Garboard plug/drain

[rjr]

I haven't removed the plug. In one sense I'm a little hesitant - don't want to lose it or not be able to get it back in.

What area does this drain? Has anyone removed it on their boat? Any issues?

[bud37]

What area does this drain? Has anyone removed it on their boat?

If you are talking about the bronze pipe plug in the transom then every boat I have ever had, every winter, tape it to the steering wheel after removal. Drains the bilge in case of rainwater etc.

[km1125]

I used to remove mine but after the first couple years and thinking about it, it was useless.

Mine is at the stern, which is a completely separate part of the bilge from the lowest point, which is in the engine compartment. Plus, the way the boat is blocked up, even if there was water in this compartment it would have to get pretty deep in the forward part of that section before it would start flowing out the garboard drain.

I really don't know why it's there at all. Perhaps when the hull is first formed they might stow them outside with a large angle up in the bow and before the plugs are installed separating the aft compartment from the engine compartment?? Seems like it'd be easier just to store them upside down!!

On my old boat (25' Trojan), the drain was very close to the lowest part of the hull when it was sitting level. Made a LOT of sense to pull that for 'on the hard' storage.

[Tireless]

I pull mine every year. Not sure why, as I have never gotten any water out of it. I guess if you had a great deal of water in the bilge and you block it bow up you may gat something.

Greg

[bud37]

Actually guys, a few occasions come to mind of that plug being out that has proved to be of use.......one boat had a fuel tank leak start that was detected by seeing and smelling gas drip out, another was a leak in the shrink that filled the bilge and there were icicles hanging, and another was a friend's boat ( ACMY ) that had developed a hydraulic steering leak that was dripping out.....all noticed on the regular outside boat checks in the winter. So a little food for thought.....ya never know.....

[rjr]

Thanx to all. I'm going to send a note to Carver and see what they say. Will advise.

[RobGunn]

Just to be safe, I pull that plug in the rear and I also remove my through the hull depth transducer located in the engine compartment to create a 2nd point of drain. Rather be safe than find a boat full of water or ice in the winter.

[km1125]

Source of the post Just to be safe, I pull that plug in the rear and I also remove my through the hull depth transducer located in the engine compartment to create a 2nd point of drain. Rather be safe than find a boat full of water or ice in the winter.

Obviously, you can do whatever you want, I just don't think that makes any sense. What do you do for the forward bilge? Why wouldn't it be just as likely to fill with water?

I could see if the boat was an open express type, where the open "bucket" shape could funnel any water that got through the covering into the boat, but on these boats - especially the aft-cabin variety, how is water going to get into the boat even if it gets through the cover?

Like I said, I used to pull the plug too, until I realized it was a futile move. I certainly would not remove a properly-bedded transducer or other thru-hull just for this purpose.

An event earlier this spring made me re-think leaving the boat with thru-hulls open. A friend of mine lost his 3007 because he left the HVAC water hose off (that he removed last fall for winterizing) and the marina put the boat in the water a day earlier than he was ready. He found the boat on the bottom the following morning.

[Viper]

I don't remove plugs anymore on bigger boats. Most older runabouts are a different story but it really depends on the boat though and whether the interior deck is designed to drain overboard, most older designs aren't.

Source of the post.... An event earlier this spring made me re-think leaving the boat with thru-hulls open. A friend of mine lost his 3007 because he left the HVAC water hose off (that he removed last fall for winterizing) and the marina put the boat in the water a day earlier than he was ready. He found the boat on the bottom the following morning.

When you're done winterizing, you should always put everything back together so the boat is "launch ready" when you're done winterizing. A lot of places don't do that as it's more time consuming when you basically have a small window of opportunity to get everyone winterized before things freeze. That method usually leads to emergencies at launch time though.

Leaving a seacock closed during the winter up here will result in a haul out shortly after launch next spring to replace a cracked seacock. Seacocks must be left open over the winter to prevent that as water can collect and remain behind the ball in the valve. Leaving the valve open will allow any water to drain over time. Some valves will have drain ports in them but leaving them open will accomplish the same thing. What some guys do just to be safe is to board the boat shortly before launch when the danger of freezing is over and close all seacocks in case something is missed, then open the seacocks after launch. That way you're in the water when you open them again and can check each system for leaks as you open the seacock.

[rjr]

So here is the response from Carver:
"I do not recall what model boat you have, but with all our boats, the garboard drain would drain the aft compartment of the boat. It is there for when the boat is on land so if water were to get into the bilge from rain or snow, that it would drain out. Also because the bilge pumps cannot total dry out the bilge, it would remove any accumulated water you may have. If you r bilge is dry and depending on how you store the boat, (like inside storage) you may not need to remove it. This drain is typically a threaded fitting that removes similar to removing a bolt. Unless it is corroded tight that you cannot turn it, it should turn out and back in with no issue. For the bilge to drain, the boat would need to be blocked so the back of the boat is the lowest point for the boat to drain."
So there you have it.