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We are contemplating installing a "garboard drain plug" at the bottom of the "Well of Lost Souls", a.k.a. the bilge. Has anyone installed a drain at the bottom of their BCC's bilge? We are interested in learning about your experience. Certainly, we have weighed the pros and cons of such a plug and the idea is just a little radical to us, i.e. drilling a hole in a well founded bilge.
Fair Winds,
Rod
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Hiya Rod!
I don't have a drain plug, but I have drilled bolt holes for the rudder gudgeons which have been serving the same
purpose. Just as an armchair exercise I would prefer the plug be placed in the relatively sheltered area above the heel gudgeon on the trailing edge of the rudder post. Easy to install on my hull but a fairly large deal on a finished boat because the area aft of the shaft dam is filled in solid with resin and mish-mash. It could still be done with a bit which has had an extension welded on long enough to pierce approximately 2-3 feet of material forward to the dam. Then you could install a length of PVC pipe into the hole and put in your plug. This spot has the dubious advantage of being able to be double plugged as a failsafe - if you don't mind hanging upside down by your tail to install the second plug in the dam and each time you want to remove it. Any other spot forward of the dam would be easy to install but worries me as a corrosion risk being deep in the bilge where you can't easily examine it and the possibility of being sheared in a grounding.
Why bother?
From: Rod Bruckdorfer
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