My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

[nuffa]

1988 Smokercraft 3.0L I/O mercruiser

I usually didn't take the drain plug out after short fishing trips. But then one day I did...

Went to take my dad to do a bit of fishing. We loaded the gear up and unhooked hold down straps. Backed the boat in and started it up and pulled it around to the other side of the dock because dock is too short to pull trailer out if boat is on same side. Drove the van/tailer parked accross the parking lot. Came back to the boat got in and getting ready to help my dad in, it dawned on me...I DIDN'T PUT THE PLUG IN!! Turned to see the water just coming out from under engine cover and back seats. I took off running to the van at the other end of the lot. Backed the trailer in very fast, went in strait. Ran to the boat jumped into the water at the bottom tried to back up...didn't want to go. So I turned as sharp as I could and ended up getting stuck on top of a stump, got my oar out to push me off. Finally free started to go, thought about doing a speed run to get the water out, but thought I would never get it up to plane. So around the pier to the trailer, drove it on and it went of strait first time!(which is hard with an all wheel trailer) Pulled the boat out. Thank God!! I made it just in time.

After final drops, put plug in and went fishing.

I took about 5-10 minutes for the water to get in and over 40min to let it drain. No damage, just a very wet rug. Next time I took the boat out, I remembered about the bilge pump, what a dumb ass!

nuffa

 

[stan_deezy]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

Congrats! You've just become a member of a very exclusive but very large club!

I don't reckon you can call yourself a boater until you've left the plug out at least once in your life!

There are some people on here who have left the plug hundreds of miles away at home so you got off lightly having it in the van with you 8)

And if it helps at all.................when I was a Coastguard we often forgot the plug but then it became an argument as to who had done it :}

 

[Knightgang]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

Well, since I have been around boats all of my life, and have a pretty good routine of unhooking and rigging before launch, I have not YET!!! forgotten the plug. Although, on our last outing, i almost did.

We went camping at Hilton Head Island with our 31' Sydney Travel Trailer and took the boat. When we dicided to put in, I have to chan geout batteries and dicided to go ahead and take off rear tie down straps at the camp site. We pull around to the ramp and I start to back down. Just as the trailer started into the water, I remembered!!!! NO PLUG. I pull out and grabbed it form the splashwell and put it in. Got back in the truck adn my wife looked t my funny, I said to her "The Plug helps"

Not part of the club yet, and I hope to never be. But if I claim never to many times, it will happen.

 

[imported_mouse]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

that is one nice thing about a whaler or mckee there is so much foam that you dont have to put the plug in. it wont sink

 

[jtexas]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

nuffa I'm actually impressed that you remembered about the plug before seeing any evidence. But, you made up for it by forgetting you had a bilge pump!

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

hahahaha, it happens to everyone at least once, it happened to me the other day, luckily we got it out in time before it took on too much water ....

 

[Gone]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

OOps, I did it again!
Having the boat on the lake all summer, I had gotten out of the habit of "plug check!". I brought the boat back from the lake Sunday and pulled the drain plug. Monday AM, wife says lets go fishing on the river. Off we went. Put the boat in without the plug installed. I caught it before we left the dock, but it's just as embarassing.

CD

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

My children are always the ones to ask if I have got the plug in as I am backing down the ramp. They have saved me on 2 occasions so far.

 

[mopartech]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

just this past weekend i myself forgot the plug...after i was half way cross the river...so i turned her sharp and throttled down back to the launch..beached the boat...ran to the jeep, ran back and put in the plug...turned on the bilge and was back in the river in no time

 

[92mariah]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

Knock on wood I have not forgot the plug yet! But I always put mine in the boat just in case I do and have a couple extra in there too. But you never hear of ppl doing the famous dive over the back of the boat to put the plug in anymore. I can remember one time when I was young dad had pulled his fairly new boat off the trailer and the next thing I know he is grabbing something and diving off the back.(it was the plug) his response is clothes will dry but a sunk boat is almost a lost cause.lol

 

[TiredoleBoy]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

1988 Smokercraft 3.0L I/O mercruiser

I usually didn't take the drain plug out after short fishing trips. But then one day I did...

Went to take my dad to do a bit of fishing. We loaded the gear up and unhooked hold down straps. Backed the boat in and started it up and pulled it around to the other side of the dock because dock is too short to pull trailer out if boat is on same side. Drove the van/tailer parked accross the parking lot. Came back to the boat got in and getting ready to help my dad in, it dawned on me...I DIDN'T PUT THE PLUG IN!! Turned to see the water just coming out from under engine cover and back seats. I took off running to the van at the other end of the lot. Backed the trailer in very fast, went in strait. Ran to the boat jumped into the water at the bottom tried to back up...didn't want to go. So I turned as sharp as I could and ended up getting stuck on top of a stump, got my oar out to push me off. Finally free started to go, thought about doing a speed run to get the water out, but thought I would never get it up to plane. So around the pier to the trailer, drove it on and it went of strait first time!(which is hard with an all wheel trailer) Pulled the boat out. Thank God!! I made it just in time.

After final drops, put plug in and went fishing.

I took about 5-10 minutes for the water to get in and over 40min to let it drain. No damage, just a very wet rug. Next time I took the boat out, I remembered about the bilge pump, what a dumb ***!

nuffa

I think we may have been on the same boat.

 

[62 pipestone]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

i learnd a trick from my bro. he has 2 plugs tied to a string/rope and the other end to the boat. that way if you forgit the plug you dont need to franticly search or run to the truck.
i am going to do that and have the plug where it will fall out when i unsnap my cover

he told me about his jon boat that he baught. it had a faulse floor that was about 6inches off the cinter. he lonched his new boat for the 1st time. after about 1/2hr he saw water coming up threw the floor. ship, he didnt have a plug. he hit the throttle and made a Bline back to the ramp stoping only long enoph to bail it out!

 

[MrsBoatinOkie]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

Went to super Wally World last weekend and saw the perfect boating floatable key chain.

Had a logo of some sort on one side, then on the other side in big bold letters it asks:

"Is the plug in?"

 

[Georooney]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

I use one of those cheap carabiner keychain thingies to attach my drain plug to the engine key float. If the plug is still hanging there when I go to start the motor, I know something's not right!

BTW, I also keep a few spare drain plugs handy in the boat. In a pinch, I can pull the bilge pump access plate and ram one into the hole.

On the subject of drain plugs, I had a weird thing happen the first year I had the boat and was mooring it......electrolysis ate the brass threads completely off the drain plug. I didn't fnd this out until I pulled the boat out to pressure wash it and went to remove the drain plug. It had been sitting in the hole just by the friction of the rubber plug! Guess I got lucky..........from now on I use a stainless steel drain plug.

 

[Vadimk]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

You can count me in, 2 summers ago I put our little bow rider (14') in at Balsam lake park tied it to the dock and went back to the van to get some stuff. Came back and there was a couple inches of water past the floor. Had to dive in and put the plug in. Took the bilge about 20min before I could get on plain.

That was about a month before I replaced the floor and ripped out the old foam (30 years old).

 

[Rick-va3rzs]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

I also did the same .. I carry 2 plugs now at all times ...

I guess the best one is I had my tie strap on the boat .. forgot about it and backed the boat into the water .. got out of the van and the boat it going down with the trailer DOH !!! hop in the van pull the boat out .. and guess what .. NO PLUG either ..

Oh will I have never done it again ..

Rick

 

[paulyholman]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

Count me in... DOH!

 

[Swivelhart]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

Ive got a plastic plug that screws in. I drilled a tiny little hole in the part you use to turn it and put my boat key chain through it. When Im ready to launch the boat I go to put the key in the ignition and say "whats this...oh thats the plug!" pull it off and pop it in. Done! It's not totally fool proof cuz you could get in the boat after loading it all up and not notice the plug until you go to start it but I usually put the key in before unloading it from the trailer.

 

[j_martin]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

We have a set routine to protect us. Prep for launch goes like 1. Remove the stern tie-downs. 2. trim the motor to where desired (switch in motor well). 3. Squeeze primer bulb. 4. Take plug from motor well and insert it.

First mate is trained to double check the plug when she goes for the dock line.

The only time I've sunk it I was alone.

 

[TMoNeE]

Re: My first boat....forgot plug....oops!!

Only had mine out a few times but havent forgot it yet.. although if I did I put a couple extras in the boat and I would be the guy who dove off the back to put it in lol