sailboat garboard plug

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Boat Drain Plugs

• By Jim Hendricks
• Updated: June 24, 2020

Recently, I decided to replace my boat’s old brass-tube/rubber-plug bilge drain with a more robust bilge drain, one that’s better suited for keeping the boat in the water for the summer. These are known generally as garboard drains. In the course of this re-fit, I discovered more choices in garboard drains that I had originally imagined. Here are some of the factors to consider when it comes to these fittings.

Hole Diameter

Garboard drains are available for transom holes ranging from ¾ to 1½ inches in diameter. The most common for today’s recreational boat is one that fits a 1-inch diameter hole. Whichever garboard drain fitting you choose, make sure matches the transom hole and that there is enough surface around the hole to accommodate the size of the flange without it hanging below the bottom of the transom.

Some garboard drains have tubes that extend farther inside the transom hole than others. This dimension is irrelevant unless the tube extends beyond inner wall of the transom. In this case, it could impede bilge drainage by allowing water to collect along the inner transom wall aft of the drain-tube opening. Make sure the tube is not too long.

Garboard-style drains come in three materials. Bronze, stainless steel and plastic. Since these fittings are well below the water, let’s discount plastic as a viable choice. Bronze is the traditional material, time-tested for resisting corrosion, especially for underwater applications. However, stainless steel offers a more pleasing esthetic when the boat is on the trailer, and is a better choice for aluminum boats, provided that the stainless steel is properly isolated from the less noble aluminum (bronze and aluminum do not play well together at all). However, stainless steel is more prone to corrosion than is bronze in underwater applications.

Through-Bolt or Not

Some garboard drains feature backing plates for through-bolting the flange to the transom. This is a good idea for boats that are kept in the water full time, and certainly can’t hurt on any boat, be dry-stacked, trailered or slipped. However, some garboard drain are installed with self-tapping screws through the outer flange. Make sure the screws are long enough to bite into the meat of transom. Whichever way the fitting is secured, be sure to generously bed the flange with an application marine sealant that is designed for use below the waterline.

Wrench vs. Thumb Screw

The original 1-inch garboard drains used bronze ½-inch plugs with a square head that required 9/16-inch or 14mm open-end wrench, an adjustable crescent wrench, or a special T-wrench for properly tightening and loosening the plug. Later versions feature a crossbar for better leverage for hand-tightening/loosening. More recent iterations offer more ergonomic thumb-screws that dispense with wrenches. The latter have gained favor with trailer-boaters and dry-stackers, while skippers who slip their boats still favor plugs that require a wrench.

Captive Plugs

One downside of the garboard plugs is that they are smaller and easier to misplace or lose than the old rubber plugs. To help mitigate this failing, some garboard drains now feature captive plugs. The Attwood stainless-steel oval garboard drain ($34.95, greatlakesskipper.com ), for example, has a plug that is retained by the fitting even when unscrewed, so you cannot lose it. I see many boats today with this style drain.

Seals and O-Rings

The original ½-plugs featured NPT threads that sealed watertight once battened down, but some of today fittings also feature O-rings or rubber seals that add an extra measure of safety. For instance, the Davey and Company bronze drain plug ($38.78, greenboatstuff.com ) has a rubber seal that seats on the outer flange for a ultra-watertight fit.

Read Next: Three Things To Look For In A Bilge Pump

Emergency Spare Plug

Garboard drain plugs are small and easy to misplace, so have a spare or two is good idea. The Emergency Garboard Drain Plug from SeaSense is designed for just this reason. The injection-molded nylon, bright-orange plug clips to your boat’s key ring, so it is always handy when you need it most. $0.95, muddcreek.com

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Garboard Drain Plug Kit

• Brass Garboard drain plug kit
• 1/2" NPT brass plug (with housing kit)

The T-H Marine Supplies Garboard Drain Plug Kit is an essential accessory for boat owners looking to quickly and easily drain their vessel's bilge. This kit includes a durable brass drain plug, along with the housing kit. The drain plug's unique design ensures a secure and watertight seal, preventing leaks and keeping water out of your bilge. 

The Garboard Drain Plug Kit is easy to install and fits most standard drain openings, making it a versatile option for a wide range of boats. Whether you're looking to replace a damaged drain plug or simply upgrade your boat's drainage system, the T-H Marine Supplies Garboard Drain Plug Kit offers the reliability and convenience necessary to keep your boat's bilge clean and dry.

• 1/2" NPT brass plug
• Housing kit

Customer Reviews

Easy to install I received the item very super fast I am very happy will order more items in the future

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Garboard plug installation

• Thread starter pamacm
• Start date Feb 7, 2015
• Oday Owner Forums
• Ask An Oday Owner

where do you put a garboard plug in an oday 25  

another question is why install a garboard drain?.... I can only see the reasoning of drilling a small hole in the lowest point of a sailboat if it has extremely leaky deck fittings it is going to spend an unreasonable amount of time on the hard, untarped in a rainy area while its being repaired/refitted and all the deck leaks fixed, and then the hole is sealed closed with epoxy after it has served its purpose.....  

Yes, the boat spends the winter on the hard. It accumulates water even though it is tarped. The garboard drain will work fine, but where is the best place to put it on an oday 25 ?  

On the 34 it is about six inches over the keel bolt washers at the keel stub mid point. A drain plug makes a lot of sense. A boat can develop a leak for many reasons over the winter ( imagine a frozen cockpit supper busting) and covers can fail. Without an open drain the damage can be so costly as to total the boat. It only makes sense to allow any water that might find its way in to drain out. They are easy to install and easy to make water tight. I have never heard of one leaking from plywood one designs to major fiberglass yachts.  

Specifically, I am looking for the best location on my oday 25 that has a keel with a centerboard.  

pamacm said: Specifically, I am looking for the best location on my oday 25 that has a keel with a centerboard. Click to expand

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Bronze Garboard Drain Plug-Plug Only

Description

Key Features:

• Replacement 0.5” Bronze Garboard Drain Plug
• Square top plug for easy use with socket wrench
• 0.5” NPT thread
• Plug only- drain flange Not Included

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Is the Radisson boat tour the best for a river cruise? - Moscow Forum

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Is the Radisson boat tour the best for a river cruise?

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This post has been removed at the author's request.

In the winter? You have no choice.

Radisson boats are the best, yes.

And only radissons operate in winter (because only they can break the ice on the river).

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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Boat Drain Plug, 2-Pack Upgraded 1/2 Inch NPT Solid Brass Garboard Drain Plug for Boat Drain Plug, Fits Most Boat Hulls

Purchase options and add-ons, about this item.

Solid Brass Plug: The Boat Drain Plug design is made of high-quality solid brass, and processed using ultra-high precision CNC machine tools. Solid brass is more reinforced, durable, and corrosion-resistant than hollow brass.

• Widely Compatible: Boat Plug is suitable for all standard 1/2 "NTP Thread Drain Plugs, with exquisite workmanship and a very smooth and burr-free surface. It can be easily screwed on, saving a lot of time.
• Ideal choice: The 2 Pcs Garboard Plug combination packaging is the best and ideal choice. Keep one of them in your toolkit, and when one is lost or damaged, you can immediately find a replacement without having to wait for another order. Save a lot of time to enjoy life.
• Easy installation: The product design is mainly used for ship drainage or sealing pipelines. When you don't need it on your ship, you can connect pipes of the same size to prevent leakage. Just use a wrench to easily install and disassemble the plug, and you can use it with confidence.
• 100% Guarantee: All Ancable products come with our 100% No Questions Asked Guarantee. We care about only putting out high-quality products that satisfy your needs. If you have any questions, please contact us.

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