Unusual Drain Plug

Questions about boat repairs with our resins and fiberglass: hull patches, transoms and stringers, foam, rot etc.
Fuzz
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Unusual Drain Plug

Post by Fuzz »

When I rebuilt my SeaSports transom I glassed over its transom drain opening. The thinking was if the deck hatches were water tight it was not needed and was just one more thing to leak. Try as I might I have been unable to get the hatches water tight and the bilge area gets water in. given our slightly cool winters I do not want trapped water to freeze in the boat so I am going to install a drain. I am thinking about drilling a hole in the bottom of the hull and not going through the transom. Just wondering what you guys think :doh:

fallguy1000
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Re: Unusual Drain Plug

Post by fallguy1000 »

Fuzz wrote: Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:39 pm When I rebuilt my SeaSports transom I glassed over its transom drain opening. The thinking was if the deck hatches were water tight it was not needed and was just one more thing to leak. Try as I might I have been unable to get the hatches water tight and the bilge area gets water in. given our slightly cool winters I do not want trapped water to freeze in the boat so I am going to install a drain. I am thinking about drilling a hole in the bottom of the hull and not going through the transom. Just wondering what you guys think :doh:
My 1960 Carver has a spring loaded thingy.

Needs to be a twist lock.

Found one online. This one kinda sucks, but you'll get the point.

https://www.americansail.com/products/p ... twist-lock
My boat build is here -------->

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Fuzz
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Re: Unusual Drain Plug

Post by Fuzz »


fallguy1000
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Re: Unusual Drain Plug

Post by fallguy1000 »

Fuzz wrote: Thu Nov 19, 2020 1:07 am https://www.fisheriessupply.com/marine- ... ard-drains
This what I am thinking of.
Much better than the one I linked.

You might want to keep a spare male plug. Probably find something in a rubber one or black pipe thread. Jist in case that one rolls out ever.

I keep a spare plug onboard my skiff for same reason.
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viewtopic.php?f=12&t=62495

silentneko
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Re: Unusual Drain Plug

Post by silentneko »

I think it's a bad idea. If you lose the plug underway the hole in the bottom will act as a scoop and fill your hull with pressure. The opposite happens with the transom. And if you have an issue elsewhere you can get moving and pull the transom plug to help drain quickly.
Built: 15ft Skiff, 16ft Skiff, Modified Cheap Canoe, and an FS17.

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Jaysen
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Re: Unusual Drain Plug

Post by Jaysen »

And up there y’all get hard water that will kill you if it touches you. Don’t give that death water a way into the boat!

Or, transom for the win if you believe science is real.
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Fuzz
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Re: Unusual Drain Plug

Post by Fuzz »

silentneko wrote: Thu Nov 19, 2020 6:58 am I think it's a bad idea. If you lose the plug underway the hole in the bottom will act as a scoop and fill your hull with pressure. The opposite happens with the transom. And if you have an issue elsewhere you can get moving and pull the transom plug to help drain quickly.
I had not thought about that self drain issue. That is why I ran it by you guys. Thanks you saved me from making a screw up :wink:

OneWayTraffic
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Re: Unusual Drain Plug

Post by OneWayTraffic »

An andersen bailer would work. They are commonly used to bail sailboats out the hull bottom apparently.

https://andersenwinches.com/aw/bailers.asp?RnID=411

But the standard transom plug is hard to beat.

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Cowbro
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Re: Unusual Drain Plug

Post by Cowbro »

I am going to go the other way and say that I prefer a drain in the middle of the boat versus the transom.

1. It is standard on many production boats. My mastercraft ski boat had a drain right under the front of the engine (inboard/direct drive).

2. You can lift the engine cover/floor hatch from the driver seat and verify the plug is installed.

3. If you did forget to install/tighten the plug, it is much easier to install or tighten from inside the boat versus hanging over the transom around a swimdeck or outboard.

4. On the HMD19/displacement boats/sailboats the low point is in the middle of the boat so it makes sense to put the drain there.

5. I prefer the NPT bronze drain plug.

The only drawback aside from dumping water while underway is that it is slightly more difficult to verify the plug is installed while the boat is on the trailer.

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Jaysen
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Re: Unusual Drain Plug

Post by Jaysen »

Cowbro wrote: Wed Jan 06, 2021 1:25 pm The only drawback aside from dumping water while underway is that it is slightly more difficult to verify the plug is installed while the boat is on the trailer.
Dump some water in the hull... did it come out? yes... no plug. I know this works thanks to a neighbor :)
My already completed 'Lil Bit'. A Martens Goosen V12 set up to sail me to the fishing holes.
Currently working on making a Helms 24 our coastal cruiser.
“Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens” wrote:Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.
Jaysen wrote: Mon Apr 29, 2019 3:44 pm I tried to say something but God thought I was wrong and filled my mouth with saltwater. I kept my pie hole shut after that.

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