Drains in Bilge

Boilers2000

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Possible dumb question but I am stumped. I have a 1992 Searay 200BR. In my bilge there are three drain holes. The middle on leads to the ski locker and there is a plug in the ski locker to prevent water from moving forward in the ski locker. There are also 2 drains on either side of the center hole. Where do these lead too and should they be plugged? I haven't seen any inlets in the bow or elsewhere that these would drain. Any ideas?
 

Maclin

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Do you mean 3 holes in the stern? Technically the Bilge is the area at the bottom of the hull on the inside.

If you mean on the stern, the lowest one should be in the middle, that would be the bilge drain. Any other holes are probably for livewell filling and draining.
 

Boilers2000

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It's not through the transom...the holes in question drain into the bilge area...if that helps clarify.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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You dont plug them its all part of your bilge drain system so that forward compartments drain to the bilge...where you can drain it
 

Lowlysubaruguy

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Dec 3, 2012
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You could have someone put a garden hose to each of them and then know where they start its is also a good idea to know there flowing freely and not plugged with debris so knowing where they start is not a bad idea
 

Maclin

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Terminology tripping me up I guess, the Bilge is an area. Are these holes in the bulkhead just in front of the engine?
 

tacx

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He doesn't mean holes. He is referring to drain tubes that terminate in the bilge area from areas of the boat. They just look like holes because they terminate in the bulkhead.
 

StingrayMike

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Do you have any built in coolers? I have a fwd and aft and they both have drain holes/plugs that drain to the bilge
 

Bondo

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It's not through the transom...the holes in question drain into the bilge area...if that helps clarify.

Ayuh,..... Limber Holes,......

They're there so that the entire hull can drain into the pumpable bilge,....

Don't plug 'em,......
 

Boilers2000

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So maybe another dumb question, but if these limber holes are so the hull can drain and the boat hull is a V that is below the holes, how does the hull drain? Won't plug them, just terrified of water getting where it shouldn't and then can't evaporate etc. etc. etc. The boat is always pulled out of the water so maybe because its never in water for days or weeks at time it's not big deal.

Anyways a huge thank you to everyone on this forum for the advice and guidance. You guys and maybe gals have made my first 3 months of boat ownership less stressful knowing I have such a great resource for questions and threads to learn from others!
 

tacx

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Why do you think the drain holes are higher than the bottom of the hull? The bilge area is lower than the rest of the hull? If not you have a weird boat.
 

Boilers2000

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I haven't measured, but the the bottom of the hull is lower then the drain hole in the ski locker that runs into the bilge area. Maybe it's just an optical illusion. Below the floor boards is still a mystery to me. I'm terrified of water getting where it shouldn't since I had to remove the ski locker floor and remove all the wet foam.
 

tacx

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If you are looking at it on a trailer that could be the case if your trailer is not elevated at the front. In the water your bilge area is certainly lower than the rest of the hull.
 

GCartwright

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Jul 1, 2012
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Possible dumb question but I am stumped. I have a 1992 Searay 200BR. In my bilge there are three drain holes. The middle on leads to the ski locker and there is a plug in the ski locker to prevent water from moving forward in the ski locker. There are also 2 drains on either side of the center hole. Where do these lead too and should they be plugged? I haven't seen any inlets in the bow or elsewhere that these would drain. Any ideas?

On my Searay the middle drain hole comes from the ski locker drain. There is a pvc pipe running under the fuel tank floor in between..
The other two holes are for draining the fuel tank compartment
 
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