Garboard Drain Plug

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1

Was a garboard drain plug factory standard or a factory option on the 30’s? If you have one that you did not install, are you concerned about leakage or failure?
Thanks
Martin
N30C ZENO Toronto

2

Martin: I believe that they were an option. There was some discussion on this site in the past about installing one. Check the INA website to search for the past posts.

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

3

I don’t have one, but I’m concerned about the potential leakage of every through-hole. Add this to that concern: how many have owned small power boats or dinghies and NEVER forgot to put the plug back in at launch time. Raise your hands.

So is this a plug that you’d pull every year with your winterization or one that’s just there in case you need to let the water out someday? (Or let the air out?)

–Brian Godfrey
Vela, NS33, San Diego

4

Our racing club owns a Grover 26 power boat we used for running races and I’m glad it has a garboard plug for drainage over the winter storage months. I remove it, clean it and tie it to the shaft so it won’t be forgotten.

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

5

Brian: I remove the plug every winter and leave it out until launch. It’s a convenient way to drain the bilge. The current plug is some type of plastic. I removed it with the intention of replacing it with a bronze one and was unpleasantly surprised with the low quality caulking that had been used and screws that only went 1/4” into the hull. I could not find an appropriately sized replacement in time for launch, so reinstalled the existing one with longer screws and good caulking. I’m now rethinking whether I should have it. Given the effort to properly fill the hole I’m leaning to a properly sized bronze plug that is through bolted into the bilge, but wanted to see what “standard practice” is before deciding.

Martin

905 848 0925

6

The standard is a bronze, square headed, plug sized to fit the boat.

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

7

Nonsuch has one of the bronze ones. No idea if it is original. I open it each winter.

Bruce Clark
‘Nonsuch’, Nonsuch 30
Whitby YC