Transom Drain Plug on a Hunter 23.5
- Thread starter Rick Webb
- Start date
@Rick Webb
you know me well due to my involvement with both boats. Like @rgranger said, Why? Both have open transoms. When coming up with the original plans of the 23.5, remember the earlier hunters came with a closed transom with cockpit drains, I remember the smelll of duck poop floating in the cockpit due to the nest over the drain. I cleaned it out advising the owner never let that happen again.
you know me well due to my involvement with both boats. Like @rgranger said, Why? Both have open transoms. When coming up with the original plans of the 23.5, remember the earlier hunters came with a closed transom with cockpit drains, I remember the smelll of duck poop floating in the cockpit due to the nest over the drain. I cleaned it out advising the owner never let that happen again.
Had to similar problem with my Mac on the trailer with a tarp over the cockpit and couldn't understand why I was getting so much water in the cabin. Bit the bullet and rebeded every item with butyl tape that was fixed or screwed to the top of the boat without regard as to the appearance of needing it. Still leaks just a tad when I forget to close the cabin but easy to take care of with a short swipe of the shop vac. Drain hole in the bottom of the boat? Would probably only forget to plug the hole one time.
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Fining a way to allow air to move though the boat… and leaving all of the hatches open should take care of condensation. Condensation is usually only a big problem when the boat is in the water because the hull below the waterline is cooler than the air. If you have a leak … that is an entirely different problem.
I would highly recommend you look at my thread about rain leaks, and CDC's method of finding leaks. I thought I had one leak, found 5 of them...
Edit to add:
Here's a link to my thread. I would recommend AGAINST adding any more holes to your boat, and if you have a 'drain' actually at the transom your boat will be about a foot deep of water inside before it'll be high enough to drain from the back.
One other thing that CDC told me, and it's NOT intuitive: Lower the tongue jack down as low as it'll go. The forward hatch ONLY drains forward, and if the trailer/boat is tilted back, then the rain pools up around the hatch recess until it can flow in. When I lowered mine, I got probably 2 gallons of water that drained out to the front.
Edit to add:
Here's a link to my thread. I would recommend AGAINST adding any more holes to your boat, and if you have a 'drain' actually at the transom your boat will be about a foot deep of water inside before it'll be high enough to drain from the back.
One other thing that CDC told me, and it's NOT intuitive: Lower the tongue jack down as low as it'll go. The forward hatch ONLY drains forward, and if the trailer/boat is tilted back, then the rain pools up around the hatch recess until it can flow in. When I lowered mine, I got probably 2 gallons of water that drained out to the front.
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Sent Rick a pm as the original plans for his boat came from me giving them to hunter asking if he would like to talk with me
If water is getting in, the source could be transom hull to deck joint, waterballast tank lid,, leaky windows, fittings, companionway, any thru hull loose fittings, anchor locker hose, etc. I would like to talk with Rick to help him find the source of water penetration. I hav arthritis now in my hands as too much writing hurts them. The design of the boat does not warrant a transom drain unless for example an air conditioner or refrigerator is being added to the boat
Spoke with the poster yesterday. Boat is on the trailer collecting water from condensation. I did mention how to check for leaks to include pressurizing the cabin looking for air bubbles escaping from the boat. However, I leave the issue of a drain being installed on the transom up to him. I had a customer do that once with the cap coming off filing up the boat with water. Boat will not sink due to positive foam flotation inside the boat.
If one installs a drain I doubt it would drain all the way with the trailer tongue all the way up plus you could damage the rear hull given the hull to deck joint in the back.
I suggested finding and fixing the leaks. Then add a silica gel bag inside the boat that collects condensation. I have seen them in marine stores and also at tractor supply as an example
If one installs a drain I doubt it would drain all the way with the trailer tongue all the way up plus you could damage the rear hull given the hull to deck joint in the back.
I suggested finding and fixing the leaks. Then add a silica gel bag inside the boat that collects condensation. I have seen them in marine stores and also at tractor supply as an example
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