Hole in the Bottom of the Boat

[Maria CS20 104]

Hey all, I am wondering about drilling a drain hole in the bottom of the boat to keep rain water accumulation to a minimum.. I read an earlier post about putting in a drain hole and pluggin at the beginning of the season with a temporary plug. We have a CS20 and I am thinking a hole in the keel strip, 1", cleaned and epoxied well just forward of the centerboard trunk. I have vaccumed 5" to 7" of rainwater several times in the last year or so. I figure a cork plug for routine dry spells and a solid Fir plug epoxied in place for using the boat, hammered in from the bottom and if need beepoxied n the outside and a fiberglassed patch on top on the inside. It is raining heavy right now and my bride says I need to investigate. I think she is right but a HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BOAT??????

Please provide input

Jim Atkinson

[Ray Frechette Jr]

Well, if you put a hole in the bottom of the boat it will leak water into the boat when you put it in the water.

So what you need is two holes you see. That way the water that leaks in one hole can go out the other hole...

Seriously though an Anderson Bailer just under the thwartseat next to the keel batten worsk very well.

[hokeyhydro]

I believe you want a drain for on trailer storage. Very common, as in every boat I have owned has one. Usually in the stern near the keel, Brass or stainless tube and a drain plug which can be removed when out of the water and installed to launch. Of course the trailer/boat combo should be parked nose up so water runs out the stern.

Problems: 1. Forgetting to install plug before launch - usually results in a mad scramble.

2. Forgetting to remove plug which results in a wet boat.

3. Arriving at ramp with no plug to install because you lost it.

Carry a spare plug

[PAR]

A transom drain and parking your boat bow up, so it'll drain is the usual choice. With a keel batten, like your CS 20, two will completely drain the boat. One drain will always leave some water inside the boat.

This is a CS-17, with a modified transom, but the construction details are the same. I used two 1" drains on either side of the keel batten. The inside view shows the drains just installed in their epoxy bonded holes and had a flange hammered into them, though still needs paint touch up.

You can only see one drain on the exterior shot, but these are stock 1" brass drains. They come with a rolled flange, which is visible here. Just just to length, leaving about an 1/8" long, bed in thickened epoxy and hammer the flange over on the cut side, when it's cured, for a finished look.

The finished product received lever action transom drain plugs, each with a lanyard attached to the transom brace above them. They can't be left home, nor fall out, though you can forget to install them, which you'll quickly realize shortly after launch.