When do you put your plug in?

[CAVU V]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

Plug, what plug?

 

[642mx]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

I only take mine out when I get caught out in the rain and it needs to drain. My boat sits in a dirt floor barn, so I leave the plug in to help keep the spiders, wasps, and mice from entering.

 

[FSTHUH]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

I put mine before we leave the house...and I teke it out after I pull the boat out of watter...that way it drains everything on the way home...

I see some people never take the plug out??? I understand that the boat is in garage under cover (so is mine) I still get watter just from taking the life jackets off and on after swiming and storing them in the hull compartment...also splashing during the day on the water will eventually get some in there...I would think that taking the plug out every trip is necessary step..to prevent mold..mildew..and preservation of your boat.

 

[This_lil_fishy]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

My process at the launch.

1, Stop in prep area.
2, Move safety pin for surge brakes for backing down the ramp
3, Remove trailer wire harness from truck and wrap around tongue
4, Open tail gate, get wrench
5, Go to back of boat
6. Remove Starboard strap
7, Install & tighten plug
8, Remove Port Strap
9, Put both straps and wrench back into the box in the back of the truck and close tailgate.
10, Hop in boat turn on blower
11, Attach fenders and dock lines.
12, Hop out of boat and hop into truck
13, Launch boat.

I launch at least once a week, and it's so routine I barely have to think about it..thus I was able to type it all out very quickly with out much thought. Landing the boat is the same process, as I pull the plug out between install the straps.

Ian

 

[slasmith1]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

I answered never, but my boat only comes out of the water twice a year or so.

 

[Sharkfighter]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

It is all about routine.
I do it at the gas station. Stop on way to Marina, fill up boat, buy Ice and drinks. Take it out immediately after getting out of the water. The plug goes in the cup holder on the cooler at lift or ramp where I take boat out after use. I load ice in cooler before every trip at gas station and the plug is in cooler lid. A double check right before boat goes in water.

Night before trip is a check of battery status, 2 stroke oil level, sweep out deck, and verify drain plug is in the cup holder of cooler lid.

I always have a lot of water when I pull my drain plug and some still comes out on ride home. But I am boating in decent size waves on the river and near shore.

Boat is uncovered in the driveway and while there are drains on the deck floor water still gets in bottom of hold especially on weeks when it rains and from washing boat. I think some will still drip out on way to gas station the morning of the trip that doesnt drain during the week.

I am using the boat every week. I put 170 engine hours on the boat in the year I had it.

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

I have a pre-depart checklist that includes installing the plug, drive all the way up, removing covers, prepping the dock lines, getting the fenders ready, getting the anchors and lines ready, check oil and fluids, sniff for fuel fumes, checking all safety requirements and pfd's, boat bag and keys.

I check the plug again when I remove my transom straps in the prep area, along with all pre-launch items, where you are supposed to perform the pre-launch prep. When I head for the ramp, the boat goes in and I unhook the chain, move and tie-up the boat.

I leave it out for the ride home, to allow any water that may have gotten in a chance to run to the back. I leave it out until the next trip.

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

At the ramp and take it off when I pull her out of the water, I have three separate sections of the boat just because there is no water in the engine compartment doesn't mean there might not be water from the bow back to the stern some where. Always take out plug and put in side of boat with cresent wrench with it, port side storage, always stays with boat.

 

[109jb]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

If you keep your boat in a garage you are fine leaving it in all the time as long as the boat is dry. If the boat has to sit outside then the plug stays out. Also, if water skiing, tubing, etc and a lot of water gets in the boat and it is carpeted, that water in the carpet can take hours to drain what will back to the bilge. A buddy used to keep the plug in and his boat lived outside parked behind his garage but under a cover. Well a severe storm came through and the cover came partially off. He didn't notice it for a few days, all of which had rain. The tires were touching the fenders and the boat was 2/3 full of water. He never left the plug in again after that

 

[eaglejim]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

I keep the plug out,got the one I use got a spare in the glove box of the boat,got one in the truck,hoping never to join the I forgot my plug group

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

I replied "never," but that's because there wasn't a selection for "remove to check for water in bilge (which there has never been any) and immediately replace just after pulling very good boat out of the water and away from the ramp."

 

[eterry]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

I keep a pair in plugs in the glovebox of my boat, put one in during pre-launch prep. I take it out after trailering the boat to let any water in it drain out on ride home. Keep a spare in glove box in case of need.

 

[cdnfthree2]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

Key/lanyard, plug, prop, and gps all stay in a box in the boating/fishing closet.

When the box is empty - the plug is in and we're ready to go.

I don't keep my boat inside, so leaving plug in would be bad for me.

 

[jd_1598]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

I have a check list at the prep area and when I take the back trailer straps off my boat I install the plug, verify the pito for the speedometer and adjust if needed the fish finder . After I pull the boat out go to the prep area then I pull the plug and install the back trailer straps.

Jim

 

[NYGiants]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

My trailer sailor dosent have a plug so my answer is none of the above just has a cockpit drain

 

[cadunkle]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

Mine goes in at the ramp and comes out at the ramp. That's the way everyone I've known who has a boat does it, and it makes sense to me. My boat sits outside under cover, and after a heavy rain it will be a little wet inside in spots so it's best to let it drain. Heaven forbid the cover got torn or blew off, the boat may fill with water!

My launch procedure, more or less, at home I run boat on the hose up to temp, check fluids, uncover, clean anything that needs cleaning, ensure I have safety equipment and watersports gear, lines, bumpers, etc. check straps/winch/chain, check lights. At ramp I remove transom straps, insert plug, prep dock lines and bumpers in prep area. Then back down ramp, remove chain, start engine, release winch/cable and back off trailer.

When I pull boat out I winch to stop, attach safety chain, pull out to de-prep area. Then stow any lines/gear/bumpers/etc., pull plug, reattach transom straps, double check winch/chain, check safety chains, plug lights in, cehck lights, go home.

Once home I run on hose for 5 mins or so (up to temp) while I clean up boat some more and start putting cover on, then shut off, finish covering, hose off hull/outdrive/trailer (I launch in brackish).

That's more or less my routine, but bottom line is boat is always stored with plug out. Every summer I go up north to my grandparents summer cabin on a lake. This year I was first up there and opened it up, picked up boat, etc. When I picked up the boat form the place they store it the guy who stored it had uncovered the boat and left it outside expecting me to pick it up (in case he wasn't there) but left the plug in (didn't tell me this). When I got there it was pouring rain for two days before the sun came out so I didn't pick up the boat 'till after that, and found it full of water halfway up the engine and above the floor in the rear. Took forever to drain and everything was soggy and wet. Perfect example of why I leave the plug out on my own boat. Grandparents boat stays in water all season though (fresh water) so plug only comes out for winter storage (if ever).

 

[Numlaar]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

i put the plug in at the ramp too. my plug sits in my van console in one of the coin try slots. that way i see it every time i get in my van. i know where it is... got spares too.
reason i leave it out is that while my boats in storage, if it rains, or for any other reason, i want whatever breached my cover to leak out. i don't want to store it with water in it.

I put mine in at the ramp also... I have a hook for it on the boat near the strap, so when I unstrap the boat to launch I can't miss it... (keep a spare in the boat too, and one in my tackle box).

I NEVER leave mine in all the time... had a 21' wellcraft eclipse that was stored outside, and after 2 engines, I was so mad the last time it broke down, that I parked it and I forgot to take the plug out... about a month later after I was done fuming, I decided to go see what I could do about the darn thing, and the entire boat had filled with water, from rain, up to the bow, with an oil slick on top, completely covered the engine, dash, everything... the water had trashed the engine, and ALL of the electronics... all because of one measly little drain plug!!!

Guess it really boils down to where you store your boat... inside I can see leaving it in (maybe), but outside, definitely not.

 

[Richiekramer]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

my plug goes in first thing at the prep area.

 

[Bard1]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

I put it in at home before I hook the boat up.

 

[Corona Captain]

Re: When do you put your plug in?

I do it in line at the ramp. I keep the plug and keys in my pocket when we leave the house and then put it in just before I remove the transom straps. I do this as a pre-float inspection because sometimes jokers like to remove plugs while the boat is stored, at the gas station, or where ever. I never leave anything to chance (that the plug will still be there when I put the boat in the water). And I always carry a backup. Better to have an extra than a ruined day of boating.