Chasing a leak... transom plug

[anmut]

Last few times on the water I've been bilging more water than usual, so yesterday I did a little detective work with the hose with the knowledge that my boat has been dry for a few days now. Particularly, I've noticed the boat bilging after sitting at a dock for a while, which is weird - previously we've only had water intake from lots of water sports and/or the anchor locker sitting below the waterline.

Good news: I plugged my anchor locker from the outside (duct tape) and filled the anchor locker itself with water, and sat by the rear drain to see if anything came out. Nothing! Anchor locker is secure.

Bad news: I next looked at the cleanout plug tunnels and area. I stuffed one plug in and filled it with water, letting the water come up and over the tunnel into the tray area. Immediately I saw water drizzling in from where my previous year's silicone bead had deteriorated. That was an easy fix - dry the lid and apply more silicone.

The ugly/but good news: I ran the hose directly into the bilge and screwed in my transom plug. Whoa... water was streaming out, which means it was coming in just as much. Okay, WTH... Unscrewed, screwed back in, still water coming out. Okay, so now I'm checking the O-ring and the the plug itself for damage or something obvious but see nothing. Welp, maybe it's time to let the dealer know they have something to fix under warranty... But maybe one last shot in sending that plug in.

This time, when I screwed the plug in, I gave it an extra half turn. Damn it all if that didn't 100% stop the water from coming out.

Now when we took delivery on the boat, the dealer told me to just "snug" the plug in, don't overtighten it. If your dealer told you the same thing, forget it, snug that plug up, and give it a little extra! I'll be interested to see if this helps water intake this weekend.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Lubricate the Plug/O ring. I use pool gasket lubricant. Creates a better seal and allows you to snug it up much easier and it loosens much easier.

 

[anmut]

Lubricate the Plug/O ring. I use pool gasket lubricant. Creates a better seal and allows you snug it up much easier and it loosens much easier.

Good idea - I was thinking of that, but I didn't want to deteriorate the o-ring. Btw, there has GOT to be a better aftermarket plug for these boats without replacing the entire assembly?

 

[HangOutdoors]

Amazon.com: 4oz Lube Tube - Pool Gasket Lubricant: Garden & Outdoor

You can also get it at pool stores if you need it right away. Works Fantastic. I also use it every few outings on my clean out plugs as well.

"LubeTube is an environmentally safe multi-purpose lubricant-sealant for swimming pool O-rings, gaskets, valves, and more. The unique formula is waterproof, odorless, non-toxic, non-staining, non-flammable, non-corrosive, non-rusting and biodegradable. "

 

[anmut]

Amazon.com: 4oz Lube Tube - Pool Gasket Lubricant: Garden & Outdoor

You can also get it at pool stores if you need it right away. Works Fantastic. I also use it every few outings on my clean out plugs as well.

"LubeTube is an environmentally safe multi-purpose lubricant-sealant for swimming pool O-rings, gaskets, valves, and more. The unique formula is waterproof, odorless, non-toxic, non-staining, non-flammable, non-corrosive, non-rusting and biodegradable. "

Oh that's interesting - I've used Yamalube on the clean out plugs, but I'll give this a shot.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I used yamalube as well. I have found to prefer this. Plus it is environmentally friendly so I feel better about it.