors), the reason for the weight difference we see with these Yamahas becomes quite evident and understandable.  That said, in my previous example, I found it quite interesting how an Evinrude 60 HP "2 CYLINDER" 2 stroke actually weighed more than the "3 CYLINDER" Honda 60. Go figure! I guess, what it boils down to is the old adage of fairly comparing apples to apples, when we decide to embark on topics such as this. As we can clearly see, the similar HP comparison of (what I sometimes call) these "mutually exclusive" designs can certainly be deceiving.  In any event, summer's coming......have fun.


 Yat

[Tom C]

Yes, we can always cherry pick our examples. So let me be clear: In general, four stroke outboards are heavier than two stroke outboards. On that we should all agree.