Re: RAIN! What now?
Ok just a little advice to TRY to help u avoid what every trailered boater goes through or at least sees some one do at least once. Launch with the plug out.
I carry extra plugs about 4 I think, but I have designed a special plug that helps prevent launching with the plug out. since the plug is solid brass with a square (sometimes hex) head I drilled a hole through the head and use a clip to keep it attached to my ignition key. since I dont ever release from my trailer, before starting an engine, I would see the plug there and fix the situation before it gets bad.
As you trailer your boat to the ramp it might be easier to put the clipped plug somewhere like on the winch, where you would see it before u start to release the boat, so if u forget it u just pull the boat back out and install the plug. but just put it somewhere that if u forget to put the plug in u would eventually see it just before u launch. but it must be part of a standard must do step, to remove the need to remember any thing, and get into the habit of replacing it as soon as it is removed.
And its always the best bet to remove the drain plug once the boat gets out of the water. I had a neighbor in my marina who bought a new cover and left the plug in, the cover bellied and burst, running the water into the boat, we had about 2 weeks of steady rain, and his boat almost totally filled up with water, damaging electronics etc. and also damaging his trailer.
Ok just a little advice to TRY to help u avoid what every trailered boater goes through or at least sees some one do at least once. Launch with the plug out.
I carry extra plugs about 4 I think, but I have designed a special plug that helps prevent launching with the plug out. since the plug is solid brass with a square (sometimes hex) head I drilled a hole through the head and use a clip to keep it attached to my ignition key. since I dont ever release from my trailer, before starting an engine, I would see the plug there and fix the situation before it gets bad.
As you trailer your boat to the ramp it might be easier to put the clipped plug somewhere like on the winch, where you would see it before u start to release the boat, so if u forget it u just pull the boat back out and install the plug. but just put it somewhere that if u forget to put the plug in u would eventually see it just before u launch. but it must be part of a standard must do step, to remove the need to remember any thing, and get into the habit of replacing it as soon as it is removed.
And its always the best bet to remove the drain plug once the boat gets out of the water. I had a neighbor in my marina who bought a new cover and left the plug in, the cover bellied and burst, running the water into the boat, we had about 2 weeks of steady rain, and his boat almost totally filled up with water, damaging electronics etc. and also damaging his trailer.