GARBOARD DRAIN????

[argonavis]

Okay - so ...............

My boat has a Garboard Drain that has been glassed over by some fool. Or genius - but the way I figure, it was there for a reason, ie. the guy was foolish. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery on what I should do?? Find the spot of the original plug, unearth it and re-install a new one? Forget about it?(that would be too easy, right?) I am a little nervous with the cold weather setting in that any water in the keel/bilge will freeze and cause damage.

I have put antifreeze into the bilge to avoid the issue but am still concerned.

thanks for the help.

[bcooke]

I have the same problem. I was thinking I will have the boat well covered up (it stays pretty dry now anyway) so I will just keep an eye on the bilge. Antifreeze would probably be a good idea. A drain is definitely a good idea and one I will be doing before the end of next season. Besides keeping the bilge drained over the winter, I had the cockpit sole opened up for about a month this summer and got really tired up pumping out the bilge every time it rained or I hosed down the dust inside.

As for finding the original hole. There are more knowledgeable people here but I would think the filled hole -if it was done properly- is probably as strong or stronger than the surrounding hull surface. I would just drill a new hole where it drains the best. Let me know how it works out and I will copy you.

-Britton

[argonavis]

Rather than just drilling a hole willy nilly I'd be more excited to find the original spot. I imagine that the original hole is in the best locale for the drain.

But that said how will I know which spot to drill and install said drain?

The bilge is very dry right now so I think I am safe, but..............

[Figment]

My guess is that it was glassed over because it was prone to leaking.

If the hole was repaired so well that you'd have trouble finding the original location, then I wouldn't bother worrying about the original location. Just drill and install a new one where you please.

If you've sloshed some of that pink antifreeze into the bilge and mixed it around, you'll be ok. I've been there and done that ad nauseum.
The only time this failed me was when new rainwater/snowmelt trickled its way into the bilge and kinda "floated" atop the antifreeze mixture instead of mixing into it. Check on the boat periodically, mix the bilgewater with a stick and you'll be fine.

(obviously, pump it as dry as you can periodically as well)

[bcooke]

I imagine that the original hole is in the best locale for the drain

That has been my reasoning in the past but six months with my Triton has convinced me otherwise. I would level the decks and throw a marble or ball bearing in the bilge and see where it wants to settle out. An alternative would be to drill reasonable close to the low point and then adjust the deck level to maximize the drainage. I am not sure the exact placement is all that critical to begin with. Let me know!

-Britton

[Tim]

And unless your covering job is really bad, and you totally ignore the boat all winter, it's highly unlikely that enough water will ever accumulate in the bilge to freeze and cause a big problem.

That said, I see dozens of boats that have met both of the criteria above...poor covering and total ignorance all winter. But still no problems from the bilge water. Generally, as long as water has room to expand in at least one direction when freezing, it will not cause significant problems. Still, it's best to avoid the possibility in the first place. But small chunks of frozen bilge water don't harm anything, even if they occur.

Don't ignore your boat during the winter! Boats need love and attention 12 months a year. Check the bilge from time to time.

I also agree that one should not assume that the "original" garboard drain location was the best. Use the best information you have to locate the drain in the most useful location, and go for it. It's usually pretty straightforward to find the low point, or close to.