ugh.  i have a 2025 T235, hoping its a misunderstanding - please let us know what they say if you call Customer Service.  do you have the M6? could it be related to the GM engine recall/failure in some way?

here is my lame solution:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/BZQ3U6xNrBfLdmEA9

my swimplate was getting stained by duck poo so hard previously.. now it is pristine...

Mart

Yes, salt water is a little harder on inboard engines than fresh water.  The number one thing you can do is try to keep as much water out of the boat as you can.  Letting your bilge fill with salt water is bad.  No matter what water, letting it fill to the point of wetting your steering cable will cause it to seize up.

As you mentioned, the oil pan is pretty low in the hull, and definitely can rust.  Once or twice a year, warm your engine and then give it a bath with a garden hose.  Avoid the air intake.  After that, crank the engine again to sling the water from the alternator, etc. and warm it again to help it dry.  When it is dry, use your favorite light spray oil and coat the entire engine except the belts and pulleys with a good coat of oil.  Get the motor mounts, the shaft coupling, and the oil pan as well as you can.  While you have the can in your hand, dive under the dash and spray all of the wiring you can find.

As for the manifolds, they are generally expendable.  Your engine probably came with ETX cast aluminum.  Aluminum is second on the galvanic list behind zinc for anodic activity, so if you don't have fresh zinc, the aluminum will sacrifice itself.  Your best bet in salt water is stainless steel manifolds.  They work really well and last a long time if you keep the anodes current (screw-in zinc pencil anodes).

Captain: that's my plan.  The boat is on a lift, so I'll add some water and see if it more aggressively pumps it out.  Didn't think about the priming problem, and that makes sense.

JoeBuck: that is what I think happened but didn't want to jump to that conclusion.  Now I have confirmation bias lol.  And I agree with verify-before-needing - that's why this is turning into a head scratcher instead of just moving on.  I'm pretty sure the water in the bilge was from the water over the bow and the activities since there was no more during the ride back to the marina.  And since the alarm didn't ring again, it is likely that the rear pump worked while we were surfing when the alarm went off.  But time to verify and see it happen...

BTW Joe - been following your adventures with the new-to-you boat.  Nice work!  My boat's home was in eastern WA on Lake Wenatchee for years before moving to Austin a few years ago.  Water is a little warmer here lol.

Thanks for the help!

Has anyone else received one of these letters?  Mine is from Progressive.

Nonrenewal Notice

Please know that your policy will expire as of 12:01 a.m. on August 31, 2026. Unfortunately, you will not receive an offer to renew because: The structural hull design or propulsion system of the 2023 Axis Wake Research T235 is not acceptable in our Boat program. Therefore, insurance coverage on this policy cannot continue.

If you have any questions, please call Customer Service.