Two great, inexpensive buys, learned the hard way

[Paul Heltzel]

I’ve got 2 things I’d recommend especially for new owners, or anybody having trouble keeping water out of the boat, especially on a lift, that have made my life much easier. These budget items stand out in the 10 years I’ve had my SX210.

I’ve used one of these for years with no issues:

Keeping You From Sinking Without Thinking!! Versiplug from PWCDoctor.com Never Forget Your Plug

Versiplug The Original Self Bailing Drain Valve For Personal Watercraft and Boats Vacates the water from your hull. Keeping you from sinking without thinking. Never forget your drain plug again. Jet Ski Drain Plug #Versiplug #ThePWCDoctor #PWC #DrainPlug #Waverunner #Jetski #PersonalWatercraft #Boa

www.pwcdoctor.com

No worries about forgetting the drain plug. And the engine compartment drains even if the bilge pump fails (critical to me because my boat is on a lift and even with a trickle charger shore power fails).

This dirt cheap cover is waterproof, light, and fits well. At this price I could replace it yearly if needed:

VEVOR Waterproof Boat Cover, 20'-22' Trailerable Boat Cover, Beam Width up to 106" v Hull Cover Heavy Duty 210D Marine Grade Polyester Mooring Cover for Fits V-Hull Boat with 5 Tightening Straps | VEVOR US

VEVOR Waterproof Boat Cover made from 210D marine-grade polyester offers full UV protection, tear resistance, and secure fit with 5 adjustable straps for 20'-22' V-Hull boats.

www.vevor.com

I put a cheap grommet in the back half of the cover so water will drain out the scupper valve. I just don’t want water on my seats or in the engine compartment during the offseason:

$13 grommet kit, dead simple

https://a.co/d/grpwQZC

Water doesn’t pool up on the front panel, for some reason. This approach means I don’t have to mess with anti pooling straps or poles.

These might not appeal to everybody, but I like the minimum therapeutic dose to boat maintenance. These keep water out of places that can lead to serious damage, with minimal effort.

Now I just need to find a simple way to keep the cover on, when the boat’s on the lift.

I’ve had expensive Yamaha covers that let a lot of water in the boat. And I’ve had trouble with water pooling on covers. But no longer and both of these things are less than $40.

 

[Neutron]

Problem with those bilge plug drains is i have seen small debris get inside and keep the ball from seating and water comes into the boat or ski.
They are not foolproof at all and it doesn't take much to make it fail

 

[Marvin willis]

Yep. I had those plugs on my old jet ski. The balls got dirty and my ski filled with water.

 

[BlueBulls]

Been rocking the PWC Doctor plug for about 4 years - hundreds of hours in the water, a hundred or so launches and recoveries in both fresh and salt water, and never an issue. The cheap OEM plastic drain plug was an odd choice by Yamaha when the industry standard is brass.

The first time I drove an hour to a lake and realized I had forgotten the original plug (and used a tampon that worked surprisingly well) I started looking for a better option. Now 'plug' is one less thing to worry about. Every time I get on plane the bilge empties, every time I pull out the bilge empties, sitting in the driveway the bilge stays empty - all without thought. I have two bilge pumps and neither runs much.

PWC Doctor sells an 'overnight' cap for their drain that completely covers it. I have one on my boat keychain but have honestly never used it. If the ball is seated at the end of the day and in the slip, water pressure will keep it seated.

 

[Paul Heltzel]

Used the plug with no issues for six years. On the lift we had multiple bilge pump failures, the GFCI trip, and ended up with water in the engine compartment on multiple occasions that caused damage. Everything we tried but this failed.

 

[anmut]

Dear Yamaha - please give us a v-drive T-handle plug in the center of the boat so we can truly drain the water out. Sincerely, most of us.

 

[Paul Heltzel]

Ha, yes. A less than $500 waterproof mooring cover would have also worked. I had 2 that leaked like a sieve.

I admittedly have some optimism bias because we had major, expensive failures while the boat was on the lift and none some the versaplug, which has a design meant to work better and not get clogged compared to a duckbill plug. I also haven’t had to replace a bilge pump in years. They were running a lot before.

Not trying to win anybody over, just laying out what’s worked for us—and what hasn’t. It’s dramatically limited the repair bills. We winterize and service the boat ourselves, use an inexpensive waterproof cover and pay for oil, filters, plugs (and not every year for the plugs), and gas. The plug and cover have made our setup much simpler and more reliable. My 18-year old boat runs great, with very little expense.