Strap Your Batteries Down!!

Was on Holt today. Apparently when I replaced my cranking battery I forgot to buckle the hold down strap.
Ran all they way up to Lock 17 from Holt, and then on the way back, after stopping to fish another spot, I realized I was taking on water - BAD!!!!
So bad, I couldn't get on plane. Opened the rear hatch, the battery was laying in the bilge in about as much water as could be in there without it overflowing.
The battery broke the live well pump off where it goes through the transom effectively opening up a 3/4" hole in the transom below the water line.
Fortunately, the bilge pump was able to pump it out while I was able to keep moving and drain it as well.
For a brief moment, I was thinking it was time to send a MAYDAY text hoping someone would get it once I move through an area with service.
Once I was able to get on plane, I knew I was good, and was hammered down back to the launch.

That could have been bad, as in sunk boat bad. Glad you prevailed to fish another day!

You dodged a bullet on that one. Glad it worked out.

My advice... Don't ram your trolling motor into the back of your boat trailer.

The water is still too cold for a dip. Those things break easily. I had a thru the hull livewell pump break once. I learned a lesson and placed a piece of hose between the hull and the pump. It never gave me any more problems.

I had one just break on its own once. It was first fishing boat I ever owned. Stryker. It had been garage kept and was nice.
Thank goodness boat had a lot of flotation in it. Got that one fixed. Few weeks later, the one on the other side broke. It was just their time.

Glad you made it in safe, that was a lesson well learned.