the "PLUG' why do you....

[dc095]

reading a lot about "forgot to put the plun in" why in the world would you take it out in the first place??? by the way i'm new to this boating thing, so maybe its just me being uninformed. I never took mine out all summer. Am i doing this all wrong? Should i get the chance to sink my boat like most people. Should i take it out after every trip? Lost in the 50's....or just plain lost...

 

[erwinner]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

My boat is under a carport, but in case any rain gets in (not likely in Lubbock this year!) it will drain out.
I know some states make you trailer without the plug to make sure people aren't transferring algae between bodies of water with their bilge water. I've forgotten it once, but noticed before I motored off the trailer so I just rehooked the winch strap and pulled out quickly.
Fortunately for my pride there was no one else at the ramp!

 

[jetstreakdave]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

I have a long heavy fishing leader hooked to the out drive and to the plug. Its been there for years. I can't help but see it when you do my walk around .

 

[jayhanig]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

reading a lot about "forgot to put the plun in" why in the world would you take it out in the first place??? by the way i'm new to this boating thing, so maybe its just me being uninformed. I never took mine out all summer. Am i doing this all wrong? Should i get the chance to sink my boat like most people. Should i take it out after every trip? Lost in the 50's....or just plain lost...

I take mine out after every trip while it's still on the ramp... the boat being on a slope aids draining any possible water that's found its way into the bilge. Then I leave the plug out while it sits in my driveway on the off chance the cover leaks when it rains. Given the summer monsoons we sometimes experience, it wouldn't take very long to do some damage to my boat if I were to allow that water to just sit.... water in the oil or seeping into the stringers causing rot.

My routine before I take it out involves putting the plug in (out in the driveway), dragging over the garden hose and muffs, cranking the engine and then letting it warm up enough for the choke to allow a normal idle speed. Then I pull it to the ramp, remove the transom straps and eyeball the plug one more time to be sure it's still there. THEN I back it down the ramp into the water.

 

[scooper77515]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

Yep. What jay and erwinner said.

There are several invasive species of mussels and weeds, and most states ask/recommend/or legally force you to drain and dry your boat before putting it back in the water. Some states say it has to be dry 72 hours before launching again, to make sure all is dead and not ready to be introduced to new waters.

Zebra Mussels. Do a google search. Nasty critters that can kill a boat in a couple weeks.

Personally, my ice chest drains into the bilge under the engine. So does any water brought in from wet wake boards, swimsuits, or just wet bodies jumping into the boat. After a day on the water, I usually have at least 8 gallons of water (melted bag of ice) plus whatever else was brought in by people. On the ramp, I pull the plug first thing, and let it drain while I tie everything else down and prepare for dragging it back home.

I keep it out, even though it is in covered storage, just in case it rains. I had a jet boat that with plug OUT killed the battery during a rain because it filled up faster than the bilge pump could keep up, and the pump drained the battery, and boat just had to drain by gravity through the drain plugs. If it was plugged up, there would have been a mess to clean up.

My routine is to pull the plug first thing on the trailer, and put the plug in first thing when backing up to the ramp.

Get a routine, and stick to it, and don't let bitchy wives and gabby boaters distract you from it.

 

[LongLine]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

Pull the plug when boat not in use. Trapped moisture can cause mildew.

 

[southkogs]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

Pull 'yer plug - as these guys have given you many examples, water collects in your secondary hull and bilge just from normal usage. Not allowing it out opens the door for all sorts of structural problems.

Some areas are having trouble with invasive species and other bio-goo's - we're not experiencing that so much in this area yet.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

Pulling the plug after every trip is a good way to keep a check on the integrity of your hull, if you pull it one time and an abnormal amount of water comes out... you know you have the beginnings of a problem.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

I'm not sure what the fine is against the law to have the plug in while transporting boats here in MN. It sucks but then zebra muscles and milfoil are pretty nasty. I'm surprised it isn't law in all states. Even one leaf of milfoil can supposedly cause an infestation.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

Hmmm, learn something everyday. I've never heard of a law on leaving the plug out. I always do for all the reasons posted, but never knew of laws regarding it.

 

[albs]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

I was told at a checkpoint that having the plug in while trailering is a $500 fine.

 

[scooper77515]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

That is a mild fine, considering that accidentally transporting plants or mussels can KILL an entire lake for boating.

I have seen lakes that were/are so full of invasive plants that no propeller can cut through them for any boating activities.

 

[dc095]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

Thanks for all the info. I will start to practice pulling the plug and putting it back in everyday so when i go to the lake i should do it without thinking about it. great site. Keep up thr good work.

 

[nimmor]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

Pull 'yer plug - as these guys have given you many examples, water collects in your secondary hull and bilge just from normal usage. Not allowing it out opens the door for all sorts of structural problems.

Some areas are having trouble with invasive species and other bio-goo's - we're not experiencing that so much in this area yet.

I'll second that. I get a small amount of water in the boat everytime I pull my trolling motor up.

 

[scooper77515]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

We get lots of water in the boat from various sources. We all bring water in from wet ski jackets, wet bodies, wet wakeboards, and most of our water comes from the under-seat coolers. One melted bag of ice is 8 gallons of fresh cold water. That is the bulk of what ours comes from. During a hot summer day, we may use three bags of ice...

 

[79Merc80]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

I sure miss the "Automatic Draining Flap" we had on our old 67 GlasPar. Let water out, but not in. Unfortunately, they don't fit in the brass screw type holes.

 

[not enuf toys]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

i have always pulled the plug when leaving the ramp. water comes in from the kids, water sports, rain etc. i dont want to let it sit in the bildge area...can cause mold and eventually rot.

i also always leave the plug out when parked and the bow up so any water or condensation can drain out.

 

[j.4knee]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

I always pull the plug. For the obvious reasons and when I store the boat I leave it out. I have a rather anal check list I run through each and everytime I launch and recover.

 

[gstrom11]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

Being in MN, state law to pull it, but I would pull it anywhere, due to everything listed above.

 

[JBow]

Re: the "PLUG' why do you....

I had a bro inlaw that ruined a brand new Bayliner boat by forgetting to remove the plug. He stored it outside with a mooring cover on it and it leaked and filled up the whole boat over the winter. Rotted the floor, ruined the seats etc. I think it was over three feet deep inside when he discovered his screw up.