Holes in the transom - to fill or not to fill

[therishel]

I am the proud owner of a 1972 Balboa 20 that was abandoned for a few years before I got her. The previous owner had drilled holes in the transom to keep her from filling with rain water (It probably saved her). He was pretty careful about it and drilled one hole about 1" in diameter right down at the bottom of the center line of the transom. Now I am re-fitting her and am wondering if I should fill that hole or put a plug in it and use it as a bilge drain when she is on the trailer. I am confident that I could securely mount a transom plug. I am just not sure if that is the best course of action. My inclination is to permanently fill it with a fiberglass patch and a solid plug of epoxy, but I don't want to end up cursing myself later when I am trying to figure out how to get the collected water out of the bilge.

Thoughts, comments, or recommendations are welcome.

Tom Rishel
B20 516

 

[Tom Hoffman]

I built a nice 21' Wooden Row Boat. It was western red cedar and epoxy. I didn't think to put in a drain plug. Big mistake. I never could keep the water out of it unless it was in my garage. Problem with that was it took up too much of my garage. So I would take it outside and cover it with a tarp. The tarp would fill and leak and pretty soon my boat was filled with water and sometimes I didn't notice it until the were polly wogs in it.

My advice....

Leave the drain plug and you will be glad you did. It is a real pain hand bailing out the boat or using a sump pump to get it out.

 

[petersea]

Also agree leave thr drain plug

 

[dscribner]

Tom,

My Lancer 25 has 2 cockpit drains in it. After a hurricane (not that we get those in Maine) it's empty. The drains do their job with gusto. The only issue is if my stern is heavy and I have following seas, I get water into the cockpit. It does't hurt anything but it is a little disconcerting. I'd leave them.

 

[therishel]

Tom,

My Lancer 25 has 2 cockpit drains in it. After a hurricane (not that we get those in Maine) it's empty. The drains do their job with gusto. The only issue is if my stern is heavy and I have following seas, I get water into the cockpit. It does't hurt anything but it is a little disconcerting. I'd leave them.

DScribner,

Thanks for the reply. Let me clarify a bit. The hole that I am concerned about does not drain the cockpit. It opens into the bilge. The cockpit has a drain out through the Centerboard trunk that is part of the original design. In an ideal world, there should never be water in the bilge, but, as you know, we don't live in an ideal world, thus my question.

Any further thoughts on transom holes into the bilge?

Thanks again,

Tom

 

[MrUnix]

DScribner,
Any further thoughts on transom holes into the bilge?

Every single motor boat I have ever owned had a drain hole in the transom with a flip lock drain plug. I see no reason why you couldn't do the same thing on a sailboat. In fact, I can understand why they are not installed on larger boats that spend the majority of their life in the water, but I have no idea why manufacturers of smaller sailboats designed to be trailered don't install them by default from the factory.

Cheers,
Brad

 

[c_witch]

I am the proud owner of a 1972 Balboa 20 that was abandoned for a few years before I got her. The previous owner had drilled holes in the transom to keep her from filling with rain water (It probably saved her). He was pretty careful about it and drilled one hole about 1" in diameter right down at the bottom of the center line of the transom. Now I am re-fitting her and am wondering if I should fill that hole or put a plug in it and use it as a bilge drain when she is on the trailer. I am confident that I could securely mount a transom plug. I am just not sure if that is the best course of action. My inclination is to permanently fill it with a fiberglass patch and a solid plug of epoxy, but I don't want to end up cursing myself later when I am trying to figure out how to get the collected water out of the bilge.

Thoughts, comments, or recommendations are welcome.

Tom Rishel
B20 516

Something to consider lol. You'll likely find that the transom drain hole is higher then the bilge due to the curvature of the hull. The last time I checked water still ran downhill. Perhaps you can raise the tongue high enough for the water to run out the hole and maybe not on my boat its not really possible. I have 2 holes in the transom one is for the cockpit drain ( recently redone using thru hulls and hose) and a second smaller drain for the lazarette(sp). Both have the flip type stoppers although I think I will install a ballcock in the locker for the cockpit drain easier access to open or close.

Brina

 

[dscribner]

I've never owned a motor boat, but I think I've heard of guys pulling the drain plug and flying down the lake to drain the water out. That won't be happening on a sail boat. It it's a hole into the bilge, I'd plug it!

 

[Joe]

If you have a trailerable sailboat.... you will find a drain handy. Choose one of these drain plugs, install it.... and go sailing.

http://search.defender.com/?expression=drain plug

 

[Cayennita]

Look at rigid inflatables with double bottoms. The plug for the inner hull might work. My J-36 has two screw on bronze plugs in the keelson. When I haul out for the hurricane season I remove them and the boat stays dry.

 

[therishel]

Something to consider lol. You'll likely find that the transom drain hole is higher then the bilge due to the curvature of the hull. The last time I checked water still ran downhill. Perhaps you can raise the tongue high enough for the water to run out the hole and maybe not on my boat its not really possible. I have 2 holes in the transom one is for the cockpit drain ( recently redone using thru hulls and hose) and a second smaller drain for the lazarette(sp). Both have the flip type stoppers although I think I will install a ballcock in the locker for the cockpit drain easier access to open or close.

Brina

Brina,

Thanks for the response. I can indeed raise the tongue high enough for the bilge to drain. In fact, I have it in that position now and when my brother-in-law was in town recently and saw the boat in that position he observed that it was in "launch position".

When it is in that position the cockpit drain is useless because it is at the front of the cockpit, so it's not really a good long-term storage option, but it is handy for draining the bilge.

It sounds like the consensus is to leave the hole and glass in a plug. When I get everything closed up (the main hatch cover and all ports are off the boat right now) I will only remove the plug occasionally to elevate the bow and dry everything out.

Thanks again for the thoughtful comments.

Tom

 

[therishel]

Thanks to all for your thoughts. The consensus seems to be to leave the hole and plug it. Like others, I have seen many power boats with plugs. If it works for them it should work for us.

My new boat prep mantra will probably now become "Remember the plug and bring a spare."

Tom

 

[petersea]

Thanks to all for your thoughts. The consensus seems to be to leave the hole and plug it. Like others, I have seen many power boats with plugs. If it works for them it should work for us.

My new boat prep mantra will probably now become "Remember the plug and bring a spare."

Tom

Lots of power boaters and a good thing for any boater with a drain plug is to put the plug with the ignition key so that IF you forget to put it in you will (hopefully) remember when you turn key to start engine and realize the plug is in you hand.

 

[Winkfish]

Plugs for me are like reading glasses. I have about 20 spares all over so I never have to go far to find one.