Drain Plugs 2020 AR210

[HangOutdoors]

I have a question regarding the drain plugs. It stopped raining so I have been setting up the boat to get used to doing for tomorrow maiden voyage.

I am trying to determine which ones I leave open or closed and when.

I see there are plugs in the following places:
1) Back of boat bottom of keel. - I know that this one is in while I am in the water of course.
2) Ski Locker - bunch of crud in the bottom of it that I wiped out.
3) Engine compartment 1 - wall bottom straight below engine latch.
4) Engine Compartment 2 - about a foot back from previous one but on the floor.

I am not sure if there are others I haven't found yet.

What is best practice?

 

[JDRacing]

Lots of debate on the plugs in 2-4 above. My dealer said it's user's preference, and that he leaves them open on his personal Yamaha, so that's what I've been doing. Never had an issue.

I think you've found them all.

Jeff

 

[buckbuck]

I am firmly in the camp of all inside plugs left open. I want any water coming in to make it to the bilge pump.

 

[slickstick]

I am firmly in the camp of all inside plugs left open. I want any water coming in to make it to the bilge pump.

What would be the purpose of the plug then? What is the situation where you would plug them?

 

[212s]

What would be the purpose of the plug then? What is the situation where you would plug them?

The Yamaha owner's manual says close the plugs when on the water to prevent water intrusion if there's a leak, and open them out of the water to drain completely if you have water in the locker from skis, boards, whatever. The cockpit is self-bailing and even if a big wave comes over the bow, it doesn't get a drop in the floor locker because it has a channel around the locker to drain water to the self-bailing drain hole where it runs out the back.

When our boat was still brand new and getting used to handling, I backed off the throttle too much going across a wake, and the bow came down right into a big wake from a large cruiser. We took about 20% of the wave over the bow, hitting the windshield and soaking me and the wife on the upper body. It was like going to the water park! After we stopped laughing, we looked around and the deck had already drained clear - we just used a towel to wipe down the bow seating, windshield, and some areas in the cockpit and she was dry in a few minutes. I opened the locker and it was bone dry even though the marine mat was soaked. The self-bailing drain works.

I leave mine in most of the time as she is pretty dry in the locker. I'll take them out for the winter so it can breathe during storage.

 

[Sean R]

I've wondered this myself.

 

[JetMania]

What would be the purpose of the plug then? What is the situation where you would plug them?

When we did our lake check out with the tech, he said you can leave them in or out when on the water, but open them when off. This is what was already shared. He also said people like to use the ski locker for an ice chest emote drinks and you can leave that plug in to keep the melt from draining out or leave it out to let it drain.

Thanks @212s for sharing that. I was wondering if she took a huge amount of water if it would pour into the ski locker. I like the idea of that self-bailing drain.

 

[NewBoater]

What about the drain plug in the engine hatch where the bilge is? Where does that plug drain to?

 

[212s]

What about the drain plug in the engine hatch where the bilge is? Where does that plug drain to?

Into the lower hull to either be pumped out if large enough quantities, or to drain out the transom plug at the back.

 

[NewBoater]

Into the lower hull to either be pumped out if large enough quantities, or to drain out the transom plug at the back.

So prolly best to leave that plug open? I recently had my boat on lift for about a month and didn’t get to use the boat. Had mooring cover on. Came back opened it up and found a ton of water in the engine bay. Not enough to cause damage to engines but a lot. I guess if I had that plug in engine compartment open and left drain plug on back of boat open then there wouldn’t have been any water in engine compartment?

 

[JetMania]

So prolly best to leave that plug open? I recently had my boat on lift for about a month and didn’t get to use the boat. Had mooring cover on. Came back opened it up and found a ton of water in the engine bay. Not enough to cause damage to engines but a lot. I guess if I had that plug in engine compartment open and left drain plug on back of boat open then there wouldn’t have been any water in engine compartment?

Yeah that sounds right from my understanding.

 

[212s]

Yeah that sounds right from my understanding.

@NewBoater Yeah, what he said.

 

[jsg73]

How did you have a bunch of water anywhere in the boat if it was on a lift and had the mooring cover on?

 

[JetMania]

How did you have a bunch of water anywhere in the boat if it was on a lift and had the mooring cover on?

Depends on the rain. The mooring cover leaks around the tower. No way to get a perfect seal around that shape no matter how you do the Velcro.

 

[jsg73]

That makes sense. Mine sits on a lift with the mooring cover in place and under roof so it never gets a drop of water in it

 

[Dfred]

As we get acquainted to our new-to-us boat, we were wondering the same. Found older-model manual it states to keep all inside plugs closed when underway/in-water. Open as needed to drain, wash/flush etc.

I wonder if the “keep all plugs closed right” is (in unthinkable emergency?) to control/limit water entering the hull from filling up the cockpit, and instead move it toward the stern at the lowest bilge point? Back behind the bulkhead between the engine compartment and water box/jetpump clean out tubes area, there may be an opening of the two hull (or hull and deck) sections. This is near the OEM bilge pump, where it would possibly kick in and bail the boat. Can this be confirmed ? There is nothing I can find in the service manual about this “drain” system and hull design.

 

[212s]

My manual says to keep them in when operating on water for safety too. I put them in and aside from opening them once in a while to spray some silicone lube on them, they stay closed all the time. I don't get any water in the engine bay or ski locker at all, even if water washes over the bow - it all goes out the cockpit drain.