Drainplug

upstart · #1 (**permalink**) 08-23-2007

We purchased an old 16 ' Starcraft upstart and took it out for the first time tonight. My wife and I had a lot of fun figuring out how to rig and sail it. After sailing for about 45 minutes we started taking on water. When we got it on the trailer, gallons of water came out a small hole in the bottom of the transom. We had a drain plug in the large hole, but nothing in the small hole. My question is what kind of plug is used in the small hole. Its shape is sort of weird, I would describe it as a hole of about 1/4" diameter with 2 "ears" on it giving it sort of an oblong shape. Any help would be appreciated.

sailingdog · #2 (**permalink**) 08-23-2007

While I'm not familiar with the Starcraft, I'd guess that the plug has "ears"on it to match the hole and is designed to install by being put into the hole and rotated 90˚.

Sailormann · #3 (**permalink**) 08-24-2007

If you look at the boat horizontally, is the hole higher or lower than the floor (or the sole) of the cockpit ?

nolatom · #4 (**permalink**) 08-24-2007

Your large plug is a cockpit drain, it probably works only when you're going fast, so that the speed of the boat either drains, or sucks, the cockpit water out.

The small drain plug is from the transom, not the cockpit. It drains water from the hollow part of the hull itself.

If this guess is correct, you want to make sure you have no water inside the hull void. The 'free surface effect' (google it and you'll understand it better than I could explain it) plays havoc with your hull stability. The water in the cockpit (larger drain) is more noticeable but less serious, since the cockpit is a smaller area for the free surface area to affect.

In any event, "dry is better". Keep the hull void dry. The cockpit you can't always keep dry, but if it takes water, it's supposed to drain out quickly.

Kindly tell me later on if my educated guesses "hold water", as my cousin Vinny used to say.....

and have fun sailing, which is ultimately the whole point anyway....

sailingdog · #5 (**permalink**) 08-24-2007

BTW.... photos of the various orifices and the surround area would be a good thing. Posting photos via the upload tool is almost impossible, so if you want to do so, get an account on flickr.com or other photo sharing website and then link to the photos after posting them there.

upstart · #6 (**permalink**) 08-24-2007

Yes, the small hole is below the sole of the cockpit. It would indeed drain the hull void. I'll try to find the appropriate plug or fashion one on my own. There are places where the hull void and cockpit are open to each other due to the age of the boat and some things that need fixing.
During the 45 minutes that we were sailing I found serenity. I have the feeling that this could become addicting... I'll put in some more hours this summer and fall before the lakes freeze over.
Upstart in Minnesota

DaleW · #7 (**permalink**) 08-31-2008

I have the same boat. I just bought a 40 cent rubber stopper at the hardware store. Going out tomorrow for the first time with this boat. If I don't write for a while it is likely because I am swimming back to shore...

frabaco · #8 (**permalink**) 09-03-2008

Hi, I also have an Upstart. The floor is soft and had some punctures, so any water that came into the boat went down between the floor and the hull. (has now been repaired) After sailing, I'd pull the 2 plugs out and raise the front of the trailer up as high as possible. The boat would be very heavy with the water in it. the water ran out of the little hole, into the cockpit and then out the larger cockpit drain hole. I would suggest drilling the little hole with the "ears" out just a bit to be a hole without ears and then put a rubber plug or cork in it. Good luck.