through-hull plugs for skiffs?

[jason stumpf]

i'm about to drill a hole in the bottom of my 16' wherry and install a brass through-hull drain. you know, the flange with the stopper screw in it. any reason why i shouldn't do it? i know some who think there's no place in small craft for through-hull fittings, but it would make washing out the boat a whole bunch easier..... thanks.
jason

[Donn]

Every small boat I've owned had a drain plug...and every one was at the bottom of the transom.

[On Vacation]

You will need a special tool for crimping it down on the raw side. Check about this before drill the hole.

[Sailing-Randy]

There is a special tool for flaring the raw end of the drain, and it is pricey! My memory, which ain't often real accurate, says it was about $35. Basically it was two swages on a bolt. I looked at trying to make a homemade device for once or twice uses, but so far no luck. The trick is finding a swage the right size, -or- something else suitable.

However, a local boatbuilder, professional none-the-less showed me what did back in the 50's and 60's. He bought the tube already flared on one end and just glued/gouged it in the hole leaving the outside edge raw.

I still haven't put drain holes in my flatbottom boat - one at the bottom of each side of the transom - because I would still like to flare the outside edge. However, this winter I made just use 1" copper pipe, flair the one end and leave the other raw.

[videoguy]

Jason I think they are called garboard drains I use them in all of the shark river dorys I build. I install them backwards with the flange on the out side of the hull and grind them flush with the inside of the planking . Then I fair it in with epoxy that way all the water drains out . I also fair the flange in on the out side of the hull with epoxy . I makes for a nice looking job and causes less water resistance,not that it matters that much in a dory . .............. keep building ..............Phil

[Donn]

http://www.boatus-store.com/items/large/128025.jpg

Cast bronze...Perko...at BoatUS for $13.99

http://www.boatus-store.com/browse/item.asp?CFSR=1&IID=16279

[jason stumpf]

thanks everybody! i actually have a fitting like the one that loon shows above. also, i've got a piece of brass tube with one end flared that fits over the bottom "pipe" section of the plug fitting. the boat's a wherry, so i can go straight through the bottom back near the transom. i figure on mortising the fitting flush with the plank keel, and inserting the flared tube from the outside of the keel onto the fitting. a fair ammount of polysulfide should keep things dry. what say?
jason