How to remember plug

[Spidybot]

For some reason I've never forgot the plug. Most likely just plain luck, but as I've heard a lot about how even clever folks miss it, I've done a little something to stay lucky:<br /><br />I drilled a hole through plug's square and fitted a shackle with the crosspin through the plug. The shackle is in the keyring with the key to the boat and to the trailer lock, so when checking for the key I'll notice the plug.

 

[EE1812]

Re: How to remember plug

.....or hang plug with biner to tie-down eye on transom

 

[chris in va]

Re: How to remember plug

Shoot, I just drain the water then put the plug back in. Impossible to 'forget' the thing that way.<br /><br />I also kayak, so the drainplug technique just kinda carries over from that.

 

[jdkzrt]

Re: How to remember plug

There are two kinds of boater:<br />1) those who have forgotten to put the plug in.<br />2) those who are going to forget to put the plug in.<br />I'm in group 1.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: How to remember plug

iboats should market a floating key holder that<br />says: "IS THE PLUG IN?"<br />maybe that way we would never forget!

 

[one more cast]

Re: How to remember plug

I think your all mistaken, No one ever forgets the plug. The water pouring in and the boat sinking always is a great reminder.

 

[sergioy]

Re: How to remember plug

I'm in group 1, the second time I took my boat out on the lake. Ayoung man that was with his family right next to us comes right as the boat start floating away from the trailer and asks me if my plug was in. That was one heck of an experience. KInd of gets your adrenaline going. Now-a-days, I always ask every one in the boat to remind me about the plug. Even if I put it in before we even leave for the lake.

 

[splugeeman]

Re: How to remember plug

There are 2 plugs I worry about...the trailer lights plug and the boat plug...I always have 2 plugs in mind when I hit the boat ramp!

 

[lakelover]

Re: How to remember plug

Here's a good story. One calm night at the lake, my wife wanted to go rowing around our dock and raft area in our aluminum rowboat. It was real calm and warm, but I didn't feel like doing that, so my son went with her. I thought this would be a good opportunity to foster a little independence (the son, not the wife--she's independent enough!!), so I let them get the boat out and make all the preparations, and I just stood on the dock and enjoyed the night. They launched OK and were enjoying themselves. <br /><br />But after awhile, she started to mention that the boat was awful hard to row and steer with the oars. A little while later, she said it was "real unstable". She said her feet were "a little wet" so I told her they better come in. When they got to the dock and I shined my flashlight into the boat, I just burst out laughing because they hadn't put the plug in and were sitting in water halfway up to their knees! It sure was unstable! She said she thought it was wet bacause of the slow leak the boat has had for years, but didn't think it leaked THAT much. Now that's a good one to bring up around the campfire, but she's a good sport about it, probably better than I would be!

 

[a.d.mobile]

Re: How to remember plug

for all my customers i used a zip lock bag put plug in bag put key thru bag into ing switch. so when you start the boat you see the plug hanging there. plugs in the boat sitting on a trailer make me about 10,000 a year in starters, gimbal bearings, oil changes and some times alt's. A guy just brought one in and asked to check tire pressure on the trailer along with a repair well the boat sat out for a month forsale in his yard. i pulled the cover and water was to the spark plugs on a seray 888. that is a lot of water, drained for hours... tire pressure was OK...

 

[wikelam]

Re: How to remember plug

JDK-----><br /><br />3rd group of people <br />Ones who will never admit they did forget the plug.<br /><br />did it one time. never again. drain water, put plug back in.

 

[Blindo the Frog]

Re: How to remember plug

Me, I'm a Group 1 (Reformed) guy - take it out, drain it, put it back in. But, surely there's a 4th group - those who never take the plug OUT! And so there must be (a la Wikelam) a 5th group -ones who will never admit they never take it out.

 

[lakelover]

Re: How to remember plug

My neighbor's 13 year old son last week forgot to put the plug back in when he came into the dock. It's his first year of indpendent boating. My cousin looked over and saw two oars floating where the boat should have been ! Right to the bottom, 20 horse Mariner and all. His dad has been monkeying with it ever since, but it hasn't restarted. I feel real bad for the kid with that hard lesson.

 

[mathiasmorgan]

Re: How to remember plug

I'm in the wrong line of work.. need to turn to my engineering attention to making a one way boat plug.. lets water out.. but not in, so it can stay in the boat always. Reading this, and other boards, forgetting the plug seems the number one biggest mistake (I've done it a few times).. Could make big $$$'s hehehe<br />George

 

[whatsadixie]

Re: How to remember plug

I don't think I will ever forget the plug!!!<br />(I own a pontoon boat )LOL

 

[n0ukf]

Re: How to remember plug

George333, I've seen one of those automatic plugs online with a neoprene valve (kinda like the valve on a whoopie cushion), but the site said "no longer available".

 

[TexSkeeter150]

Re: How to remember plug

Finally did it Monday. Got in a hurry and backed the boat into the water. Got the engine started and tried to back off the trailer and it would not budge. So, I stood on the trailer and pushed it off, all the while I thought the boat was abnormaly heavy. started to back out and noticed I was really low in the water (even for my bass boat). Then it hit me. "I forgot the plug!!!!" I through it into drive and make an imediate U-turn and slam the boat back on the trailer. Pull the boat out and drain and bilge for 30 minutes with everyone driving by asking me if I forgot my plug. Put the plug in and tried it again. Hopefully this experience will teach me not to do that again. I think I will hook something up to my keys so I will see the plug before I start the engine. Embarrising stuff.......

 

[notinbig]

Re: How to remember plug

I put my plug in with an impact wrench, now I can't get it out. I'll never forget it again.

 

[B.E. Anderson]

Re: How to remember plug

In all my years of boating, I once forgot to put in the plug. I have a bass boat that I have rebuilt. One of the things I installed was a float switch for the bilge pump. I didn't even have time to set the emergency brake and exit my truck before I noticed water gushing out of the bilge pump hose. I highly recommend these float switches. I once had a livewell drain clog up, and it was the float switch kicking in the bilge pump that let me know there was a problem. <br /><br />Brian

 

[djvan]

Re: How to remember plug

I know a guy that has one of those flipper style plugs on his bass boat. He installed it with the flipper part facing down. It hooked a stump or something. When he noticed the water in the boat he headed for the dock. Under full power with the bilge pump on he was able to "drain" the boat. Not sure what was happening the fishing buddy jumped out near the dock and got the truck/trailer backed into the water. They then loaded the boat and checked what was wrong. Had a spare drain plug and continued fishing with a good story to tell.<br /><br />P.S. I trailer my boat to the lake and put the plug on the tongue near the jack with a 9/16 wrench and knock on wood haven't forgotten yet, now remembering to trailer up the trim switch is a different story.