Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

[boatflipper]

First off-I hope this is an appropriate place for this thread. It may seem like a silly topic but seems like a legitimate question...
I was wondering what the advantages would be of a plastic transom drain such as this:
http://www.iboats.com/Transom-Drain...6517661--**********.622498001--view_id.166821

compared to one such as this:
http://www.iboats.com/Transom-Drain...6517661--**********.622498001--view_id.166821
with a plug like this:
http://www.iboats.com/Seachoice-Dra...66517661--**********.622498001--view_id.21696

Theoretically, if you were to gash a small hole in your hull while underway and water became to come in under the deck, couldn't you pull your plug out of your transom and continue under way to a beach or something, so that the water would flow out rather than the boat sinking in the middle of the waters?
So would the brass tube with rubber stopper be best compared to the plastic one with a 'screw-in' stopper?

Again, I know this sounds silly but was just curious...

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

I guess you could but at least on my Capri I don't see how in the world you could really get down there while underway. I spose if you were daring enough you could stand on the sterndrive and hope you don't come in contact with the prop. It's too far down to reach down while laying on the engine cover.

In theory it would work but that's what bilge pumps are for

 

[boatflipper]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

I guess you could but at least on my Capri I don't see how in the world you could really get down there while underway. I spose if you were daring enough you could stand on the sterndrive and hope you don't come in contact with the prop. It's too far down to reach down while laying on the engine cover.

In theory it would work but that's what bilge pumps are for

Well if you had a rubber stopper in 'backwards' i.e. the 'twister knob' was facing away from the outboard, you could pull it out from the inside of the boat, and if you had a passenger with you they could pull it out while you remain in control of the boat...

 

[Spinnaker]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

BFlipper,

I'm kind of partial to the brass pipe thread plug. They never wear out and are the most common. As far as removing to drain while underway is just not right. That's what bilge pumps are for. Really, don't even go there.

 

[slasmith1]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

Why would you ever pull a plug while under way? Oops now you have to points of entry (holes in your boat).

 

[jonesg]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

It will flow out faster than a bilge can pump it out unless you have a gusher, but its usually difficult to reach.
The time I forgot to put my plug in I couldn't reach it with engine off at the dock, had to jump in. It took 30 minutes to pump it out with my foolish single pump.

There are automatic one way valves but I wouldn't trust moving parts below deck or thru-hull and I wouldn't use any plastic thru hulls below the waterline.!

Brass is the way to fly.

2 bilge pumps, one on an auto switch set higher in the bilge.
If I had an inboard engine I'd install an alarm and 3 pumps.
Call me paranoid but the ocean will reveal mistakes.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

BFlipper,

I'm kind of partial to the brass pipe thread plug. They never wear out and are the most common. As far as removing to drain while underway is just not right. That's what bilge pumps are for. Really, don't even go there.

Actually, that's the way RIB boats and a few other types of small boats drain. RIBs have "drain tubes", which are hollow tubes usually the same material as the chambers on the sides. The tubes are connected at/below the waterline on the outside of the transom, and held up in the air folded by a couple short lines.

When on plane the lines can be released, permitting the entire deck/hull bottom to drain out through those tubes. If the driver or whoever's in the back doesn't care about wet feet, then the tubes can be left down, and whenever the boat gets on plane it drains out.

The tubes drain the hull about 20x faster than any bilge pump.. they're about 3 inches across.

Scuppers do the same thing if your deck is above the waterline.. your boat becomes self bailing.

Erik

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

Removing the drain plug while underway to drain water out is fairly common, it just depends on the location of the plug, on some boats its easy, on others there's no way to do it.

 

[PaulyV]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

a while back I had a 16' Starcraft Mariner. I didn't have a bilge pump. from ppl getting in and out of the boat while tubing water accumulated. Whle under way..we simply pulled the plug..it drained in no time.

My new restoration i installed 2 bilge pumps..1 750gph and one 360 gph. One is automatic..one manual.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

heheh, no bilge pumps, thinking back does it make ya nervous now?

There was someone who posted here last yr, no pumps, engine stalled in the lake, a heavy downpour and winds, the boat almost foundered just from rain.

I had no pumps in my first 16 footer either and used to take it out in the salt.
gulp!

 

[boatflipper]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

Why would you ever pull a plug while under way? Oops now you have to points of entry (holes in your boat).

The reason I would pull the plug out while under way is if, like I originally said, you somehow (doubtful it would ever happen but anywho) busted a small hole in your hull and the boat started taking on water. Granted it would not be a good situation, but if the bilge pump couldn't pump it out fast enough you could pull the plug (while going at a fairly good speed) so that the water would drain out. If you were going fast enough, water would never come into contact with the hole you created, until you got to a beach area, or somewhere else where the boat wouldn't completely sink.

 

[jspano]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

i'm not sure but don't some large boats use those screw in type from the outside. when i lived on a small lake we would salvage some boats that absent owners left at docks and sank(happened alot). we would get a buddy
with a ski Nautique hook up, swin down to the boat with 5 gallon buckets and he would pull us up, we would be bailing our butts off to get the boat above swamped level and then with the plug still out tell him to gun it and let the boat drain out, put the plug back. then flush the motor.

 

[boatflipper]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

i'm not sure but don't some large boats use those screw in type from the outside. when i lived on a small lake we would salvage some boats that absent owners left at docks and sank(happened alot). we would get a buddy
with a ski Nautique hook up, swin down to the boat with 5 gallon buckets and he would pull us up, we would be bailing our butts off to get the boat above swamped level and then with the plug still out tell him to gun it and let the boat drain out, put the plug back. then flush the motor.

Wow that actually sounds fun!!
How many of these did you do??

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

i'm not sure but don't some large boats use those screw in type from the outside. when i lived on a small lake we would salvage some boats that absent owners left at docks and sank(happened alot). we would get a buddy
with a ski Nautique hook up, swin down to the boat with 5 gallon buckets and he would pull us up, we would be bailing our butts off to get the boat above swamped level and then with the plug still out tell him to gun it and let the boat drain out, put the plug back. then flush the motor.

This method works well.

 

[Spinnaker]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

You are sooo right and I stand corrected. an associate of mine owns Polaris Boats here in Langley B.C. He had corrected me on this issue a couple days ago. Also while looking through the wholesale catalog to order some stuff for my boat I did see that there was a plug you remove from the inside. One way so water cannot come back in.

Actually, that's the way RIB boats and a few other types of small boats drain. RIBs have "drain tubes", which are hollow tubes usually the same material as the chambers on the sides. The tubes are connected at/below the waterline on the outside of the transom, and held up in the air folded by a couple short lines.

When on plane the lines can be released, permitting the entire deck/hull bottom to drain out through those tubes. If the driver or whoever's in the back doesn't care about wet feet, then the tubes can be left down, and whenever the boat gets on plane it drains out.

The tubes drain the hull about 20x faster than any bilge pump.. they're about 3 inches across.

Scuppers do the same thing if your deck is above the waterline.. your boat becomes self bailing.

Erik

 

[86 century]

Re: Transom Drain Plugs-Pros and Cons??

A bass boat I had awhile back filled and drained the live wells this way. I still have the valve and plan to use it on a ballast tank.