Finally experienced the "I forgot my drain plug" today

[Newbie@boats]

Luckily it wasn't my boat! As me and my brother were headed back to the launch we saw a boat that was just launched passing us to go out. So we make it back to the launch probably 5-7 boats sitting there waiting to come out of the water and a few to go out into the water, the same guy comes flying back towards the launch (this is a very strict no wake zone) so I figured he forgot his phone or wallet and he didn't want to waste to much time since it was towards the end of the day. As he passed us he said he forgot to put in his drain plug and his boats sinking! So I got off my boat to help the guy out, I get into the boat and there had to be 6-8 inches of water inside of the boat. So while he ran to get the trailer I figured let me throw on his bulge pump. Guess what? It didn't work!!! While we were waiting for him to get the trailer the boat probably sunk 2 inches further in the matter of 5 minutes. So we got it onto his trailer and it was amazing how long it took for the water to drain out. Very scary situation, always remember to check your drain plug, and make sure your blidge pump works!!!!!!

 

[Corjen1]

there are 3 types of boaters..those that have done it, those that will do it and the ones that lie and say they havent done it.....Im in the First group!!!

 

[roffey]

first group for me. Mine was still on the trailer when I realized the plug was out. If I did not have a 4X4 truck with bull low I never would have got the 26 foot boat out.

 

[Sprig]

I learned the hard way now I always carry 2 spare drain plugs in my boat. I also wouldn't venture out with a non working bilge pump.

 

[Newbie@boats]

It hasn't happened to me......yet.......

 

[Franzel311]

Ha-ha yea that isn't a fun experience at all!! But funny while watching it...alot of ppl don't realize if u just keep it up on plane all the water will run out and b u can stick a sock twig from shore anything really in the hole and u atleast won't sink..I had a guy at my marina come back one time aith his olladys tampons shoved in the bildge hole that was a laugh

 

[SkaterRace]

I did it twice in a year. Figured out fridays when tired are a bad day to boat. I now carry a spare plug and a spare bilge pump.

 

[rallyart]

I got my boat ready to launch. Backed down to unload with my wife in and just as I was unhooking the bow the auto bilge came on.
She asked if that was normal. I, of course. asked if she had just turned the switch, wondering why she always fidgets with things. She says, not she touched nothing and maybe the plug was not in...
So, pulling the boat out again, letting it drain, and replacing the plug took a couple extra minutes. During that time I could figure out that it would be appropriate for me to thank her for her astuteness at saving us a problem, as I had not seen the water streaming out of the bilge. It was on the other side of the boat.
Many years of expertise can disappear in an instant. lol

 

[BWR1953]

I'm in group #1.

Back in 1993 my cousin and I launched my bass boat to go fishing. Pulled the boat by line over to the dock and tied it off while I went back to park the truck. When I returned to the dock I noticed that the stern was sitting way low in the water and immediately realized what happened. Gave the truck keys to my cousin and he hobbled up to get the truck while I fired up the 150 on the boat and turned on the bilge pump which put out a big fat stream of water. Got the boat moving quickly away from the ramp area then jumped it up on plane. Tooled around for almost 10 minutes at full speed while waiting for my cousin.

He finally got the truck/trailer backed down the ramp and I pulled the boat onto the trailer. Then he drove it up the ramp and parked and we watched the water drain out of the drain plug and the bilge pump for about 15 minutes. Never made that mistake again!

I made other mistakes instead! LMAO! :lol:

 

[Scott Danforth]

BTDT

 

[StarTed]

I did that on the Skagit river with a small aluminum boat. Started up the motor, made a loop and ran it back on the trailer.

Sure makes a guy feel dumb.

 

[robert graham]

My 1870 Jon boat has a 2 inch diameter drain plug in the transom and the couple of times I've left it out the water comes in the boat so fast I never even got the boat off the trailer before it started filling up.....

 

[Thajeffski]

Why even take it out?? If you have a correctly wired bilge pump it shouldn't need to be removed all season!?

 

[redneck joe]

I'm in group 4:


Done it more than once.

 

[ryno6972]

I have done this. We launched our 1950 Bayliner cuddy and headed out through the 15 minute no wake zone to open water, we had a boat load of the neighborhood kids. Brandy the neighbors at that time 7-8 year old daughter, says Ryan my feet are wet!! It took me all of 3 seconds to figure that out.. Needless to say I turned that boat around and ran it to the closest bank, installed the plug and pumped it out.

We lived on a lake for a few years and kept boats in the water tied to the dock. I had a small fishing boat with a small outboard. Well some weather came in and sunk that little boat tied to the dock. I came home from work that spring day to see a red gas tank floating with a boat sunk under it.. Fun Fun to be pulling a boat out of 55 degree water. We left the engine underwater and drug the boat out with my truck once we had it on shore we was able to bale the water out and finish removing the poor sunken Jon Boat. The engine I left there for 2 days until I was ready to remove it and service it from the sinking. That engine ran just fine after we serviced it.

 

[MH Hawker]

there are 3 types of boaters..those that have done it, those that will do it and the ones that lie and say they havent done it.....Im in the First group!!!

group 1 mm yea me to then switched to a pontoon

 

[Teamster]

Why even take it out?? If you have a correctly wired bilge pump it shouldn't need to be removed all season!?

In some states such as Minnesota traveling with the drain plug in will get you a ticket from the dnr, In Minnesota having any water in the boat will get you a ticket,

Invasive species enforcement is coming everywhere sooner or latter,..

 

[Teamster]

Put on of these in and you don't have to put it on the trailer to put the plug in.

 

[roffey]

y

Why even take it out?? If you have a correctly wired bilge pump it shouldn't need to be removed all season!?

you made me laugh, first I thought you were serious then I read leave it in for the season.

Up here in Canada you can leave the plug out November as the ice will seal up the hole and ready the boat for ice fishing

 

[theBrownskull]

I have done it. Just saw a guy at the boat ramp do it the other day but that was because his boat rolled off the trailer.