drain plug

[gus 08 mobius lsv]

when u guys take the drain plug out do u leave it out till you go back in the water the next day or just till u get back from the lake or what? my dealer told me not to worry about taking it out but from what u guys are saying i'm starting to think he is full of b.s.

[lancesaville]

when u guys take the drain plug out do u leave it out till you go back in the water the next day or just till u get back from the lake or what? my dealer told me not to worry about taking it out but from what u guys are saying i'm starting to think he is full of b.s.

I remove the plug after pulling the boat out each time, and put back in before launching each time. My hope is that in towing, any built up water that wasn't bilged out will drip out while going up a hill. And it has.

[gus 08 mobius lsv]

ok so you'd suggest taking it out everytime i load up on the trailer? i have some steep hills to pull from the lake to my house in the 20 mile trip so anything stuck should get away. any negative outcome from leaving it in could i have hurt something already?

[Hootreville]

I agree!!! Mine is removed when I pull the boat out of the water, and I put it back in when I am loading up in the driveway on my way back to the river or lake. Just so I am ready when I get to the launch. I don't think you can hurt anything by leaving it in, but I dont like the water sitting in the bottom of my boat during the week while it is sitting in the garage. Starts to smell and get slimy!!!!

[mcdye]

I pull mine also and put back on on launch day. I tell the whole family everytime, that if one forgets all do. :) I noticed a big angle tilt while backing in the garage more came out. I will hit that angle everytime for now on.

[c.rix]

I always take mine out when trailered since Ive been pulled over by the dnr twice its a big fine if they find water weeds ect. on or in your boat here in minnesota

when on the lift I leave it in but the boat isnt going to any other water soon

[moombadaze]

ok so you'd suggest taking it out everytime i load up on the trailer? i have some steep hills to pull from the lake to my house in the 20 mile trip so anything stuck should get away. any negative outcome from leaving it in could i have hurt something already?


plug comes out everytime boat is loaded on the trailer-i keep it on the floor in my truck right next to the wrench used to reinstall it. No hills in flat florida-live 5 minutes away from the ramp, so i just back down the ramp till the boat is angle and water comes out.

As for leaving the plug in--once was looking at a brand new boat and the dealer left the plug in, massive rain storms for about 2 weeks before i looked at it, we pulled the cover back and the water was up to the top of the seats--was a 06 or 07 lsv. did not buy that boat.

[jester]

I pull my plug for the drive home. Once i get home before i backup i put the plug back in. No point in leaving it out after i get home and one less thing to take care of at the boat ramp.

[yearround]

i would leave the plug in if it was my choice. we have mussel inspections and usually have to remove the plug, similar to crix. to get the water out, you have to go up some pretty steep hills. usually the ramps i use are not steep enough to get all the water out.

[dtlaine]

I always take mine out when trailered since Ive been pulled over by the dnr twice its a big fine if they find water weeds ect. on or in your boat here in minnesota

when on the lift I leave it in but the boat isnt going to any other water soon

My boat sits on the lift 99% of the time, so I never thought much of taking the drain plug out. The transducer for my depth sounder came loose, so I had to re-epoxy it to the floor. I noticed that there was some water in the bilge that the pump wasn't getting to, so I decided to pull the boat out of the water, let the water drain out, and clean the whole boat. I couldn't believe how much water was in there when I took the drain plug out. I'm going to start to drain it every time I use it. No wonder the inside of my cover was getting moldy. Whether you have to or not, I'd recommend taking the drain plug out as often as possible.

[TSC]

Plug comes out at the launch when I'm attaching the tie downs. Gets thrown in the glove box with the wrench. Reinstall it before leaving the house next time out. Knock on wood, haven't forgotten it yet. The boat keys are another story.

[wolfeman131]

My boat sits on the lift 99% of the time, so I never thought much of taking the drain plug out. Whether you have to or not, I'd recommend taking the drain plug out as often as possible.

DT,

Same for me with the boat on the lift. So are you going to start pulling the plug while the boat is on the lift? You going to switch to one of the t-handle plugs?

I've thought about this, but it looks like it would be a pain and I'm sure to drop the plug in the water. I have a small shop vac that I use to get all the water out when the boat is on the lift.

I think this is a neat idea so that the plug is always with the boat:

[kenidaho]

I leave mine in the water all summer. i pull the plug in the fall when i winterize it. I put it back in after the winterization. One time on a previous boat I did not put the plug back in and it was not that much fun

[gus 08 mobius lsv]

well i guess starting now i'll take it out everytime i leave. when i park it i always open up all the storage compartments and seats to let it air dry. thanks for the input

[dtlaine]

DT,

Same for me with the boat on the lift. So are you going to start pulling the plug while the boat is on the lift? You going to switch to one of the t-handle plugs?

I've thought about this, but it looks like it would be a pain and I'm sure to drop the plug in the water. I have a small shop vac that I use to get all the water out when the boat is on the lift.

I think this is a neat idea so that the plug is always with the boat:

I guess that if that plastic plug has an o-ring and the same threads it would work. You would just jam that keeper part from the outside once, and then it would hold the plug after its unscrewed in the future. I'll look into that. The other thing I could do is drill a hole through the square part of the plug and hook it to something (?) with safety wire. I'll have to put some thought into this, as I'm probably going to end up dropping it in the water at some point.

[deerfield]

gus - I pull the plug every time the boat is out of the water. Makes no difference if it's on the trailer or lift -- the plug comes out. It goes back in only when getting ready to launch. In addition, when not in use I strategically place a small block of wood to keep the motor box open. This allows air to circulate. I take it a step further when it's sitting on the trailer here at the house by placing a fan under the cover. I do what I can that's within easy reach to keep the bilge area and carpet dry and the boat fresh. - Deerfield

[gus 08 mobius lsv]

gus - I pull the plug every time the boat is out of the water. Makes no difference if it's on the trailer or lift -- the plug comes out. It goes back in only when getting ready to launch. In addition, when not in use I strategically place a small block of wood to keep the motor box open. This allows air to circulate. I take it a step further when it's sitting on the trailer here at the house by placing a fan under the cover. I do what I can that's within easy reach to keep the bilge area and carpet dry and the boat fresh. - Deerfield

great idea... i guess anything to air it out better cause it doesn't take long for lake water to sit in your boat till it smells like a nursing home!