Boating

What to Look For

- —Jim Hendricks

Recently, I decided to replace my boat’s old brass-tube/rubber-plug bilge drain with a more robust bilge drain, one that’s better suited for keeping the boat in the water for the summer. These are known generally as garboard drains. In the course of this refit, I discovered more choices in garboard drains than I had originally imagined. Here are some of the factors to consider when it comes to these fittings.

HOLE DIAMETER

Garboard drains are available for transom holes ranging from ¾ to 1½ inches in diameter. The most common for today’s recreation­al boat is one that fits a 1-inch-diameter hole. Make sure there is enough surface around the hole to accommodat­e the size of the flange without it hanging below the bottom of the transom.

TUBE DEPTH

Some garboard drains have tubes that extend farther inside the transom hole than others. This dimension is irrelevant unless the tube extends beyond the inner wall of the transom. In this case, it could impede bilge drainage by allowing water to collect along the inner transom wall. Make sure the tube is not too long.

MATERIAL

Garboardst­yle drains come in three materials: bronze, stainless steel and plastic. Since these

fittings are well below the water, let’s discount plastic as a viable choice. Bronze is the traditiona­l material, time-tested for resisting corrosion in underwater applicatio­ns. However, stainless steel offers a more pleasing aesthetic when the boat is on the trailer, and is a better choice for aluminum boats, provided the stainless steel is properly isolated from the less-noble aluminum. (Bronze and aluminum do not play well together at all.) However, stainless steel is more prone to corrosion than bronze in underwater applicatio­ns.

CAPTIVE PLUGS

One downside of the garboard plugs is they are smaller and easier to misplace than the old rubber plugs. To mitigate this failing, some garboard drains now feature captive plugs. The Attwood stainlesss­teel oval garboard drain ($34.95, greatlakes­skipper.com), for example, has a plug that is retained by the fitting even when unscrewed, so you can’t lose it. I see many boats today with this style of drain.

THROUGH-BOLT OR NOT

Some garboard drains feature backing plates for through-bolting the flange to the transom. This is a good idea for boats that are kept in the water full time, and it certainly can’t hurt on any boat, be it dry-stacked, trailered or slipped. However, some garboard drains are installed with self-tapping screws through the outer flange. Make sure the screws are long enough to bite into the meat of the transom. Whichever way the fitting is secured, be sure to generously bed the flange with an applicatio­n of marine sealant that is specifical­ly designed for use below the waterline.

WRENCH VS. THUMBSCREW

The original 1-inch garboard drains used bronze ½-inch plugs with square heads that required a 9∕16-inch or 14-millimeter open-end wrench, an adjustable crescent wrench, or a special T-handle wrench for properly tightening and loosening the plug. Later versions feature a crossbar for better leverage for hand-tightening and loosening. More recent iterations offer more ergonomic thumbscrew­s that dispense with wrenches. The latter have gained favor with trailer boaters and dry-stackers, while skippers who slip their boats still favor plugs that require a wrench.

SEALS AND O-RINGS

The original ½-inch plugs featured NPT threads that sealed watertight once battened down, but some of today’s fittings also feature O-rings or rubber seals that add an extra measure of safety. For instance, the Davey and Company bronze drain plug ($38.78, greenboats­tuff.com) has a rubber seal that seats on the outer flange for an ultra-watertight fit.

 ??  ?? PLUG IT IN Garboard drains come in a wide range of styles, sizes and materials. Some have retainers to help prevent losing the plug.
PLUG IT IN Garboard drains come in a wide range of styles, sizes and materials. Some have retainers to help prevent losing the plug.

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