Drain plug help needed

[speo]

I recently bought an aluminum boat (18' Springbok) that needs some TLC and I am wondering what needs to be done for the drain plug. The drain hole is 1 inch diameter and if I install a snap plug directly in the hole it will stay there, but it just doesn't seem right to me, because the aluminum wall is too thin to offer enough friction and keep the plug safe (I might be overreacting?)

I found some brass drain tubes, but installing one also doesn't make any sense because again, the wall is too thin and the tube will end up being too short to make any sense to install it.

Any thoughts?

 

[Clint KY]

That boat is missing the tube normally affixed to that hole. All I have ever seen were welded so the tube was flush with the outside of the transom and the tube extended into the boat. I found this solution but I would not use an automotive sealer but one specifically made for marine installations.

 

[GA_Boater]

Yeah - The drain tube has been removed for some reason.

This one is for aluminum boats and is probably what got tossed,

 

[Scott Danforth]

not only are you missing the tube, your missing the wood on the transom.

are the knee braces still intact, or are those missing as well?

 

[GA_Boater]

Speo has some pics in another thread. It's pretty much a gutted project. Noting insurmountable, but a bit of work. Why did a PO cut the transom down for a short shaft? I hope some day I will understand, but I doubt it.

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...8612-advice-on-18-ft-utility-boat-restoration

 

[speo]

No Title

Thanks for the replies, it almost make sense now. The transom not being vertical but being at an angle causes the inner side of the drain pipe to go "up", allowing more water to accumulate inside the boat. Even a small increase in height allows a lot more water to stay inside.

In the kit that GA_Boater posted, will those rings install on the tube? Inside or outside?

Yes, I got a gutted boat, pretty challenging for a first boat, but hopefully doable with advice from the forum. The transom is ready, installed, Home Depot plywood coated in East Systems epoxy. I hope next weekend is not raining so I can put it in the water to see if it floats or not

Yes, the stringers are solid, all metal is very solid on this boat, it is just the wood that needs complete replacement.

I still have few more questions about putting this boat together, but I will start a thread for each issue. My main concern is when I am done, how do I know I didn't make a major mistake and how do I know if the boat is seaworthy?

Thanks for the replies

 

[GA_Boater]

There is a diagram on the page linked to the drain kit.

Please start a thread about rebuilding your boat and ask questions in the thread. So many questions will be related and it will be confusing for anyone trying to help if you start new threads on each issue. If you have a question better suited to another section, like an outboard, we can steer you.