Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

[phiny1134]

I was posting this story on another site and thought it would be fun to share here. Everybody that trailers does it sooner or later. So share the pain and make me feel better about myself.

I used to always say you only put your boat in without the plug once. Sadly I now have to say you only put your boat in without the plug twice. Here are my stories.

Both times had one thing in common. I ran into someone I knew at the launch and got talking to them while I prepped my boat. This took me out my normal prep routine. Lesson learned, if I get interrupted during my routine. Double check EVERYTHING.

The first time I noticed my mistake as I was walking back to the boat from my parking spot. A guy on a jet ski at the dock next to me started yelling to me that my bilge pump was pumping like crazy and nearly spraying him. I sprinted back to my van, grabbed the plug off the dash. Then I sprinted the 200 yards back to my boat, jumped off the end of the dock and rammed the plug in. That water at the launch was filthy but you've got to do what it takes to save the boat.

The second time was at the same launch. As I parked my van, I noticed the plug sitting on the dash, and I knew what that meant. I froze in horror for a second, and then another sprint and into the filthy water. ... I felt shame ...

 

[Captain Caveman]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

I keep the plug on my transom tie-down strap, so that when I'm unstrapping the boat I see the plug (because it's in my hand) and am always reminded to put it in before launching. So unfortunately I don't have a good personal story.

A good friend forgot once, only realizing while his wife drove away with the tow vehicle to the resort they were staying at that week. According to him, he quickly untied from the dock and got up on plane to drain the water. When he got to the resort he had to figure out what to do. Luckily the resort had a sandy beach so he drove the boat right onto the beach - nobody was around. Then he went to find his wife and put the plug in the boat.

 

[phiny1134]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

Good to hear you have avoided the curse so far. I hope it stays that way for you! I always wondered if getting on plane to drain the water would actually work. I hope I never have to try it, but it's nice to know it worked for someone.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

I first started to "forgot about the plug" back in 1998. That was the year I bought my first boat with a self bailing cockpit. I have not had/ felt the need to remove or install a plug since. :joyous::joyous:

 

[Natesms]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

I witnessed my Dad multiple times over the years forget the plug. It's pretty well ingrained in me now, to the point I'm OCD about it. I'll hop out of the truck and check it 2 or 3 times some days.

The best was when we forgot the plug and headed out. Boat had one of those plugs that stays in the bilge at all times and when you forget the water isn't all that fast to flood in. It was a quick launch and go scenario and we didn't notice the bilge kick on and headed out. Over 2 HOURS later was the first time we saw the bilge running. We got on plane the second we got out of the buoys and cruised for a few hours before stopping. That's when I also learned boats don't take on much / any water through the drain plug when on plane.

Watching him leave on the live well fillers also has me OCD about bilge pumps. I buy a boat, it gets new bilge pumps, i don't care if it works or not. It gets the biggest pump that will fit.

Thanks for the life lessons Dad!

 

[Brian 26]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

I have a great excuse, I was launching a new boat for the first time and I was distracted because my phone rang, who was it..... my insurance agent needing the final details on the boat policy.

That was the one and only time I forgot the plug.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

Once I forgot but this was a small boat and I was able to simply reach down from the transom and screw it in under the (ahem) outboard. I was alerted by the bilge pump and the water building up at the floor drain.

Then there was a mystery when someone launched my boat one night (it was kept in a dry slip--trailer parking place at the boat club) with out the plug and then ran off. The bilge pump and floatation kept it from swamping, and ran all night. The battery ran out the next moring, but someone put a pump in it and kept it afloat. So while I'm not happy about the circumstances, at least I know I have some protection in the pump.

It's natural to panic, but water will always drain out if you get running. Also, if you are sitting still, you can always just put a piece of material over the hole--a zip-lock bag--and the water pressure will seal the hole until you are ready to deal with it properly. So not that any of us will forget the plug again, but you may keep this in mind to rescue the other guy.

 

[izoomie]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

Three of us out for an afternoon of skiing. The boat owner lanches the boat with two of us in it, we pick him up at the dock and we decide to have a drink before we start. After about 10 minutes my mate goes to the back of the boat to get the ski and screams "holy crap, where is all this water coming from". Is splashed up to his ankles over the floorboard.

I jump to the helm, start the motor and give her. It took a good three minutes go get up on plane. A very scary three minutes. The movement and the builge pump took care of it and we put the plug in from the inside while on plane.

We were about 2 minutes from being sunk

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

I have my key on a chain - hook the plug through the chain. Before I launch I always put the key in the ignition - if the plug is still there it's a good clue that I've forgotten to install it.

From the discussion, it looks like you guys put the plug in from the outside. I have an open skiff, plug hole easily accessible from inside the boat, so I install it from the inside. Am I doing it wrong?

My best plug story: Just hanging at the Shelter Island launch ramp a number of years ago. Fancy glass ski boat idling at the dock. Owner comes walking up, sees water bubbling into rear of boat, "Oh s**t", dives in boat and rams throttle full forward. Lines go into spring action and guy sprawls against dash. Quick recovery, undos bow and stern lines and, now in hyper-panic mode, rams throttle full forward again. Fancy glass hull goes grinding up the grooved concrete launch ramp about half its length. It was an inboard, so maybe he was worried about flooding the engine. Nevertheless, based on above comments, there was probably a more graceful way to deal with the problem.

 

[gtochris]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

With my father- as a kid in the mid 90's, his 19ft Regal- we just launched and it was already hanging on it's dock lines with the swim platform underwater... Fortunately he jumped in fast and it was pumping dry soon after. Had water up to the floor...

Have had some close calls since but realized sooner, I also always look into the bilge while idling before backing off the trailer now

 

[limitout]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

I was lucky because it was always someone else doing it so it reminded me and burned it into my brain to triple check it every time.

I have launched with the transom savor still connected a few times and twice I forgot to unhook the bow strap (damn boat wouldn't slide off the bunks for some reason lol) but I never launched without the plug because I always caught it during my mental check list.

I think that it helps that im often alone so I don't have someone else I expect to check for things so that helps me not overlook anything.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

I've not yet managed to launch without THE plug in. I put it in before I pull out of the driveway, and then check it again as I'm undoing the trailer straps. The worst I've done was with my last boat (a small fisn-n-ski), my son and I put sandwiches and drinks in the cooler for a fishing trip and I didn't have the plug in for the cooler drain. Our sandwiches got soaked so we had to survive without lunch that day (my excuse was that I hadn't had that particular boat very long and didn't realize that the cooler would fill up with the cooler drain plug removed).

 

[carey965]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

The only time I forgot mine was when I had pulled it out already and realized I needed to float it back up for whatever reason ever since then I leave it and the wrench in my cup holder so I always see it when I pull the cover off

And generally when you have an i/o it's a screw in one from the outside cause you can't reach the hole from the inside

 

[robert graham]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

My 18ft. Jon boat has a 2 inch diameter transom drain plug, so it becomes apparent VERY quickly when the plug is out....I've done it a few times during launching....but boat was still on the trailer when water started coming in on my feet!....at little embarrassing, but there's other things that could be worse!...

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

From the discussion, it looks like you guys put the plug in from the outside. I have an open skiff, plug hole easily accessible from inside the boat, so I install it from the inside. Am I doing it wrong?

.

no. Many open-hull designs like yours plug from the inside, often with a large rubber plug that's easy to remove, so you can run the water out. Many such boats don't have bilge pumps for that reason. Back in the day, few small boats had electric bilge pumps. And amny say that if you have that type of plug you should always put it in from the inside so that if it wiggles loose it doesn't sink overboard. I tie a line on mine and attach it to the hull.

But for the boats that have outside plugs, these stories are why you need a bilge pump on a float switch even for a day-use trailer boat. Not only might it stop it from sinking, it's a form of alarm that something is amiss (and you can even add an alarm). On one boat I have light-up switches to tell you the device is on, so (a) you see the pump is running and (b) you won't leave a switch on.

And the guy with a built-in cooler that floods? that is a serious design defect. I've heard of them built into swim platforms: crazy! Plug that thing permanently or at least have a plug on a chain in there that cannot be taken out of the cooler.

 

[3rdtimesthecharm]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

Which time do you want to hear about????

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

WoW!! Really did not think leaving the plug out happened all that much. I never did that or knew anyone that did. HOWEVER,,,,,, quite a few years ago I left the dock for an offshore trip before daylight. Arrived back at the dock at dusk about 11 hours later. Cleaned fish after putting the boat on the trailer ~~~ now it is really dark. Pulled out and 40 minutes later arrived at the gas station. Opened the fill on the boat, filled the truck, and started pumping in the boat. REALLY in the boat! Started pumping into a rod holder 5" from the fuel tank.

 

[Vintin]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

I've launched with the plug out before but got lucky and a buddy noticed it right off. Now I put the plug in before leaving home!

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

My old boat,the plug went from the outside. The new owner HAD the plug in,went for a ride,tied it up and went for a walk. Came back to a sunken boat. I always used the rubber screw in plug,had 3in the glovebox when I sold it to him,and one flip plug. Well he used the flip plug,handle down,and the water pressure flipped it up,and out while underway. That's the very reason I never used it!
Grub

 

[DBreskin]

Re: Tell me about the time you forgot the plug.

I store my plug attached to my trailer winch handle. I can't release the boat from the trailer without noticing if the plug is there.