Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

[david_r]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

You have warning light for your bilge ?????

you know thats not a bad idea.

it wouldnt take much to hook a few extra wires to the float and put a light on the control console.

another good idea is a scupper.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

Havn't done that yet, but I have a system that hasn't failed me yet, When I am at the back of the boat and kneeling to take the transom saver off the engine I have the plug in my hand ready to put in.

do you put the plug in on the outside of the boat, or the inside of the boat?

I put mine in on the inside.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

Bowman, in some boats is a matter of preference. I have always put mine in the outside for exception of those times that I have forgotten to put mine when then I have put it from the inside.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

i'm afraid that putting it in on the outside, that the moving water will knock the hammer down, and cause the plug to come out.
you know what i mean?

 

[jeffnick]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

I'm a member of this club. That inspired me to head to the shop and work up something that would keep me out of trouble. This is what I ended up with:

It's stick on, so I've tried it in several places:

It finally ended up here, where I can see it while I'm backing off the trailer, and the wrench is handy.

I made a few extra while I was at it...$35 delivered if anyone is interested.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

so you don't have a rubber plug, with a lever you pull up to lock it in place?
it looks like you actually screw yours in?
i have never seen this kind of plug before.
and i don't really understand that that contraption does.

 

[lombard]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

so you don't have a rubber plug, with a lever you pull up to lock it in place?
it looks like you actually screw yours in?
i have never seen this kind of plug before.
and i don't really understand that that contraption does.

Looks to me like the white plastic piece is just a holder of sorts. He's got a spot to store the brass plug, and a spot to store the metal wrench to install the brass plug. Some two sided tape, and viola! He's got everything he needs to see and install his plug for launch.

And yeah, that'd be a brass screw in type of plug.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

Am I a member of the club? On Saturday (after reading this thread) I went to launch and remembered the plug as I was backing down the ramp. I was far enough in that I had to pull up some to not get my shorts wet and I'm not sure if the bilge had gotten wet or not.

Naw, you have to be sitting there studying your GPS and have your feet get wet from water coming up through the drains, or at least express "Why won't this durned thing get on plane."

I did 'nuther version if this CRS stuff yesterday. Took the bass boat for a ride just for kicks. Had trouble handling it at the landing without a dock, dealing with low water level and a pretty stiff onshore wind. Inflatable PFD got in the way so I shed it onto the beach, planning to pick it up later. I Forgot it.

I figure that half hour spin cost me a couple hundred dollars all tolled. 'bout $400 per hour.

John

 

[bowman316]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

those brass plugs look like too much work,
just get the rubber kind.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

You have to stick with the threaded kind if that is what the boat was constructed with...I'm sure the next few posts will be educational in that respect

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

Great, profesional set up JeffNick. I love it when someone crafts such things. Where did you get that poly board? Steal mommas cutting board, did ya?

I only ask because I need some 1/2" inch stuff to make some spacers for my new front keel roller. The widest of the lifetime rollers they had were an inch shorter than my welded bracket span.

The only place I have found that material is on Momma's kitchen counter. I stopped by the scrap bin at Tap Plastics and they didn't have anything.

I have the Thermos stopper type of plug. I've never forgotten mine in the 35 years that I have been boating but I got paranoid reading all these experieces so I looked for a place to hang mine.

Turns out that my ski eye is just the place, right above the outdrive, to be able to see it as I remove my tiedown straps.

 

[blueoval1]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

Hate it when the wife or your buddy says.........hey is there suppose to be water coming up here? Done it once! Had to jump in to put plug in when we were half way across the lake. I haven't forgot the little devil since!

 

[wuttja]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

wuttja,
Congratulations. You're now a more experienced seaman and I guarantee you won't do it twice.
Well, three times.

That's the hope! Next season will be a great test to see if I actually learned anything from my first season as a boat owner. So far I have only forgotten the plug once and the transom straps once, so that's good! Guess I'm a quick learner...

 

[LoweRider]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

That's the hope! Next season will be a great test to see if I actually learned anything from my first season as a boat owner. So far I have only forgotten the plug once and the transom straps once, so that's good! Guess I'm a quick learner...

A quick learner would know he is only waiting for Murphy's next visit!!! LOL
Best of luck with next year!!!!!

 

[dingbat]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

those brass plugs look like too much work,
just get the rubber kind.

And have a little $3.00 rubber stopper held in by friction be the only thing keeping you from a sunken boat? What if you run over something and the rubber stopper gets pulled out?

On a small trailered boat I could see using the rubber plug but not on a larger boat thats slipped for periods of time

 

[Bumpus7]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

.
When we were kids back in the 60's we had a 15 ft fiberglass run about boat.
Dad put it in the river and parked the boat trailewr and car. We took our time getting ready to board and then noticed it had about a 1/4 th of the boat full of water.

Dad ran and got the trailer and loaded and pulled up ramp and let it drain.

Later on when we would water ski and swim in the river and get in and out of the boat it would get water in the floor and in the back were 3 plugs were in a small well area.

Two of the plugs were for draining any water between the bottom of the boat and the flat floor. The third plug was for draining the boat.

Dad would go slow so the front of the boat would stand up, and we would pull the plug and drain the water off ( which did not take long to do ) and then put the plug back in and take off boating.

Worked just fine for draining water while still boating.
.

 

[MercGuy]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

My plug has only been two places. Screwed in tight, or in my hand.

When I drain the bilge (not very often with the type of boating I do) I take the plug out, stand and wait for it to drain and put it back in. I resolved early on NEVER to put it down while waiting the bilge to drain. It only takes a few seconds, then I put it back in.

Worked for me so far...

 

[proudmary]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

Been there, done that!!! However after ir happened, I have a spare plug that I chain to the steering wheel. I have to remove it before launching so I'm reminded that the plug should be where it belongs.

 

[jeffnick]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

Been there, done that!!! However after ir happened, I have a spare plug that I chain to the steering wheel. I have to remove it before launching so I'm reminded that the plug should be where it belongs.

And what do you have for a reminder to chain the plug to the wheel?

 

[david_r]

Re: Joined the "No Plug At Launch" Group

ive already joined the club and confessed my ignorance on a different thread, but i got one for ya i did the other day.


i bought a new bilge pump and during installation i disconnected the hose on the pump for the live well......yep worked great. i even got the water hose and put water in the boat and tried the bilge pump at home.........and didnt reconnect the live well hose.


it was 6:25 in the morning and we were putting along waiting for a little better light and getting a little further out of the cove before we jumped up on plane-----hit the gas and she stood up and just stayed there. i told my bud check and see if we are takin on water he says "holly s*** theres about 16" of water in there.

so i tell him take the wheel and dont let off the gas. i hit the switch for the bilge pump open the front hatch to get a spare plug, since the other one is in the dark bilge--6:25 in the morning-- htat is full of water. now spare plug in hand and half in and half out of the back of the boat and the plug is in.....what the ******* ***** ***** *****.

do we circle around back to the dock. make a quick drive by the dock while my bud jumped off the boat, tryin not to hit the 40 deg water. so im tryin to keep the boat movin so i dont sink.

we finally get the boat out of the water, reach down to pull the plug and water is pourin out of the l/w pump..........got all the waterr drained out and there it was plain as day-----hose layin right beside the pump.


what a dumb a**..........we lost about 45 min and almost didnt catch any shad!