Catalina strainer

[ezajac]

Hello All.

I recently bought a dingy that came with a sailboat. My question is what is my best option to plug a 1/2 inch hole in the hull (picture attached). The marina drilled a hole in the hull just above the keel to drain water out. I guess pumping it out would have been too much work. The hole in accessable from the bilge. Also what is the best way to patch exposed lead on the keel.
Thanks for your help.

 

[jrowan]

I'm assuming that this hole is in the sailboat hull & not the dingy?
You must have had a lot of water in the bilge / cabin or some really lazy marina "helping" you. One of the number one rules a sailor follows is to not put any holes into your boat that aren't absolutely necessary! What they should have done was installed a working bilge pump & drain line through the stern transom. U can then use a spong to remove remaining residual bilge water. That hole isn't doing U any favors. I would install a working pump ASAP, & then make them glass over that hole, which is unseamanlike & a hazard. Don't be tempted to put a plug in it for future "use."
That is much more of a liability than an asset. It's "workmanship" like this that can sink a boat.