drain pluges

[78big10]

just bought a 1972 lund trihull with a 55 chrysler got the old girl going ive always had a pontoon no drain plugs delama do the plugs go from inside out or outside in my wife and i differ to which way they go need help so we can go fishing Thanks

 

[Silvertip]

Re: drain pluges

Are you trying to start a fight? d
It really makes no difference. My feeling is that why not use the pressure of the water trying to get into your boat to force the plug tighter in the hole -- in other words, insert it from the outside. Water pressure makes a tighter seal and you can see it better when doing your pre-launch routine whereas you might miss it if you insert it from the inside. If you can reach it from inside insert it that way if that makes everyone happy. However, water pressure can force it out if its not tight enough.

 

[78big10]

Re: drain pluges

Are you trying to start a fight? d
It really makes no difference. My feeling is that why not use the pressure of the water trying to get into your boat to force the plug tighter in the hole -- in other words, insert it from the outside. Water pressure makes a tighter seal and you can see it better when doing your pre-launch routine whereas you might miss it if you insert it from the inside. If you can reach it from inside insert it that way if that makes everyone happy. However, water pressure can force it out if its not tight enough.

 

[78big10]

Re: drain pluges

No fight darn she is always right takes two plugs will put one in each way Thanks for the imfo

 

[Chris1956]

Re: drain pluges

Hey Silvertip, I put the plugs in from the inside. I would be afraid that beaching the boat or hitting something would cause the plug to pull out and I would sink. Screw in plugs are on the outside!d

No fight intended!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: drain pluges

Not likely that you drag the back of the boat in the sand. If you hit something hard enough to knock the plug out you have other issues such as "where did my transom go". Use the "T" handle type of plug rather than the flip type. You can get them much tighter and cannot pull them by hand. In my row boats where there is no bilge pump and the drain is very reachable, inserting the plug from the inside makes sense as you can pull the plug on-plane to drain the water. Stick it back in when the boat is dry. On my big boat the hole is not reachable from inside.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: drain pluges

Silvertip, You speak too soon. I hit an island at 35MPH in my speedboat (it was a very low island and pitch black), and slid 75' across the mud/grass. Took me three hours to "hump" the boat back to the water and launch it.:$

Although I did not lose my transom or anything else, if I would have lost the plug, it would have been a worse night.d

 

[Silvertip]

Re: drain pluges

Any adult beverages involved in that excursion? 8)

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: drain pluges

I agree with Silvertip on the size issue. My current boat is threaded so it is a non-issue there but I had a couple of boats in the past that were smaller and it was an easy reach from the inside. I had an old Arrow Glass that had no bilge pump, just pulled the plug while underway and she quickly emptied.

 

[NBE]

Re: drain pluges

Well, While we are on the subject, always keep an extra plug or two in the boat with you. Never know when you might need one.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: drain pluges

Spare plug is always on board with me......just in case.
I always put the plug in from the outside.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: drain pluges

Silver, No adult beverages on that trip. Just lack of visibility, a sudden change of direction of the channel, and this was one of the few places in the bay where the water was deep right up to the edge of the island. Most other places, the motor would have bumped bottom long before I hit dry land.

Now don't tell me you never hit an island before.....

 

[Silvertip]

Re: drain pluges

Never hit an island, but I sure had the be-jeepers scared out of me while making a first time dash across a large lake to a fishing spot. While cruising about 30 MPH I'm watching the locator go from 25, 30, 40, ---- to 90 feet thinking wow -- what a hole. As my buddies and I get done chatting I glance at the locator which went from 45 to 6 in a heartbeat. I chopped the throttle and by the time we got whoa'ed up the locator was back at 20 feet. After looking at the land formation, there apparently was a land bridge from one side of the lake to the other prior to a dam going in many years earlier and when the water rose the land bridge was covered. I really expected to lose a lower unit that day.

 

[78big10]

Re: drain pluges

Thanks for the ideas sounds like both ways will work find out this weekend going fishing