Drain plug confused

[Cousin strawberry]

Greetings everyone. Probably my first of many questions just purchased on impulse and 1959 crestline fiberglass boat with it Evinrude 35 .
Just starting to do a shake down, motor started third pull so I'm happy about that despite the previous owner saying it hadn't used it in 5 years. I was not expecting such a quick start.
My question now is I noticed two drain plug locations One is directly on the bottom floor in front of the rear seat It's a metal screw plug when the plugs removed you can clearly see outside.
The second plug I have no idea what it's used for It's on the face of the back seat at first I thought it was some sort of live well but the seat doesn't lift up and there's no drain hole on the back of the boat so I'm not sure The reason for it. As you can see in the picture the one hole has the plug with the chain that goes in it this is the flip type stopper plug and then the hole in the floor has the screw type plug that goes in and the inside would be greatly appreciated Thank you in advance

 

[lprizman]

Can you take a pic further away....tough for me anyway to place it...

 

[Scott Danforth]

the bilge drain is the threaded one in the floor

the mouse-hole drain is to keep crap from building up in the seat bases. there should not be a plug there. if water is coming out of there, you have a crack or hole in your boat

 

[Chris1956]

I had a Crestliner of similar vintage. (1960?) I had the same setup. The plug in the rear seat is an air cavity for floatation. The front plug had a scoop on the underside of the hull for draining water from the boat, while underway.
My boat had no other floatation than the air cavity.

The hull was cored with balsa wood, and had rotted out by the time I got the boat in the early 70s. I therefore recommend you check the hull for rigidity.

 

[Cousin strawberry]

Thank everyone for your answer to my question.
I kind of thought it was just a drain to check for water in the hall or under the seat. I am not sure if any water will come out of that area since I haven't floated it yet but the boat does look in pretty good shape for being 60 years old I have a feeling somebody restored it back around 2010 or so, It seems really solid and it's not heavy So hopefully not water logged. it does concern me that the construction is wood keep my fingers crossed. I was told it was always stored inside. I'm sure you guys will hear from me again on other issues. Again thank you for your quick responses.

 

[Chris1956]

That boat is nearly identical to my 1960 14' Crestliner. Mine had the cored hull and the interior of the boat was the same vee shape as the exterior of the hull. Your flat floor may indicate foam floatation, that I did not have.

The seats were the same and even the seatback aluminum angle support was the same.

Best of luck..

 

[Texasmark]

I had a 1960s 14' Taylor Craft fiberglass open runabout of identical construction. It differed from your boat in that there was a plug at at the bottom of the transom into which a "thermos bottle" plug (common drain plug) just above the deck for draining the interior of the boat either underway or when out of the water unattended on a trailer. Additionally there was a screw accessed from outside the boat, like the "mouse hole plug" in the lower area of the transom whose purpose was to drain the "flotation air cavity".

My boat leaked and the air cavity would accumulate water. Never was able to find how the water got in. I assume it entered between the deck and the sides of the hull where the deck was glassmatt secured to the hull.

I was in another boat of the era (MFG brand) which was longer and had twice the HP...Johnson V4, 75 HP. The problem on that boat was so bad that when you had the boat on the water in a little chop running 30 MPH for a number, you could see the interface moving in different directions. Never went out in that boat again.

 

[briangcc]

Ah...Evinrude Big Twin. Bringing back some memories. I sure don't miss jumping into the lake to change a sheer pin.

 

[Texasmark]

Ah...Evinrude Big Twin. Bringing back some memories. I sure don't miss jumping into the lake to change a sheer pin.

I had to laugh at your "Sheer Pin" comment. Back in the day my boating circles called the pins "Shear Pins" also since they sheared at the most un-opportune moments....course anytime wasn't wanted. Optomistically the OEMs referred to them as "Drive Pins".