No drain plug

[airdvr1227]

The boat in my sigline has no drain plug. Since the rear deck is open to the elements and the engine covers are part of the deck heavy rainfall overflows the drains and ends up in the bilge. Not a problem...bilge pump removes most of it. But there is always some water remaining. Now she is on the hard. Not sure whether she's been shrink wrapped yet but i got to thinking that the rainwater will still be in the bilge even after the wrap. I fear this will damage the bilge pump over the winter.

How difficult is it to install a drain plug? Do you think the freeze will damage the pump?

 

[oldjeep]

Sounds like a job for a shop vac, not sure I'd bother installing a plug in a boat that doesn't get pulled in and out of the water more than once a year. The boat is 25 years old - what has been the process for those years and has the bilge pump ever been damaged in the past?

Also - who did the winterization? You're going to wind up with some water in the bilge from draining the block/manifolds, how did the winterizer deal with that?

 

[JoLin]

Scott, look again. I highly doubt that Carver didn't provide a way to drain the boat. Mine is mounted through the keel about 4 feet forward of the transom and Is only accessible from INSIDE the boat. It was hard to find even after I located the thru-hull on the outside. Yours may be hidden under blower or bilge pump hoses like mine is. My plug has a shaft with a t-handle that sticks up a couple of inches from the bilge. I had to maneuver a pair of pliers in there to break it free.

My .02

 

[dingbat]

Worst comes to worst, throw a gallon of non-toxic anti-freeze in the bilge. I fill all my drains, hoses, etc. when I winterize the end of December

 

[JoLin]

Just found a pic of mine. Yours might be the same...

http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/garboard-drain-plug-3-4-bronze-127034-/4,24473.html

 

[airdvr1227]

Come to think of it I did see a thru hull that I thought was in a strange place. I'll have to check it out. Unfortunately she's 2 hours away. Thanks everyone.

 

[JoLin]

I'll bet that's it. Take a measurement from the transom to the thru-hull from outside the boat, then use that (minus a couple inches) on the inside. If there're a couple inches of water in your bilge you'll probably have to splash around a bit to find it. Please let us know if that's it. I did a fair amount of head scratching when I was searching for a way to drain mine.

 

[Scott Danforth]

im 95% sure you have a drain in the bilge. I call my buddy at Carver, and he said he only knows of one hull that may not have gotten a drain. look for the t-handle in the bilge.

 

[smokeonthewater]

on my Carver 2667 the drain plug for the engine room was about 10" forward of the (I/O) engine under the plywood battery rack and there was another under a hatch in front of the galley..... Since I trailered mine I installed another in the transom.... took all of about 30 min but drained more completely and was much easier to put in and out.

To install I used a small drill bit and 3 extensions.... I drilled from in front of the motor laying the bit in the bottom of the bilge.... When it came out the transom I now had the lowest point marked.... I then used a wood bit to drill the correct size hole from the outside just barely encompassing the first hole.... when I was done my new drain was dead center and as low as it could possibly be..... I epoxied the inside of the hole and drilled the screw holes n sealed them and the drain with 5200.... done deal

 

[JoLin]

That's a great idea, Kevin. My drain is nowhere near the lowest point in the bilge. Hard to figure why they put it where they did.

 

[snowman48047]

I have had water left in my bilge to cover the pump. I duck hunt and the boat stays in untill ice locks me out. Sometimes, in early december it is so cold all I can manage is to remove the battery. I have had my bilge pump frozen solid for 3-4 months with no ill effects.