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Transom drain


Chas231

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Now that the boat has moved onto the trailer and out from under the house I realize I need to install a transom drain. Are the brass tubes preferred? Is a flanging tool required? Is it sufficient to drill a slightly oversized hole and coat the inside with resin, or should an oversized hole be filled entirely with resin, then re-drilled through the epoxy?

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Chuck

 

I drill the hole as close to the bottom as possible and place the flange on the outside and cut the tube flush on the inside.  Never bothered with flaring the cut end.  The drilled hole should always be sealed with epoxy whether the tube is set in epoxy or a sealant.  Whether the plug fits on the outside or inside depends on the size of the boat and access.  On a Bluejacket, it should be outside so its easily accessible as well as easily seen.  Embarrassing to find that the plug has been forgotten after launching.  LIZ's plug is kept in the splashwell when not in use.

 

Some don't use a transom drain but I like to have the plug removed and the bow lifted in storage so no water is ever left in the boat.  Having to depend on a bilge pump which always leaves some water in the bilge does not appeal to me.  Actually, the bilge should be dry although there may be slight rain leakage around the center tank cockpit seal.

 

Hope to see you in Georgetown.

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With a little figuring and measuring, you can angle the drain down a few degrees to insure it insects the bottom/transom corner. I hate it when a drain doesn't drain every drop. I usually eyeball it, with a 1 1/4" hole saw, but the less brave might want to sneak up on it with a pilot hole. I drill from the inside of the boat, placing the hole saw dead in the corner and angling down a few degrees. You do need to check you're not going to come through the bottom and I've used a 1/4" jobber bit and a block of wood to act as a guide to insure it's where I want it.  Once the hole is drilled, then it proceeds just as Tom has suggested. I always use an epoxy bond, rather than bedding. I have flanged both sides, but you don't need a tool. If you want to flare both sides, epoxy the 1" brass tube normally, but leave a 1/4" sticking out so you have material to "roll over" in the flare. Let the epoxy cure good (several days) and take the ball side of a ball peen hammer and slowly pound it over. If you had some forethought and planning, you'd had shaped the epoxy ooze out to roughly the shape of the flare, so you can beat the tube down to this. You'll never be able to bang it completely flat against the epoxy, so backfill the newly formed flare/flange, so apply some more goo and feather it out. The only time I've needed to do the double flare thing is on small boats, where the plug could be put on either side easily. If the boat is tall enough where you can't easily reach over and install the plug on the other side, just place the flare on the outside.

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Thanks for the help. The hole is drilled and will be coated with several coats of resin. Is the brass tube necessary? I think the plug will fit nicely in the resin-coated hole.

Still trying to understand the splash well. Should the splash well floor be made above the cockpit sole, slanted toward the transom for drainage, and made removable for access to the bilge?

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I made a sloped floor in the splash well.   The height at the transom is dictated by the steering mechanism.  It has to be over 5 inches below the transom cutout for the Baystar steering.  Towards the front it slopes up to about 4-5 inches above the cockpit sole.  It has a big access hole with a cover to get to the bilge area below.  Two drain holes in the transom just above the splash well floor should take care of water that made it's way in.

 

Egbert

19624818860_3a646331a0_z.jpg

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Splashwell shapes and configuration are dependant on the outboard size, but are designed to contain water boarding over the cutout (draining it back in the drink), provide steering and engine control cables/wires space, swing room for the motor head in the up position, knowing what else also needs to live there in this raised position and few other considerations. I don't like hatches in the splash well, preferring to allow access below form the cockpit side. A hatch seems self defeating to me.

 

The brass tube isn't entirely necessary, but I install them anyway. It looks neater and it's another line of defence from moisture getting into the surrounding wood.

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Good advice - think I got it now. Egbert, as usual, your work is very nice. Looks like a factory piece! Will you be able to remove your fuel tank with the splash well floor in place? My tank extends back to about 9" in front of the transom. If I make the splash well floor permanent I'm not sure I could remove the tank.

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Here is a picture of the splash well seen from the cockpit.  My tank also extends under the splash well by about the same amount.  I can take it out by sliding it forward and up towards the bow .  The back end  of the cockpit floor cover has a vertical piece glued to it about 4" high.  This fits under the white piece of wood that forms the forward end of the splash well floor.  That gives me enough clearance to pull out the fuel tank. 

 

 

 

20916250161_e5a831a819_z.jpg

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Thanks Chuck and Tom,  I don't think I'll be completely finished before Georgetown.  I hope to get it in a presentable state before that.  Painting took way to long and I'm still not overly happy with the results, but I had to move on.

 

Egbert

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