Garboard drain installation

[sail_flathead_lake]

Hello all,

I'm getting a new-to-me Ranger 33 ready for launch this season. The previous owner drilled a 1/2" hole down at the bottom of the keel when he put the boat in long term storage several years ago to prevent water from accumulating in the bilge, and now I've got to figure out what to do with it. I thought about just patching it up, but I noticed that over the winter the boat ended up accumulating water in the bilge that I believe was due to condensation (boat was tarped, no other signs of water getting in). Ideally I'd like to put in a garboard drain plug, but I don't know the correct way of doing this. The bilge on this boat is really deep - 4 feet or so, so I can't simply screw the garboard drain through the keel and back the screws up with nuts because there's no way to hold the nuts. I would have to use a wood/fiberglass screw that isn't so long that it would completely penetrate the inside of the glass in the area of the drain (3/8" thick?) - but this seems like a flimsy solution. I could glue the drain in place, but I'm worried that epoxy would fail eventually due to the thermal expansion differences between the bronze plug receiver and the fiberglass in the lowest part of the keel.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Thanks!

 

[alexco38]

Garboard drain install from the outside.

 

[BioAndy]

I like the idea of a garboard drain plug and I'm considering the same. Found this technique while doing my own research.
http://dan.pfeiffer.net/10m/garboard_drain.htm

I agree that thru-bolting would give better piece of mind. Maybe fabricate a backing ring with threaded holes to accept the fasteners rather than try to position individual nuts in the deep bilge. Just a thought.

 

[Ron20324]

...Does anyone have any suggestions for me? ...

If nothing else, solve the condensation problem

 

[BioAndy]

And, here's a garboard plug with a backing ring.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.net/prod...dium=organic&gclid=CLPL_O-Di74CFeRlOgodlxwAeA#

 

[dlochner]

Here's another description of how to install a garboard drain plug.

http://www.earlylight160.net76.net/InstallGarboardDrain.html

 

[Maine Sail]

If this is located low on the keel you will likely want more than screws and polyurethane sealant. If you ever bump the bottom you'd have more piece of mind if through bolted.

Getting the backing nuts on will take two people and some Rube Goldberg "extensions" like needle nose pliers taped to a broom handle to get the nuts started but it is all doable..

 

[lillia28]

I've been through this. I moor my boat. The worry of drain plugs failing for any number of reasons, keeps me up nights. Plus the parasitic drag from the plug!! Each spring before bottom paint, I mix epoxy resin and close the hole. Each fall I drill out the epoxy plug. This wasn't my idea and I thought it was crazy when I first heard it. It is faster to do than write about. 10 minutes in the spring and 10 minutes in the fall, and I sleep well all year round! I bought a variety of plugs, but never found one I would trust 24/7 under water, not to mention concerns about installation and maintenance. Try it, you may like it!
lou

 

[dlochner]

The garboard drain has water pressure working for you. The pressure will tend to hold the fitting in place. A recessed fitting will reduce the drag to negligible amounts. Since the plugs are typically at the aft end of the keel, the water is already a bit turbulent so adding a little more on a 8K+ pound boat won't make much of a difference.

 

[tmjb]

I've been through this. I moor my boat. The worry of drain plugs failing for any number of reasons, keeps me up nights. Plus the parasitic drag from the plug!! Each spring before bottom paint, I mix epoxy resin and close the hole. Each fall I drill out the epoxy plug. This wasn't my idea and I thought it was crazy when I first heard it. It is faster to do than write about. 10 minutes in the spring and 10 minutes in the fall, and I sleep well all year round! I bought a variety of plugs, but never found one I would trust 24/7 under water, not to mention concerns about installation and maintenance. Try it, you may like it! lou

Excuse my ignorance but how do you prep the hole for the epoxy? I read about sanding back the fiberglass at a 1:12 slope (I think) which seems excessive for (in my case) a 1/2" diameter hole in aporox 3/4 " thick solid material.

 

[Capt jgw]

I use a 1/2" SS bolt, nut, and two big washers set in poly sealant. The head of the bolt is only about 1/4" thick so there's not much of a protrusion to cause drag. Starting the one big nut would be a lot easier than three or four little ones, but I can reach the bottom of my bilge. I just start the nut on the bolt then clamp on a vice grip and go outside and screw in the bolt. In a case where you couldn't reach the nut you could hold it in place with a long socket wrench or breaker bar while a helper turned the bolt.

 

[Capt jgw]

Excuse my ignorance but how do you prep the hole for the epoxy? I read about sanding back the fiberglass at a 1:12 slope (I think) which seems excessive for (in my case) a 1/2" diameter hole in aporox 3/4 " thick solid material.

I've plugged holes in the topsides this way, but I'm not sure I would trust it four or five feet under water. Anyway, I flared back the edge of the hole about 1/8" or so with a counter sink and then filled with thickened epoxy. You have to cover one side of the hole with tape or something while you trowel in the epoxy from the other, so you would still have to be able to reach the inside surface. I think it would be a lot quicker and easier to use a nut and bolt.

 

[tmjb]

Many thanks.

Apologies for the delayed response.