On Jun 28, 8:31*pm, "tak" wrote:
"sailirc" wrote in message

news[email protected] wonder how many would be honest and say at one time or
another they left out the drain plug. *This thread was started for
fun only --- no insults or name calling.

--
Boat Auctions
http://sailirc.net/boats/index.php

Never left the plug out, BUT when I bought my first boat, I didn't take the
plug out when I brought it *out on the trailer after a day's use. A few
weeks into the season and I was very concerned because performance had
nose-dived, could barely get on plane and no speed to speak of. Friend went
out with me, drove the boat, asked about my routine for hauling out,
suggested we haul it out, pulled the plug and it drained for what seemed
like hours. Those rainstorms get you, I guess. Bilge pump was an epiphany
for the future. ;-P

I have not done much trailer boating but when I did I never left the
plug out. It is no big deal to check while at the prep area of the
boat ramp park.

sailirc wrote:
I wonder how many would be honest and say at one time or
another they left out the drain plug. This thread was started for
fun only --- no insults or name calling.


Once. Only once.

I caught it before it was unhooked from the trailer.

On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:51:47 GMT, "sailirc"
wrote:

I wonder how many would be honest and say at one time or
another they left out the drain plug.

More than once.

The last time I did it, some poor gal in the neighboring boat at the
ramp got an unexpected shower.

~~ snerk ~~

I've also done the opposite - not pull the plug after recovering and
leaving it in. Couple of days later, I took it to a car wash to power
wash the bilge out with a degreaser - didn't even think about the
plug.

The boat was level and I just wasn't paying attention when spraying
down the bilge. There was water every where right?

Got back into the truck, pulled out, all the water shifted to the
stern, bilge pump turns on and all that nice, greasy, ugly water
sprayed all over some guys brand new wash/wax job. :)

Whoopsie...

Cost me an additional $26 so the guy could get his car washed again.

The nice thing about the Ranger is that it has a double fitting in the
stern - you can install a tapered plug from the inside or the outside
- the inside deal for the exact reason we're discussing - forgetting
to install the drain plug.

Which can also lead to a problem - namely lame ass dummies like myself
who put two plugs being of a forgetful nature and wonder why the damn
boat isn't draining properly when you pull the exterior plug. :)

Or vice versa.

Oddly, I never forgot to install the plug on the Princecraft or other
small boats I've owned - only the Ranger.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:51:47 GMT, "sailirc"
wrote:

I wonder how many would be honest and say at one time or
another they left out the drain plug.

More than once.

The last time I did it, some poor gal in the neighboring boat at the
ramp got an unexpected shower.

~~ snerk ~~

I've also done the opposite - not pull the plug after recovering and
leaving it in. Couple of days later, I took it to a car wash to power
wash the bilge out with a degreaser - didn't even think about the
plug.

The boat was level and I just wasn't paying attention when spraying
down the bilge. There was water every where right?

Got back into the truck, pulled out, all the water shifted to the
stern, bilge pump turns on and all that nice, greasy, ugly water
sprayed all over some guys brand new wash/wax job. :)

Whoopsie...

Cost me an additional $26 so the guy could get his car washed again.

The nice thing about the Ranger is that it has a double fitting in the
stern - you can install a tapered plug from the inside or the outside
- the inside deal for the exact reason we're discussing - forgetting
to install the drain plug.

Which can also lead to a problem - namely lame ass dummies like myself
who put two plugs being of a forgetful nature and wonder why the damn
boat isn't draining properly when you pull the exterior plug. :)

Or vice versa.

Oddly, I never forgot to install the plug on the Princecraft or other
small boats I've owned - only the Ranger.

I forgot the plug on the Princecraft Yukon for you...on my 2nd outing.
Boat was still on the trailer when I noticed, so I quickly pulled back up
the ramp far enough to drain the boat and then install the plug..

Honestly, so far, never. It will happen though... it must. Although I've
been around boats most of my life, I've only been an owner for 5 years or
so, so I'm still a rookie compared to many here. There's plenty of time.

AAMOF, I saw a newish malibu tied up to the bank today... water up to the
gunwales. I don't know the story, but either they hit something, or left the
plug out (and stopped in a panic).

--Mike

"sailirc" wrote in message
newsvx9k.83$713.32@trnddc03...
I wonder how many would be honest and say at one time or
another they left out the drain plug. This thread was started for
fun only --- no insults or name calling.

--
Boat Auctions
http://sailirc.net/boats/index.php

sailirc wrote:

I wonder how many would be honest and say at one time or
another they left out the drain plug. This thread was started for
fun only --- no insults or name calling.

My Dad did it at least once that I'm aware of, then he blamed me for not
seeing the water coming in. That and lots of other stuff is what kinda put
me off boats/fishing for the last 50 years. Now that my little 6 year-old
grandson wants to go fishing, I may have to reconsider.

BTW, why doesn't someone come up with a simple check-valve arrangement that
(when used in conjunction with the plug) would drastically cut down on the
amount of water that could flow into the boat if one forgot the plug? I can
visualize a couple of arrangements that should work ok, a ball-type or even
a plain top-hinged deal ought to do the trick.

--
dvus

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:51:47 GMT, "sailirc"
wrote:

I wonder how many would be honest and say at one time or
another they left out the drain plug. This thread was started for
fun only --- no insults or name calling.
I only had the 17' MFG my 1990 75 Mariner came on for a few months.
(old boat new motor purchased for the motor). I did take it out
several times to be sure the motor was good before I swapped it over
to my pontoon that I was rebuilding and I was 100%.
I left the plug out every time! Also almost sunk it at the dock in one
of our "8 inches of rain in 2 days" storms.
I was real happy to get back to a boat without a plug or a bilge


know what you mean, it only happened to us once and that was enough
poor bilge pump, they sound sometimes like their going to blow.