Today I want to touch on one, if not the most basic principles of boating. I have seen it time and time again. The trailer goes down the ramp and off comes the boat. Everyone piles in grinning and joking and down the lake they go. But wait, what’s that? They are back! Someone frantically runs for the trailer and hurriedly backs it in. The boat is quickly loaded and up to the top of the ramp they go with water shooting out the side as the bilge pump works overtime. Water is also pouring out the bottom of the transom. Choice words are being hurled back and forth. What happened? Someone forgot the DRAIN PLUG!
Before your day begins you should run through the pre-launch checklist. Included in the check list is inspecting the drain plug to make sure it is in tight. There are many different types of plugs. You should familiarize yourself with yours.
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T Handle – Used in most Inboards. |
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Rubber snap type – can be used in most aluminum boats. Tip: make sure handle is up so moving water will not flip it out. |
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| Twist type – can be used in most aluminum boats. | Rubber snap type – used in livewells and some paddle boats. | |||
| Brass 1/2 in. – used in most runabouts. | Plastic – used in various types | |||