how much water??

[jimmybillson]

im a first time boat owner and I have a question that I hope some of you well seasoned owners might know. How much water is considered normal when you pull the plug out of your boat after 4 or 5 hours on the water?

 

[jbcurt00]

Little to none

 

[GA_Boater]

How much are you getting? People getting in and out of the boat with dripping water?

 

[fishin98]

Little to none

+1....What kind of boat and what type of plug are you using?

 

[jbcurt00]

+1....What kind of boat and what type of plug are you using?

I based the little to none on the boat in his signature:

Happy Bomber Bass Boat Owner

So I figured no wet swimmers/skiers crawling in and out..

 

[fishin98]

I based the little to none on the boat in his signature:


So I figured no wet swimmers/skiers crawling in and out..

I've seen people using expandable plugs in their transom drain holes instead of the threaded one that came with the boat. If the OP has any amount after only 4 or 5 hrs on the water there is a issue.

 

[BWR1953]

im a first time boat owner and I have a question that I hope some of you well seasoned owners might know. How much water is considered normal when you pull the plug out of your boat after 4 or 5 hours on the water?

Zero.

 

[pckeen]

If you are not doing something that puts water in the boat (boating in bad weather, or lifting wet objects or people into the boat), then none.

 

[H20Rat]

I've seen people using expandable plugs in their transom drain holes instead of the threaded one that came with the boat. If the OP has any amount after only 4 or 5 hrs on the water there is a issue.

Not all boats come with threaded plugs... In fact, none of the 6 boats I've owned have used a threaded plug. An expanding rubber plug will seal as well or better than a brass screw in plug.

 

[jimmybillson]

No Title

I have a 83 Bomber bassboat, I had a steady stream for about 1 minute when I pulled the plug. I use a T handle type plug. any ideas where to start looking for leaks. Water was choppy yesterday but nobody was getting in and out of boat.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

You have a small leak Jimmy. Change the plug and go from there. Good luck Bud.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Being a 34 year old boat, my guess is something is rotten in the structure and you have a hull breach simewhere.

Water pouring out for more than a minute is more than 5 gallons of water (closer to 10)

 

[southkogs]

Is this the first time you've had this happen on your boat, or is this a new-to-you boat?

Was the water choppy enough to hit your rub rails regularly? That's a place on older boats where I've seen water enter pretty commonly.

 

[titaniumneck]

Park the boat on the trailer in the yard, put the plug in, put hose pipe in boat, turn on water, look for leaks. Just don't fill it up to the top or put too much pressure on the trailer springs. But this is the way to find the leak.

 

[Chris1956]

If the drain plug is not leaking, I would suspect any thru hull fittings you might have for livewell, bait boxes and fish well. Recirculating livewells can fill up and water can slosh into bilge, when you take off. Also, some fishwells drain into bilge. If it is not that, hull may have a crack.

 

[jimmybillson]

It is a new plug, It is also a new to me boat and first time I have had it on water. Water was very choppy.

Park the boat on the trailer in the yard, put the plug in, put hose pipe in boat, turn on water, look for leaks. Just don't fill it up to the top or put too much pressure on the trailer springs. But this is the way to find the leak.

I'm not quite understanding what you mean by put hose pipe in boat. Where would I put it in at?

 

[BRICH1260]

I think what he was saying is to put some water from a garden hose into the lower portion of the boat, plug it, and see if any water leaks out the drain or any other thru hull fitting.
Do you have a pump in live well? If so, perhaps a leaky hose.

 

[Maclin]

How are you installing the t-handle plug? T-handle should be turned righty-tighty after the plug is in the hole with the rubber plug part not spinning, tight enough to where it gets a little uncomfortable on the fingers. Pull on it again to be sure the rubber part expanded Then lefty-loosey to pull and remove. If you can pull the plug out without having to loosen then it was not installed correctly and that can let water in.

 

[southkogs]

I actually suggest you put your boat in the water ... drop anchor ... get a flashlight and a camera (cell phone will work) and look all over for where you see water coming in. If you can't see in an area - stick the camera down there and shoot a photo. If you don't find anything after initial inspection ... run around for a little while and stop and do it again ... at some point, you'll see where that water is coming in.

 

[dennis461]

My drain plug screws into a threaded brass fitting in the fiberglass transom. The hull has some rot there and I have a small leak. My trim tabs had leaks from the wood screws which were long enough to penetrate the transom. I removed them, glassed over, then used shorter screws.