removing the plug...

jacuthbert · Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:34 am Post subject: electric jack

This sounds good to me. According to the information on the jack from Overton's, the jack plugs right into the same place your trailer lights use with the same type of plug. If it doesn't, I will send it back and use my back (probably good for me anyway...)
Thanks for the help.
Amanda

stevej · Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:57 am Post subject:

I had the drain plug removed from Shearwater when the transom was redone. The original "cruise ship" does not have a bilge to speak of so I elected to remove, never used the plug in 6 years and don't miss it now that it is gone. It's easy to bail what water gets into the center fish locker that once held the plug and the deck lockers are not joined on the original 25's. Personally I think the new 25 bilge design is cost driven and not a improved design over the original. What water does get into the lockers is isolated to the locker and not allowed to slosh around under the deck. Easy to dry things out with a few minutes of work and no trapped water.

stevej

lloyds · Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 2:03 pm Post subject:

Here are two of many lessons to be learned by trying to launch without the plug being in:

Portable DVD players don't float

Automatic inflating life vests do inflate as designed

jacuthbert · Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:32 pm Post subject: plug removal

Steve
I hope you are right and the amount of water that may get in is no big deal. I found some water frozen this morning around my automatic bilge pump in the hatch at the rear of the cockpit. I was not happy. I don't know what damage it may cause. I put a sponge on it in hopes it will thaw enough to get soaked up today. We are expected to have another night of temperatures in the low 20s. By Thursday it is supposed to get up to 78 degrees with lows in the 50s. That should go on for a few days. Hopefully I can get the excess water soaked up before another freeze. Of course I am crossing my fingers that nothing was damaged, and your information about the bilge and the plug gives me hope that I have not done any damage through ignorance.
Lloyds: I hope I never experience anything like what you describe. I will find a way to display the plug within my sight so that I do not ever forget it. Thanks for the lesson.
Amanda

hardee · Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:23 pm Post subject:

Amanda,

Hope this is in time ----- Add some heat. Hot

A portable hair dryer, or a small ceramic heater, to warm the area where that water is and then soak it up.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

stevej · Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:49 pm Post subject:

Amanda, the original "cruise ship" 95/96 era has a different deck than the new run of 25's. Below is the best picture I have.

View from the cabin door.
Two side lockers between a large "fish locker" that had a drain plug prior to the transom rebuild. The forward locker (back most halibut is on top of) holds batteries and gas tank access. The main difference from a design perspective is that there is not a connection between lockers for water to flow. Any water that gets into a locker stays in that locker, as poorly as the hatches seal there are some some advantages to containment. In my case the back hatches leak like a sive under the right conditions but it's a simple job to bail and remove all the water from each one. The battery locker actually seals well, doubt that I get more than a cup of water over a six month period.

Sorry for the confusion, not sure if you can contain the bilge water flow with the new below deck design.

Stevej

stevej

jacuthbert · Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:09 am Post subject: frozen bilge

I have a hatch on either side of the rear cockpit which contains the batteries and water tank, plus there is circular access in between each hatch that contains the bilge pump. The bilge pump sits in a little hole and right in front of that hole is another hole where water is coming from. The frozen water at the moment is in the recess surrounding the bilge pump. The ice had plenty of room to expand, so I am thinking maybe no damage. I do not have access to electricity for this boat unless I take it to a campground or RV park and plug it in, so I guess I need to find a little battery operated something-or-other that will put some heat down there. I thought about those "toastie" thingys I often used when I took my pontoon boat to Lake Powell in December. They are little packets you activate and then put in your shoes or pocket to keep your extremities warm. I just don't know if they will work on an inorganic substance. I will dig them out and see.
Geez those are big fish!!!
Amanda

designbug · Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:27 am Post subject:

Hi Amanda,

I keep my boat in the water year-round here in Annapolis. I always have a small amount water in the bilge but have learned to live with it. It does get pretty yucky down there, so whenever I can I air out the hatches.

Sometimes in the coldest part of the winter the water freezes in the bilge and the bilge pump won't work. I tried to run it once unaware of the ice and almost burned out the motor. I do my best to remove the ice, but haven't found a good solution to keeping regular heat in the area. I thought that something like an aquarium heater might work but haven't been able to find anything that will work on 12 volts.

I don't believe there has been any damage as a result of the ice.

Dick

jacuthbert · Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 1:48 pm Post subject: freezing bilge

I am so glad to hear you have not had damage even with a frozen bilge.
I have asked my brother to put in an electric plug for me where my boat is stored. The electricity is already there as it is used to run the well pump. I figure maybe I can use a heating pad or something similar in the future. Hopefully he will accomplish the task shortly before the next freeze is upon us. Still, it is a relief to know that your boat has handled the freezing elements. After all, these boats were designed to handle the rough weather of really cold country.
Thanks for the information.
Amanda

C-Otter · Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 3:51 pm Post subject:

Pour in a cup or two of RV antifreeze, good for 40 below. C-Otter

localboy · Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 6:51 pm Post subject:

The little depression in our bilge has about 1/2" of water right now, and with last week's temps, it froze. I pulled the pump out of the strainer and ran some pink anti-freeze through it however, PRIOR to the big freeze, so it'll be fine. I don't think the 1/2-1" of ice will harm anything; JMO. And the bilge is always an experiment in mildew production due to the constant wetness there etc...

I blew out all the lines, so that's taken car of; the water pump? Who knows? Only other thing I worry about is the water heater; did I manage to drain enough out? Hard to tell, but the pump stopped, so it should be "drained".

I do have a small oil heater on in the house along w/ a fan from W. Marine so at least the "wetness" there is kept at bay.

Ah....winter... Evil or Very Mad

Jack in Alaska · Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:42 am Post subject: Hull plug

My plug is a 1 1/4" brass. I have painted the exposed face first with white then fluorescent red paint. It can easily be seen from a long distance so I can check on it when walking after parking my truck towards the boat at launch time.
I also purchased a 1 1/4" plastic pipe cap, drilled a hole in it and bolted it in a conspicuous place on my motor bracket. That is where the plug is stored when not screwed in the hull and it can be seen also when walking back towards my boat at launch time. Works for me so far.
There is a very steep hill from the boat launch back up to the highway so the hull drains very well.

jacuthbert · Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:04 am Post subject: frozen bilge

Super ideas. And really so easy.
In the meantime, my brother installed an outlet near my boat yesterday afternoon, so now I can take care of this a little easier. I will use my wet-dry vac to suck out any remaining water, (hopefully it has thawed) and then I will go with the anti-freeze idea. When I pick-up the anti-freeze, I'll also pick up the materials to help me never forget to put in the bilge plug.
It is so great to be able to tap into the experience of other owners.
Thanks.
Amanda

designbug · Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:54 am Post subject:

With regards to winterizing the lines, water pump and water heater I just run out all of the water and fill with 5-6 gallons of antifreeze and run through the system. I've done this the last three years without bypassing the water heater and have not had any problems. I did move the water pump from the bilge floor to the battery shelf a couple of years ago.

I also have a through hull cruisair ac. Last year instead of running antifreeze through it, which was a pain, I kept a small space heater on the floor near it. I keep the space heater on low to keep the cabin around 45-50 degrees and this seemed to eliminate the need to winterize the ac unit.

I'm on the boat almost everday since it's near my office so I check on things regularly plus the marina staff keep a close eye on things.

Dick