14' Aluminum V-Hull with a leaky floor drain.

[RonJon24]

I am a 1967 14' V-Hull Sea Nymph. I just boat this boat a month ago, and I am teetering on completely stripping the paint and restoring the boat. It is in pretty good shape right now, mostly just has a so-so paint job on it. I have considered putting the truck bed liner in the inside and painting the outside.

When I first bought the boat, it didn't leak a drop, but after a few uses I have developed a leak around the factory install threaded floor drain. It is the type of drain that is riveted to the bottom of the boat, appears to be aluminum, and has a rounded or cupped shield on it that I have discovered is their so you can drain the boat while you are moving by removing the plug. It is cross threaded with little to no thread left and needs replacing.

I would really like to replace the drain with another aluminum drain, but I cannot find one to save my life. I don't really know what that type of drain is called. Does anyone?

I do have a 1" hole in the bottom of the floor, so I figure i might as well drain there, and not out the back...

I have found a screw in garboard drain plug and some sealants...will this work, is it the best solution?

Which sealant should I use? I bought JB Marine Weld, JB Water Weld (Putty), and Goop Marine Sealant

Should I mount this inside the floor of the boat or on the outside of the hull and use the one inch hole to be able to fit the plug?

I am open to any and all suggestions and answers. Even if they are a completely different solution. I do want to have a working drain, I will have a 15hp yamaha on this boat so turning the boat over isn't an easy option.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 14' Aluminum V-Hull with a leaky floor drain.

HI RonJon (any relation to the old Fl surfshop?). The drain you described is called a scupper valve and I have one on my boat too. Although, I never remove the plug while underway. I just use it like a regular drain hole. I've been able to use a standard drain plug like the one in the pic below without issue. As far as the leak around the drain housing, there are several products you could use. One is 3M 5200, which is a white marine caulk/adhesive. You may also want to look into a product called Glu-vit which is a 2 part epoxy that you paint on to the interior seams of the boat (and around the drain) to stop any leaks that may be occurring. It goes on like honey, but tries tough and flexible. However, it does need some UV protection so you will want to paint over it and/or install a floor. You can also use it to seal any wood you may be using on the boat. West Marine and other boat supply stores usually carry it in stock. I would shy away from the JB Weld/Marine Tex for this particular job as they dry very hard and resist flexing in the hull which would eventually cause the repair to fail, whereas the 3M 5200/Glu-vit will remain flexible. I would also recommend against using spray on bedliner as most folks who use it tend to regret it for a variety of reasons. For starters, it tends to trap lots of dirt and debris, which makes cleaning the boat a pain. It also makes any future repairs, or inspection of the interior hull very difficult. Here are some pics of my scupper valve and the plug I use in it. I wouldn't make any new holes in the transom (garboard) unless absolutely necessary. Plus, scupper valves sit lower in the hull and can drain to a lower point than a transom drain, which can still leave excess water standing in the hull.


scupper valve in bottom of boat:




Scupper valve/drain plug:

 

[RonJon24]

Re: 14' Aluminum V-Hull with a leaky floor drain.

Thanks Kfa 4303,

No connection other than being fond of the store and having a mousepad from there years back when I was trying to think of a username for online sites like this

I agree, no holes unless absolutely necessary... so since I have this one inch hole already, I am going to try and use it. I think I found a once inch expandable rubber plug that I can use as is... it just means I would switch from a solid threaded brass plug to an expandable rubber plug with brass fittings on it. There is no problems with that, is there? That way I can forget about fixing the drain and just use another plug... none of the rivets are leaking, just the loose threads.

Thanks for the tip on the 3M 5200... I saw that in the store, but it didn't say anything about aluminum, so I was nervous and went with the products that had aluminum listed. If it works on Aluminum, I'd rather stay with 3M.

I hear what you are saying about the bed liner, and it would be hot in the summer time... do you have any other recommendations for a very nice looking, and durable non-slip surface that also waterproofs? I am open.

I think my drain is a little different than yours, I love it, but can't find a new one anywhere... is this a scupper valve? Do you know anywhere that sells them?

 

[RonJon24]

Re: 14' Aluminum V-Hull with a leaky floor drain.

btw, that is exacty what I LOVE about this drain.. it is flat against the surface and at the lowest point on the boat.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 14' Aluminum V-Hull with a leaky floor drain.

You should be able to find a replacement scupper valve at the iboats store any boat store like West Marine, or by asking around here in the forums, aomci.org, or ebay. There's no problem using a rubber plug in the hole, or the threaded brass nut, but the plug is easier to pop in and out of place when need be. Again, you could always remove the plug at high speeds to drain the water out. Thankfully I don't really get that much water in the boat in first place. Plus, it just seems weird removing a plug while on the water, but it can be done. Here's a pic of my set up. Hopefully, you can see the rubber plug zip-tied to the scupper valve/drain housing. That way if/when I remove the plug it can't roll around the boat and go too far.
As far as the 5200 goes, apply it as you would any caulk. First lay down generous amount around the area you're trying to seal then wipe off the excess to leave behind a nice tight bead. It should clean up easily with acetone and/or mineral spirits, but do allow a couple days for it to fully cure. Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[RonJon24]

Re: 14' Aluminum V-Hull with a leaky floor drain.

I was able to find an expanding rubber plug that forms a tight seal and this keeps me from having to make any modifications to the boat. I think that is the smartest road for now. I do worry a little because I plant to paint the boat and it would be nice to have the bad threads gone.

Thanks for all the tips. I really appreciate it!

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 14' Aluminum V-Hull with a leaky floor drain.

No prob. I like the rubber plugs too. They work great and are removable so you can drain the boat when need be.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: 14' Aluminum V-Hull with a leaky floor drain.

I have a similar boat ('68) that I bought recently. I didn't come with a plug and I couldn't find anything that would seal. No matter what I tried, it seeped water around the threads. I ended up just using JB Weld to glue in a plug permanently. (The self-bailing aspect wasn't important to us.)

Anyway, I don't know how well the expanding rubber plug will seal -- it did not work well in my Sea Nymph. Recently I read (maybe in one of these forums?) that these boats used to have an aluminum plug with flange around the top, and with a rubber gasket that sealed the hole. I've never seen such a thing, but in my case, that might have helped with my leaking.

Anyway, good luck!