garboard plug leading to bilge?

kw71279

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Apr 22, 2015
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Hello,

Looking for some advice here , sorry if this is a stupid or repetitive question. I searched the forums but did not find an answer.

I have a garboard hole that empties into the bilge. I bought the boat used and there was not a plug in it. I have since bought a plug and keep it screwed in only when using the boat. My question is should I be keeping this plugged or open? My bilge has a through hull that is plugged when underway and a bilge pump. Should I be keeping this fitting open so any water drains to the bilge and then pumped out? I also have two other garboard plugs under the water line on the transom. These 2 came with plugs and I only open then after taking out of the water to alllow for drainage. I have attached a picture of the fitting. This is looking over the transom towards the bow.

thanks for the help,

Kyle
 

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JoLin

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Sorry to be nitpicky, but your terminology is off. If you had an unplugged garboard drain, your boat would sink as soon it was splashed. Period. Not sure exactly what I'm looking at in that pic. Does that hole drain the deck? A compartment of some kind? Doesn't look like it should be plugged, but again, I don't know where the hole is. [h=2]garboard[/h] (ˈɡɑːˌbɔːd) n 1. (Nautical Terms) nautical the bottommost plank of a vessel's hull. Also called: garboard plank or garboard strake

[C17: from Dutch gaarboord, probably from Middle Dutch gaderen to gather + boordboard]
 

thumpar

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Jun 21, 2007
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I can't tell where that plug is. The garboard plug on the back of my boat is left out when not in the water.
 

kw71279

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Apr 22, 2015
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Jolin, thanks for the response! I didn't know what to call it but figured it was a garboard since a gnarboard plug fit it but now I know. So this drain hole is emptying into the bilge with the deck directly above it. I don't think it's a deck drain because I have two scuppers on both sides of the transom that drain the water off the deck. Directly to the right of the drain in question is my drain and fill line for a livewell and my fuel line from the enclosed tank. Any thoughts?
 

TruckDrivingFool

Lieutenant Commander
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Jul 30, 2007
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Can you take some pictures from further back to give us a reference of where the plug is?

My guess is that that is a drain through a stringer from an under deck bilge compartment and probably shouldn't be plugged.
 

kw71279

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Here are some better pictures.
 

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Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
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70,468
Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,..... That's what I believe is called a Limber Hole,....

It allows the forward bilge compartments to drain back into the pumpable bilge,....

If you get No water in the forward compartments, I guess you could plug it,....

I'd leave it open for drainage myself,...
 

NYBo

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Oct 23, 2008
Messages
7,107
Welcome to iboats!:welcome:

Yep, looks like someone installed a garboard fitting in a limber hole. Leave it open so the bilge pump can do its job.

You have some bare plywood showing. You should address that before it rots.
 

TruckDrivingFool

Lieutenant Commander
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Jul 30, 2007
Messages
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Directly in front of all the hoses is where my cooler seat goes.

Unless your cool seat drains through there I'd leave it open, and even if it is the drain from a cooler/live well I think the preferred method of plugging those is to plug the drain at the bottom of the actual cooler/livewell complartment. In which case it'd still be left open.
 
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