Scared to pull dummy plugs

JoeWhite · Dec 4, 2012

My first experience was a scary one - but actually there is not much pressure on the water and you can stop the water with the palm of your hand. Make sure that you have a wood plug and a mallete to plug up the hole in case you can not reinsert the transducer and make sure that your builge pump works. Ask someone else to be present so that they can bring you whatever you may need. Relubricate the rubber rings and reinstall them. To remove them - twist the top ring counterclokcwise and pull the plug. Good luck.

Steve L22188 · Dec 4, 2012

Work quickly - but not frantically

The trick is to work quickly - but not frantically.

Generally I can work the plug out a little at a time - until I start to get some water around the edges. Then I push the plug back in enough to stop the water and place a towel around the sleeve.

Have the replacement plug ready to go. Pull the in-hull plug out. Quickly grab the other plug and slip it in. Just did it last month when winterizing and had much less than 2 cups of water in the area.

I've found it works best when I'm not frantically trying to replace the plug - just a couple of simple motions: remove and then replace. The pucker factor is a bit high the first time you do it. But it's really not difficult.

I've also found it works best as a one-man job. Another set of hands - no matter how well meaning - is too much in a little space.

If you can do it while the boat is underway, generally I get even less water to clean up - someone smarter than me on this forum can tell you why that is.

Good luck. If the plugs have been in for quite some time, getting them loose might be about 90% of the battle. When I replace the plug, I often apply a thin coat of grease on the plug to make it easier to remove later.

On the knot meter plug, be sure to clean the little paddles and the axle they rotate around. I then spray BoeShield or Sail-Kote on the paddles and the axle. Seems to work well.

Les · Dec 4, 2012

Here is a trick I have used in the past. Take your boat out in calm water and under power go full ahead. While someone takes the wheel, you can work on your thru hull plugs and pull them. Very little water will come in when you remove your plugs. the water is going by your hull so fast that it can't make a ninety degree turn. Really. Try it.

Ray Bowles · Dec 4, 2012

As mentioned in the first responses you need the pluging device at hand when you remove the sending unit from the hull. The pieces you are removing have another blank plug that is inserted in place of the working unit. I did not know if that was clear. Those plugs are exactly the same size and mount the through hull the same as the one you are removing. If you can't find them on the boat ask your dock mates if they have one as SR instruments are very common.
Ray

JohnShannon · Dec 4, 2012

Bear in mind it would take an hours to sink, so pop it out have a cig and some coffee then get back to work. Cool idea about motoring, going to try that.

njsail · Dec 5, 2012

You may be surprised at how fast the water comes in. Definitely make sure to have a plug or 2 handy. If it's close to freezing you may want to think twice about pulling the plug. I know of 1 or 2 cases where the plug was pulled in near freezing weather and they couldn't get it back in do too various reasons. Whatever you end up doing I wish you luck, just don't forget the plugs or it might be a very bad day. The water pressure isnt high but it does shoot through the hole relatively quick.

Crazy Dave Condon · Dec 5, 2012

As advised, disregard the comments to go and have a cup of coffee and cig. Water in the boat will come in fast. As for the cig, my wife's first husband died of cancer due to smoking and the sad part he was senior vice president of one of the large 7 tobacco companies.

crazy dave condon

FourPoints · Dec 6, 2012

Just one additional word of caution, when unscrewing the dummy plug or actual transducer, be careful that you don't work the thruhull loose. Mine came loose this year and started leaking (not enough to be concerned with), so they have to be rebed that this winter.

drumbeater said:
I looked at SR's website and all of these parts are still available, except for the head units.

I am going to be replacing my SR mariner knot indicator / log and depth gauge in the spring. The knot indicator works fine and reads accurate (although the log reset button is a little finickey), I just want to replace it with something networkable, but the depth gauge needs serviced (it works, but very unreliable. I think it has moisture in it), and I removed the transducer in favor of the dual frequency sounder attached to my chart plotter. SR Instruments will service the units back to new condition if you send them to them.

Make me an offer if you want them. I can ship them straight to SR to be serviced, they can be sent straight back to you in perfect working condition.

Nodak7 · Dec 6, 2012

Steve Liggett said:
The trick is to work quickly - but not frantically.

Generally I can work the plug out a little at a time - until I start to get some water around the edges. Then I push the plug back in enough to stop the water and place a towel around the sleeve.

Have the replacement plug ready to go. Pull the in-hull plug out. Quickly grab the other plug and slip it in. Just did it last month when winterizing and had much less than 2 cups of water in the area.

I've found it works best when I'm not frantically trying to replace the plug - just a couple of simple motions: remove and then replace. The pucker factor is a bit high the first time you do it. But it's really not difficult.

I've also found it works best as a one-man job. Another set of hands - no matter how well meaning - is too much in a little space.

If you can do it while the boat is underway, generally I get even less water to clean up - someone smarter than me on this forum can tell you why that is.

Good luck. If the plugs have been in for quite some time, getting them loose might be about 90% of the battle. When I replace the plug, I often apply a thin coat of grease on the plug to make it easier to remove later.

On the knot meter plug, be sure to clean the little paddles and the axle they rotate around. I then spray BoeShield or Sail-Kote on the paddles and the axle. Seems to work well.

Steve, your methods are good and it is one that I use. As far as doing it underway that is a very good idea. The faster you go the less water that will enter the boat. The water passing by the opening causes a siphon effect which reduces the differential pressure. The faster the water goes by the less water that will enter. So if you are really concerned about water entry go out and run as fast as you can

while you perform the task.

It works the same way with a power boat. If your bilge is full and you want to empty it quickly then power up and remove the bottom plug. The water passing under the hull will pull the water right our of the bilge (boat).

Ron20324 · Dec 6, 2012

Les said:
... you can work on your thru hull plugs and pull them. Very little water will come in when you remove your plugs. the water is going by your hull so fast that it can't make a ninety degree turn....quote]

This is true! Though i usually do mine at the slip, i have done it under way, and there is alot less water. Also, the depth one is probably bigger then the speed (like on mine), and will let in more water- surprisingly so!

DJW · Dec 6, 2012

The first time I did this I had my son dive the boat and hold a bowl over the hole because like you I did not know what to expect. I could see this fire hose thing happening in my mind. It turned out to be a non event. We pull the knot meter sender unit out and leave the plug in unless we are doing an outer island trip.

Dennis

Winkfish · Dec 6, 2012

DJW said:
The first time I did this I had my son dive the boat and hold a bowel over the hole because like you I did not know what to expect.

Whose bowel did he use?

FourPoints · Dec 6, 2012

Winkfish said:
Whose bowel did he use?

my guess is the now ex admiral's! :stirthepot: