Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

[KCLOST]

Has anyone ever heard of this... The original design/layout of my tank/battery compartment (on a bass boat) allowed easy access to the drain. But somewhere along it's ownership lines, a platform was added to hold two batteries, which covers up the bilge pump area and prevents a reachable means to the drain. It's held down with screws but you'd be in trouble trying to remove it quickly in an emergency. This has always bothered me, and I'm just now re-arranging the batteries to eliminate much of the platform. <br /><br />Made me think how stupid this was, and how a forgotten drain plug could not be installed from the inside, possibly leading to real danger.<br /><br />Can this be in a violation of any law/regualation?

 

[quantumleap]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

Almost all bowriders have no easy access to the plug from the inside. Plus with a screw in plug, you can't get to the threads from inside anyway.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

Mine goes in from the outside. Maybe you can change it around. I cant think of an emergency where I would want to pull the plug. There has been many other times I wanted to pull it but I wouldn't want to pull it in a emergency.

 

[cuzner]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

If you pulled it out while moving, it would drain your boat, some small sail boats are designed like that. I have never been in anything bigger than a 14 ft tin boat where you could actualy get to the plug easily. I doubt there is a law for this.( I may be wrong?)<br /><br /><br /> Jim

 

[Jack Shellac]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

I've seen too many boats where you could only install the plug from the outside to think there is any law about this. They're always the bronze screw-in kind, however. Ha Ha. Now I'm making myself wonder. Maybe there's a law that only bronze screw-in plugs can be installed like this.

 

[KCLOST]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

No, No, I'm not talking about pulling it in an emergency... (even though that may help if you can get on plane and empty the hull at high speeds). I'm refering to inserting it, when you forgot to at the ramp (or at home).<br /><br />I guess I should have titled my post so it refers to accessing the "drain" to plug it!!! <br /><br />My plug will work from the inside or out... It's the simple rubber/brass type (like Jack mentioned) that increased in diameter with clockwise rotation. I always insert it from the outside... But if I got out on the water it would be a b*!th to do so, as I'd have to obviously jump in the water and basically dive down to find the hole... I have the step style transom, making it impossible to reach it from onboard.<br /><br />Compared to just opening the hatch (if I had access to the drain) and inserting it from the inside. Tighten it up, and just get my arms wet in the process. <br /><br />My boat wouldn't sink even if I couldn't get to it, as it's a foam filled Ranger, but diving in the lake versus opening the hatch seems crazy...

 

[Bondo]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

If you forget to install the plug,<br />You'd Barely get it off the trailer before it starts to Sink............<br /><br />Once you get to Bigger than a Rowboat,<br />Most All of them go in from the Outside........

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

On any I/O an internal drain plug would be useless as there would be no way to get to it..

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

That darn outside plug on my I/O did get forgotten once! Believe me, as Bondo mentionned, you are sinking fast! No bilge pump can pump as fast as it is coming in!!!!<br /><br />It happened to me in spring when the water up hear in the great white north was less than "inviting"...I still went in like a shot to put the darn plug in! Arrgghhh! Try finding the freaken hole when your brain is screaming CCCCOOOLLLD! <br /><br />Now I go through a mental check list before launching my boat!

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

yeah, can't relate. i screw my plug in with a wrench at the beginning of the season and pull it at the end, when the boat is hauled.<br /><br />i have operated a 13' whaler that plugged from the inside. it was nice to be able to pull it at high speed and empty the rain water.

 

[karrick]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

Mine is an internal plug which I remove in case it rains on the trip to/from the lake or I want to drain the water from the boat on the trip home. When its not in place, its on the boat key ring which I have in hand before launching.

 

[Sivart]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

An 1800gph bilge pump could keep up with the water flowing in a 1" drain hole at 2 foot below the surface. Anything smaller the boat will sink.

 

[quantumleap]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

Originally posted by KCLOST:<br /> No, No, I'm not talking about pulling it in an emergency... I'm refering to inserting it, when you forgot to at the ramp (or at home).<br /><br />

I wouldn't redesign the layout of the battery area just in case you forget your plug. Just make sure you don't forget it! Try keeping it attached to the boat key every time you take it out so you'll see it if you try to start-up without putting it back.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

Put mine in when in the driveway. Like many said before mine is on my key ring and I need the keys to unlock my trailers ball lock. Cant leave without hooking up trailer, cant hook up trailer without keys, drain plug attached to keys. Cant forget that way.

 

[KCLOST]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

It's kind of weird how the batteries were laid out on my boat.. It's real neat and organized, but with one battery on the starboard side and two others right in the middle, and me driving the boat, it's obviously not balanced very well. I just want to take one of the middle trolling batteries and move it to the port side. This will balance the boat better and also open up a little access to the bilge area and drain. Kill two birds witn one stone "so to speak".<br /><br />By the way, I know for a fact, that my bilge pumps can keep up with an open drain. I have one 1800 and another I think is rated at 1000.<br /><br />But if I even forget the plug in the future, I'm not going to jump in the water if I can plug the drain from the inside. I have a great routine to remind myself, but eventually it happens to all of us...

 

[Sivart]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

KClost, at 46gpm with both of your bilge pumps you could keep up with 2, 1" open drain holes. Course the deeper the boat the more pressure and the more water flowing in.I try to at least have enough bilge to keep up with absent minded mistakes!

 

[Bob La Londe]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

Originally posted by KCLOST:<br /> No, No, I'm not talking about pulling it in an emergency... (even though that may help if you can get on plane and empty the hull at high speeds). I'm refering to inserting it, when you forgot to at the ramp (or at home).<br /><br />I guess I should have titled my post so it refers to accessing the "drain" to plug it!!! <br /><br />My plug will work from the inside or out... It's the simple rubber/brass type (like Jack mentioned) that increased in diameter with clockwise rotation. I always insert it from the outside... But if I got out on the water it would be a b*!th to do so, as I'd have to obviously jump in the water and basically dive down to find the hole... I have the step style transom, making it impossible to reach it from onboard.<br /><br />Compared to just opening the hatch (if I had access to the drain) and inserting it from the inside. Tighten it up, and just get my arms wet in the process. <br /><br />My boat wouldn't sink even if I couldn't get to it, as it's a foam filled Ranger, but diving in the lake versus opening the hatch seems crazy...

That is a good reason to have an automatic bilge pump. On my boat I have forgotten to put in the plug a couple times. The pump starts shooting water out the side before I can 0pull the trailer away. Usually no big deal to reload and isntall the plug I forgot.

 

[swist]

Re: Is there a law to allow inside access to your drain plug???

"It's kind of weird how the batteries were laid out on my boat.. It's real neat and organized, but with one battery on the starboard side and two others right in the middle, and me driving the boat, it's obviously not balanced very well."<br /><br />Brain-damaged boat design. My ProLine 240, in most respects a good boat after 11 years, had the one battery, the freshwater tank, and the head w/portapotty all on the stbd side with the driver. Learned to keep the head and freshwater tanks half full and installed second battery on far port side. Why do they do these things?