Bilge sea cock

[tego]

Rick, Living in Florida, you wouldn't really need a bilge drain. The primary purpose is to leave a drain open in the bilge when you lay her up up north. If melting snow or rain get into your bilge up there, and it freezes, you can really be in trouble. If you go up north and for some reason have to leave her there over a winter, you can easily install one then. Other than that, the fewer holes in the bottom, the better. Ben

[Beta Don]

4 cylinder boats don't have that drain . . . . because they don't need it - The aft end of the keel should stay dry. If it does get any water in it, you can pump it out through the opening in the aft cabin floor

6 cylinder boats have a stuffing box (which leaks a little water) in that aft compartment at the back end of the keel. They have a much larger opening in the aft cabin floor to service the stuffing box . . . . and they came with the drain plug we're discussing so you can open it up when you haul to make sure no water freezes in the end of the keel

As everyone knows, the fewer holes in any boat below the waterline, the better - I surely wouldn't add one unless it was really needed

Don

[ScubaPete]

A quick way to sink your boat, Pete. Brass will de-zincify and fall out.

Good catch, I was just looking for a picture of a garboard drain plug, and didn't pay attention to the writing in the pic that said "brass".

[rnummi]

Muchas Gracias... Ok, no plug install. I do have a stuffing box access port in the Aft cabin. I can also see the keel void access hole at the aft end of engine compartment.

[Beta Don]

Your stuffing box *should be* in the engine compartment, about a foot aft of the transmission. When you look down that access hole in the aft cabin, you should see a fiberglass tube, with the shaft inside of it

Don

[sail149]

Don
Not all 4d61 boats had the fiberglass tube for the shaft. My '84 has a regular stuffing box in the back of the keel.
I'm half way thru fitting a drain plug ....but I'm in the I'm in the heavy freeze zone.
I also have the fiberglass pan under the engine....

[rnummi]

Whew, sanded the nasty pseudo drain plug area.... Just a really sloppy repair. Appears rock solid though. First time I've mucked about down there.