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Author Topic:   drain plugs

Taylor posted 01-02-2002 08:51 PM ET (US)
Newbie question - on the 17 there is a drain tube from the sump to an outlet on the centerline near the bottom of the transom. Does the plug go out on the transom or in the sump?
The sump seems good from the standpoint of draining underway, but plugging the transom seems like it would keep salt water out of the brass drain tube and reduce corrosion.
My plug has this large two-three inch lever on it. Is that normal? All the other plugs on the boat have the little T shaped handles.
Also, I seem to remeber a post about the front plug, most folks leave them out, right? This weekend, since my hatch is in my workshop, I noticed that when I move forward, quite a bit of water comes into the forward compartment and gets things wet.
Tom W Clark posted 01-02-2002 09:10 PM ET (US)
Taylor,
It's up to you, but the usual routine is to use a T handled plug installed in the sump. This what I have always done and always will, but you are correct about the brass coming into contact with salt water. One way around this would be to replace it with a plastic drain tube.
Put the plug in the front locker if you want to keep it dry (I did this on my first Montauk), leave it out if you want it to drain (I did this on my second Montauk because the locker simply became the fish hold/ice chest. Yes, water will come in when you go forward or have many people on board. The choise is yours.
triblet posted 01-03-2002 08:31 AM ET (US)
This one is going to be a religious debate.
I use T-handled plugs.
I put the aft plug on the outside, because
it's easier to get to. The later Montauks
have plastic drain tubes.
I use a forward plug and put it on the
inside, again, because it's easier to get to.
Chuck
sorcerer posted 01-03-2002 09:15 AM ET (US)
By the way you can get either the "T" or "Lever" in stainless! Use a little Vaseline each time you re-insert.
andygere posted 01-03-2002 01:56 PM ET (US)
I keep my Montauk in the water, and I put the stern drain plug on the outside so the drain tube is not constantly filled with salt water. If you keep the bow plug in, beware that the locker will fill with water when it rains if the boat is not covered. I leave it out at the dock, but install it (from the inside) when using the boat.
Taylor posted 01-03-2002 03:34 PM ET (US)
Thanks all. I'm in a covered dry storage boathouse with a ways, and I usually hose the boat as it comes up. I like to pull my stern plug to let any water out as I haul the boat up the ways, so I think inside sounds best, I can pull it just before I haul to rinse and drain. And it looks like I can leave my front plug in.
lhg posted 01-06-2002 06:44 PM ET (US)
For what it's worth, BW has always recommendrd that the transom drain plug on a 16/17' hull be installed in the inside sump, where you can get to it in hurry. If the going got bad, in offshore big seas and it needed to be opened fast, it seems I wouldn't want to be reaching 20" down of the back of the transom, behind the engine, with a boat filled with water, to pull a plug, and risking falling overboard. Makes no sense to me when your ultimate safety is at risk.
For a moored boat, the outside location sounds fine to prevent brass corrosion, but when I got underway, I'd switch it to the inside fast. Especially if I was alone in the boat.
In the old days, BW always recommend that in heavy going, with spray, splash and rain coming in, the boats be run with the drain plug removed, for the safest operation. I even do this with my Outrages.
andygere posted 01-07-2002 03:34 AM ET (US)
Larry makes a good point, but it can be difficult to reach the plug even on the inside with the bilge pump, control cables etc. in the way. A few times when I was out fishing in heavier weather, I have switched the plug to the inside (although I don't always do this). To make it easier to pull, I tightened the T on the plug just enough to keep it in place, and tied a rip cord with a loop in the end to the T. To pull the plug in a hurry, I just yank on the ripcord loop and out it comes.
Clark Roberts posted 01-07-2002 07:39 AM ET (US)
Some years back, a friend of mine was fishing off shore (in a 19" Roballo sp? and hooked up with a big Wahoo. The drain plug (lever type) was on outside and somehow the line/leader caught the plug and removed it... he didn't know until water flooded the aft deck and live well cover floated away. I can't remember why he put plug in from outside, but no matter, my point is that if you do it would be wise to use the "t" handle type! Happy Whalin'... Clark... Spruce Creek Navy

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Author	Topic: drain plugs
Taylor	posted 01-02-2002 08:51 PM ET (US) Newbie question - on the 17 there is a drain tube from the sump to an outlet on the centerline near the bottom of the transom. Does the plug go out on the transom or in the sump? The sump seems good from the standpoint of draining underway, but plugging the transom seems like it would keep salt water out of the brass drain tube and reduce corrosion. My plug has this large two-three inch lever on it. Is that normal? All the other plugs on the boat have the little T shaped handles. Also, I seem to remeber a post about the front plug, most folks leave them out, right? This weekend, since my hatch is in my workshop, I noticed that when I move forward, quite a bit of water comes into the forward compartment and gets things wet.
Tom W Clark	posted 01-02-2002 09:10 PM ET (US) Taylor, It's up to you, but the usual routine is to use a T handled plug installed in the sump. This what I have always done and always will, but you are correct about the brass coming into contact with salt water. One way around this would be to replace it with a plastic drain tube. Put the plug in the front locker if you want to keep it dry (I did this on my first Montauk), leave it out if you want it to drain (I did this on my second Montauk because the locker simply became the fish hold/ice chest. Yes, water will come in when you go forward or have many people on board. The choise is yours.
triblet	posted 01-03-2002 08:31 AM ET (US) This one is going to be a religious debate. I use T-handled plugs. I put the aft plug on the outside, because it's easier to get to. The later Montauks have plastic drain tubes. I use a forward plug and put it on the inside, again, because it's easier to get to. Chuck
sorcerer	posted 01-03-2002 09:15 AM ET (US) By the way you can get either the "T" or "Lever" in stainless! Use a little Vaseline each time you re-insert.
andygere	posted 01-03-2002 01:56 PM ET (US) I keep my Montauk in the water, and I put the stern drain plug on the outside so the drain tube is not constantly filled with salt water. If you keep the bow plug in, beware that the locker will fill with water when it rains if the boat is not covered. I leave it out at the dock, but install it (from the inside) when using the boat.
Taylor	posted 01-03-2002 03:34 PM ET (US) Thanks all. I'm in a covered dry storage boathouse with a ways, and I usually hose the boat as it comes up. I like to pull my stern plug to let any water out as I haul the boat up the ways, so I think inside sounds best, I can pull it just before I haul to rinse and drain. And it looks like I can leave my front plug in.
lhg	posted 01-06-2002 06:44 PM ET (US) For what it's worth, BW has always recommendrd that the transom drain plug on a 16/17' hull be installed in the inside sump, where you can get to it in hurry. If the going got bad, in offshore big seas and it needed to be opened fast, it seems I wouldn't want to be reaching 20" down of the back of the transom, behind the engine, with a boat filled with water, to pull a plug, and risking falling overboard. Makes no sense to me when your ultimate safety is at risk. For a moored boat, the outside location sounds fine to prevent brass corrosion, but when I got underway, I'd switch it to the inside fast. Especially if I was alone in the boat. In the old days, BW always recommend that in heavy going, with spray, splash and rain coming in, the boats be run with the drain plug removed, for the safest operation. I even do this with my Outrages.
andygere	posted 01-07-2002 03:34 AM ET (US) Larry makes a good point, but it can be difficult to reach the plug even on the inside with the bilge pump, control cables etc. in the way. A few times when I was out fishing in heavier weather, I have switched the plug to the inside (although I don't always do this). To make it easier to pull, I tightened the T on the plug just enough to keep it in place, and tied a rip cord with a loop in the end to the T. To pull the plug in a hurry, I just yank on the ripcord loop and out it comes.
Clark Roberts	posted 01-07-2002 07:39 AM ET (US) Some years back, a friend of mine was fishing off shore (in a 19" Roballo sp? and hooked up with a big Wahoo. The drain plug (lever type) was on outside and somehow the line/leader caught the plug and removed it... he didn't know until water flooded the aft deck and live well cover floated away. I can't remember why he put plug in from outside, but no matter, my point is that if you do it would be wise to use the "t" handle type! Happy Whalin'... Clark... Spruce Creek Navy