Rowboat Drain?!

thinkxingu · 09-27-2019, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

I lost the plug on my 14' Alumacracft and couldn't find a match so I'm using a wine bottle stopper and it works fine.

Nice!

I had the police come to verify the boat since it hadn't been registered for a while, and it comes up as being built in 1948. I'm interested to know if that's true.

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Bear Guy · 09-27-2019, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

the boat ... comes up as being built in 1948. I'm interested to know if that's true.

Alumacraft brand was established in 1946, with their early best seller the 12-foot Model B. Therefore quite plausible your 1948 date is valid.

Here's an image of 1947 model B from antiqueboatamerica.com:

fatlazyless · 09-27-2019, 08:36 AM

If you want to restore the aluminum and make it clean and shiny ....... you know what works good ..... a 5-dollar gallon of Heinz white vinegar from the super market ...... and a sponge/scrubber ...... aluminum gets cleaned and restored by the acidic acid in white vinegar to make it look almost like new.

Is easy to do ..... goes down fast ..... with a big scrubber sponge and rubber gloves.

Descant · 09-27-2019, 12:09 PM

People lose drain plugs all the time so most marinas sell them. They also have brass sleeves to go with it for a nice fit. Drill the hole, bedding compound, and slide it in. Get one sleeve and two plugs or attach the plug with a dummy chain.

I suggest the plug be oriented so you remove it inside the boat, not from outside. If you ever add a small motor, removing the plug to drain while underway is awkward at best.
For bailing, you can get a large "Marine Sponge" that "conforms to the shape of your hull". $18.95. Or a regular sponge for $3.98 at the hardware store. LOL

fatlazyless · 09-27-2019, 08:09 PM

Nice thing about a 12' or 14' rowboat is how winterizing it can be accomplished by simply removing everything from the boat and rolling it over, upside down, so it sheds the rain and the snow can get removed if too heavy for the boat.

When storing a 16'-18'-20' boat under a tarp in your driveway for the winter, it seems like water will always find a way to get into the boat and down into the bilge. Once it freezes in the bilge it can damage the hull or damage a bilge pump.

What to do? I've installed a nylon threaded drain plug and flange on the outside, bottom of the hull on a 16' Alumacraft with a 40-hp outboard in the middle of the bilge area , about one foot distance from the transom.

And, it works pretty good after five years ..... so far so good ...... and rain or melting snow that gets into the boat will drain down and out this lower drain hole.

This has got to be the greatest boat bilge, drain plug installation, in the world history of boat bilge drain plugs ...... ever, ever, ever made ..... ever!

8gv · 09-27-2019, 10:38 PM

My 12' Starcraft had a rolled gunnel.

One winter, with the boat stored upside down, the gunnel filled with water and then froze.

It split the lower section of about 6" of the gunnel.

After that I stored the boat upside down but with a significant bow to stern tilt.

There was no more freeze damage after that.

arthurc · 09-30-2019, 05:29 PM

Get in touch with Alumacraft.They can give you info about the boat including
wheere the drain is. I had one and i think the drain is attttached somewhere on the botttom.

The boat is an antique so go big if you sell it.

09-27-2019, 08:36 AM	#3
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,738 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,007 Times in 735 Posts	If you want to restore the aluminum and make it clean and shiny ....... you know what works good ..... a 5-dollar gallon of Heinz white vinegar from the super market ...... and a sponge/scrubber ...... aluminum gets cleaned and restored by the acidic acid in white vinegar to make it look almost like new. Is easy to do ..... goes down fast ..... with a big scrubber sponge and rubber gloves. __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

09-27-2019, 12:09 PM	#4
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,341 Thanks: 1,339 Thanked 1,621 Times in 1,053 Posts	Lost plugs People lose drain plugs all the time so most marinas sell them. They also have brass sleeves to go with it for a nice fit. Drill the hole, bedding compound, and slide it in. Get one sleeve and two plugs or attach the plug with a dummy chain. I suggest the plug be oriented so you remove it inside the boat, not from outside. If you ever add a small motor, removing the plug to drain while underway is awkward at best. For bailing, you can get a large "Marine Sponge" that "conforms to the shape of your hull". $18.95. Or a regular sponge for $3.98 at the hardware store. LOL

09-27-2019, 08:09 PM	#5
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,738 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,007 Times in 735 Posts	Nice thing about a 12' or 14' rowboat is how winterizing it can be accomplished by simply removing everything from the boat and rolling it over, upside down, so it sheds the rain and the snow can get removed if too heavy for the boat. When storing a 16'-18'-20' boat under a tarp in your driveway for the winter, it seems like water will always find a way to get into the boat and down into the bilge. Once it freezes in the bilge it can damage the hull or damage a bilge pump. What to do? I've installed a nylon threaded drain plug and flange on the outside, bottom of the hull on a 16' Alumacraft with a 40-hp outboard in the middle of the bilge area , about one foot distance from the transom. And, it works pretty good after five years ..... so far so good ...... and rain or melting snow that gets into the boat will drain down and out this lower drain hole. This has got to be the greatest boat bilge, drain plug installation, in the world history of boat bilge drain plugs ...... ever, ever, ever made ..... ever! __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

09-30-2019, 05:29 PM	#7
arthurc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 82 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Alumacraft No Drain Get in touch with Alumacraft.They can give you info about the boat including wheere the drain is. I had one and i think the drain is attttached somewhere on the botttom. The boat is an antique so go big if you sell it.

09-27-2019, 10:38 PM	#6
8gv Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 2,092 Thanks: 64 Thanked 744 Times in 478 Posts	My 12' Starcraft had a rolled gunnel. One winter, with the boat stored upside down, the gunnel filled with water and then froze. It split the lower section of about 6" of the gunnel. After that I stored the boat upside down but with a significant bow to stern tilt. There was no more freeze damage after that.