pulling drain plug?????

[93bronco]

after spending a couple $$$ on repairs this friend and i are out on this 14 ft kwest 30hp yamaha tiller testing it. water was filling bilge area so hey i know there is a pump but as we are moving he reaches down and pulls the drain plug out to drain water. i was like what the hell are you doing???????? tells me to stop freaking out. here we are in a fresh water alligator infested body of water a good 3/4 mile from landing with a storm moving in. we get back and i asked him what kinda idiot are you to be pulling the plug?? he claims as the boat is moving it aids in draining collected water.i told hm had i have realized that 1- the drain plug was installed on the inside i never wouldve agreed to get in the boat. i have never heard of this "pulling the drain plug after getting on plain to drain water". to me you pull the plug boat sinks end of story. is this a common practice among small boat owners? am i missing something? other than along swim!

 

[Scoop]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

I have been in a boat whern it has been dones. Of course, my Dad made me work on 110 volt circuits with the power on too. The one last time was when I was working on something else and he had the hot wire in mid air. I was holding onto a metal garge door support that was bolted direclty into the cement when I hit the wire with the other arm. The contration of my chest by the electricity brought an involuntary scream from my lungs. Sure did have a headache after that. From that point on, I refused to work on any electrircity unless it was off. Maybe it should be the same way with boat plugs.

 

[DJ]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

2K Boat,<br /><br />I guess I'm an idiot too!<br /><br />I've done that a million times. Works great. It sometimes is the ONLY way to get the water out of a boat without a bilge pump that doesn't go onto a trailer.<br /><br />The same principle applies to "self bailing" boats. They have two "scuppers" on the rear with just a rubber flap to keep the backwash out.

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

It works well and will drain out enough water while running to save the day. I have had to use it on occasion but you have to be going at speed before you pull the plug otherwise water will come in instead of out. It is vital that you re-install the plug before slowing down as the force of the water comming in may make it too hard to get it back into place.

 

[93bronco]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

OK!!!!!!!!!!!! i stand to be corrected and apologize if i offended anyone. never heard of such a thing.<br />still i wont get into a boat with him again and i know to make sure to check if i go with someone else.<br />to me thats what bilge pumps are for, and if one isnt enough get 2.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

Pulling the plug while on plane actually saved me from sinking once in a storm on lake Okeeechobee... The rain was comming down faster than the pump would pump the water out!... With about 6 inches of water in the bottom of my old trusty Jon Boat, I told my Buddy Lenny to "take the helm Bubba, I gotta go pull the drain plug"... The look on his face was priceless as he asked me if'n I was nuts... To which I replied "YES"....

 

[93bronco]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

yep, i just had look on my face yesterday.

 

[OBJ]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

You won't believe this "Pulling the Plug" story.<br />One year we took a fella fishin' up in Quebec with us. We usually went near the last week in May when it was still chilly up there. Weather came and went like I never seen. Could snow in the morning and shirt sleeve weather in the after noon. Our boat was a Starcraft 16' SuperSport. It was equipped with a bilge pump but sometimes a rain would come through and just drown us. One morning we went out and the bilge just wasn't gettin the water out fast enough so my Dad said pull the plug and let her drain. We were underway of course. Well....our friend John bout had the big one. Ready to jump ship. But Dad explained that the water will drain OK and it was not to worry. Fine and dandy. We get to our favorite fishing hole and and been there for an hour or so and another gully washer came over and dumped a load on us. No big deal. Dad and I sat in the front end shooting the bull not paying much attention to anything when John says "Hey, thought you said the boat would drain if we pulled the plug." We turned around and there was John ankle deep in water. Dad just kinda looked at me and said "He must'a missed the part about the boat being under way." I laughed so hard it hurt. We got the plug back in and got under way and managed to get the water out. So don't feel imbarrased 2k, it's happened before.

 

[cammydog]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

Now that's funny, thanks for the laugh outboardjim!!

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

It is ok for emergency's, but use the bilge pump and if it ain't big enough get a bigger one.<br />OBJ, that was funny. <br />Kinda makes you want to throw him overboard.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

On a 12' without a bilge pump where you would have to hand-bail, pulling the plug works like a charm. You need to be on plane and remember to put it back.<br /><br />on both of my boats (12' and 18') I can't reach the plug from in the boat so I can't do this but I always did it in my dad's boat as a kid.

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

BTW my old jon boat and many others like it as well as some other style of boats will float just fine if you pull the plug. Yes there will be water in the boat but if you get swamped or something sometimes you can pull the plug and the water will drain out even if you are just sitting still.

 

[KeltonKrew]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

It works. Many years ago (before I wised up), we were out skiing, drinking, etc. A buddy of mine was skiing. I looked down and water wall all around our feet. The owner of the boat told me to pull the plug as we were getting after it. I pulled it and water started to drain. The guy skiing didn't know what was happening and was motioning us to stop because he was tired. We kept shaking our heads no. Not till he got back on the boat did he realize why we didn't stop!

 

[93bronco]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

i guess you would have to know the guy, i mean he thinks its normal for your vehicle to be in gear <5sp> with the e-brake on and still roll backwards. so when he did that and says he does it all the time just for gp, hey he can go by himself. just doing because it works and you dont have to lets be real. thats just being stupid.

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

Hey I just realized where you are from so let me say hello neighbor. If this was a recent hapening I hope you did not get wet as that water is cold out there.

 

[93bronco]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

dropped in at bushy park fresh side on that tornado warning last sat. wind was really bad out in the open. beat the rain though. we say it comimg and bagged ass. watch some idiots destroy a 21ft sunbird cuddy doing power donuts rite at pier, slammed into brace on piling. then after a few more rolled on top of angle iron used for lites on trailer and gouged the whole port side.<br />the onwer of the boat was pissed. wont be using angle iron alone as guide polls anymore.<br />we fish rite where nucore is on salt side.<br />or run up into tailrace on fresh side.

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

We have run the same areas then because I usually make that area a couple times a year although I spend most of my time on the lakes. I have used the S/W side pier quite a bit as a bait gathering area because when conditions are right I can make one throw and get enough herring or some other look alike to catfish for a 24hr trip. I have seen a lot of idiots running around there.

 

[93bronco]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

petefish- ya know anything about j/e ob repair?<br />yea if they would have tried it on any other day when the big dogs were out they wouldve been fined bigtime!!!!!!!

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

Nope I am actually a fisherman I came here seeking help and stayed for the extras here. I realy don't even know a real good mehanic but i do know a couple that are cheaper than the rest for thier quality but I can't even begin to afford taking my stuff there either.

 

[cpasseno03]

Re: pulling drain plug?????

I pull the plug quite often too. Of course it works, but I do have a question, I belive it is not a matter of being on plane or not, but going fast enough. Wont the suction suck it out rather then having to be fast enough for the hole to be out of the water? I was pondering this once, when I forgot to put my plug in... (I still had it with me) On the way back to the ramp to pull it out and let it drain faster I took it back out and back in trying to determine wether or not it was helping, as we could not get on plane due to the extra 1000 or so lbs... Oh, and theres no worries if you do lose the plug, sure it comes in fast, but it sure takes a while to actually sink the boat <br />Craig