Bilge drain while on the hard?

[Beersmith]

Just hauled out my boat and was wondering if it is possible to drill a hole at the bottom of the keel where the lowest point of the bilge is to keep it drained? If not, how do you keep it dry without running the pump and draining the batteries?

I will be on the hard for a long time doing a complete refit, so there will be plenty of chances for rain water to get in while I do repairs. Also, I'd like to be able to hose down some grungy surfaces on the interior and would need a way to get all of that water out.

I've read about installing a garboard drain plug, but that seems a little overkill. My current plan is to drill a smallish hole (how small?) near the base of the keel where the bottom point is and epoxy it shut before I barrier coat and paint. Does anyone have advice AGAINST this plan?

[remetau]

You're going to be on the hard. They don't have power available to you? I can't see drilling a hole in the boat when you have a working pump onboard.

[Beersmith]

well I'll be tearing up my electrical system so that won't help much

[TimofBlindSquirrel]

Remetau is right. If you are doing a refit you should have power so you can run the bilge pumps. If you have them removed for servicing, just use a shop vac to suck water out of the bilge.

I would also recommend that one of your projects should be to make sure water can't get in the boat in the first place. If you are taking on water while on the hard, what is happening in when you are on the water?

Boating rule Number 1: Water on outside, people on the inside.

[Beersmith]

Originally Posted by TimofBlindSquirrel

Remetau is right. If you are doing a refit you should have power so you can run the bilge pumps. If you have them removed for servicing, just use a shop vac to suck water out of the bilge.

I would also recommend that one of your projects should be to make sure water can't get in the boat in the first place. If you are taking on water while on the hard, what is happening in when you are on the water?

Boating rule Number 1: Water on outside, people on the inside.

Assume I am intelligent enough to know that my boat leaks...and I am in the process of fixing it. Of course water shouldn't be in there. But when every piece of hardware is removed from the deck, and every afternoon it rains in the Florida summer...water will get in.

[remetau]

If you won't have 12v power available, then I like Tim's response of using a shop vac to extract the water. Since you are doing a refit you are going to be on the boat a lot so you can act as the bilge pump. I just can't fathom the idea of drilling an unnecessary hole in the hull.

[Beersmith]

fair enough. I should be at the boat enough to get it dry with a shop vac.

[downeast450]

I installed a garboard plug at the top edge of the lead. I did it to avoid freezing during winter storage.

Down

[LookingForCruiser]

If you do go ahead with putting in the hole, I wouldn't advise just filling the hole with epoxy - you want to grind out the edges and do a proper fiberglass patch. Plenty of posts on how to do that.

Honestly I see the attraction in putting in the hole in the hull. But what might make more sense is to fill the holes where the hardware used to be, with epoxy. Over drill the hole with a larger bit, use a router bit to remove deck core between the fiberglass layers, and then fill with epoxy. When you're ready to reinstall deck hardware, you just have to drill the hole & bevel it, and you're done.

If you're going to be recoring the deck though, don't bother, just cover the holes with duct tape or something. That pillar of epoxy wouldn't make the recore job any easier.

[PorFin]

Originally Posted by Beersmith

But when every piece of hardware is removed from the deck, and every afternoon it rains in the Florida summer...water will get in.

Beer,

As you remove the hardware, wipe the hole with a little acetone and cover it with a small piece of tape. Gorilla Tape is best if it'll be exposed for a while; long-term painter's tape (like 3M 2080) will sufice if it'll only be exposed for a few days.

When you remove the old Gorilla Tape, use a new piece to "tack off" any adhesive that is still sticking to the deck. If that doesn't get it all off, a little liquid adhesive remover will clean it right up.

And oh -- I'm in total agreemant against drilling another hole in the boat, perticularly below the waterline. Why compromise the structural strength of the glass?