Drain plug removal

I'm in agreement on both accounts Stumble. Unused thru hulls are a potential leak source and should be dealt with, when practical. Your drain being filled in, might be an inconvenience on a rare occasion, but you can work around this, with some added comfort about filled holes.

 

Drain holes and plugs are a curse and in most cases are not needed . The less number of holes in the hull the better !! Seal it up and glass over it !! Fit a big bilge pump and sleep easy !!

 

Also agree in a minimum of hull penetrations, though some are necessary and/or unavoidable.

I disagree about big bilge pumps. A scared skipper can move about 5,500 GPH, with a lift of 5', for about 5 minutes, before fatigue starts to lower this number. That's 450 gallons in 5 minutes, so two scared crew and a frightened skipper can move nearly 1,400 gallon in 5 minutes. Show me a Rule automatic bilge pump that can do this. The point is, I've done a lot of sinking surveys and the pump or it's switch were the primary failure modes. Owner neglect aside (the usual cause), relying on a pump typically results in heartbreak.

 

I have a small boat and no holes any where !!when i wash the boat out i use the big bilge pump to empty the water out The exit tube stick straight up at the transom and tha water goes more than a meter high !! This a good tell tail sign if the hull ever gets any water inside .:idea: