I can tell you we remove the plug from almost every boat that comes in.
my guess is, the same people that would think this was the mechanics fault, would also blame him if the boat owner left the plug in, it rained, and filled the boat with water.
this really makes me think a policy modification is in order.
Hanckle has a big sign that says to remember to check your plug.
its on the fence as you pull out of the lot
I’m now at www.teamcharlestonmarine.com
my mechanic, after fixing and river testing my rig, left my plug in. boat filled up with water during a thunderstorm the next afternoon in my yard. luckily i noticed the tires bulging and ran out and pulled it before it before the tires blew out. no harm/no foul, but whos responsibility is that? that being asked, plug is only in my drain hole when my boat is in the water. leaving it in when its out of the water is just asking(begging) for a disaster
hightide 1602sc
90hp merc
alumnicraft 14’
25hp merc
Owner’s responsibility without a doubt.
I always put the plug in the 1st time I think of it on a boat trip (usually when I load coolers, rods, etc. in the boat). Then I check when I hook up the trailer. Then I check a final time as I take the straps off the transom and remove the transom saver. I do this knowing full well that I put the plug in myself and have already checked it once.
I can’t imagine someone leaving the plug in the boat. Even if its dry stored you’re still going to get some water in the bilge during use. Even if you’ve got a bilge pump it’ll never get it all out. That’s just nasty.
Key West Sportsman 186
Yamaha 150 4 Stroke
Plug is the last thing I put in before I take the transom straps off and the first thing I pull after I put them back on.
2008 Sea Fox 197 CC
2008 Suzuki 140
quote:
Originally posted by MarionREI can’t imagine someone leaving the plug in the boat. Even if its dry stored you’re still going to get some water in the bilge during use. Even if you’ve got a bilge pump it’ll never get it all out. That’s just nasty.
Key West Sportsman 186
Yamaha 150 4 Stroke
That’s what happened to my Key West. The previous owner left the plug in all the time in dry storage, but the little bit of water that remained in the bilge eventually corroded the bilge pump wiring, causing the pump to fail. This lead to more water in the bilge, which caused additional wiring problems.
My thinking is that if you leave the plug in all the time, you’re asking for trouble at some point.
White Trash
Sea Fox 236
200HP Suzuki
quote:
Originally posted by duckduckdogPlug is the last thing I put in before I take the transom straps off and the first thing I pull after I put them back on.
2008 Sea Fox 197 CC
2008 Suzuki 140
ditto
If you ain’t hooked, you ain’t doing it right.
14’ Duracraft w/twin 25 Johnsons
quote:
Originally posted by chris VI can tell you we remove the plug from almost every boat that comes in.
my guess is, the same people that would think this was the mechanics fault, would also blame him if the boat owner left the plug in, it rained, and filled the boat with water.this really makes me think a policy modification is in order.
Hanckle has a big sign that says to remember to check your plug.
its on the fence as you pull out of the lotI’m now at www.teamcharlestonmarine.com
Chris V, you are dead right there about the “sinking on a trailer” guy. We have a sign over our service department counter and on our fence as you leave the yard that states, "Please check your drain plug…We will not be responsible for plugs left in or out of boats
". You may want to have one made!
“The Unsinkable Legend”
Scootin’
When I first read your post, I was hoping that you weren’t the one that was blaming the dealer.
I don’t see how anybody could honestly believe it’s the mechanic’s fault.
It sounds like the captain know’s he screwed up, but is looking for someone to help pay the costs.
The nerve…
Happy boatin’ y’all!!
So when you go to Jiffy Lube and get your oil changed it’s your responsibility to check to make sure the oil drain plug, filler cap, and dipstick have been replaced before you drive off? I have heard of Jiffy Lube paying for lots of engines.
Is it commone sense to check your oil plug every time you take your car out for a drive?
Or better yet, is it common sense to check the oil plug after you loan your car to a friend to drive?
No, because it’s not a common practice by the general population to pull oil plugs after using them.
It is, however, a very common event for most people to pull the drain plug when a boat is trailered for many of the possibilities mentioned above.
Why wouldn’t you check the drain plug before putting the boat in the water? Especially after leaving it in the hands of someone else.
But, even if you stored it in your driveway, garage, or anywhere else, you should always check the plug before you put the boat in the water, because it’s very possible that some pranksters could have removed it, or it could have come loose and fell out on the highway. Just common sense the way I see it.
To each his own I guess.
Happy boatin’ y’all!!
I’m not saying you shouldn’t check it, I’m saying if the shop took it out, the shop should be responsible for replacing it, especially if it were there when it went to the shop. They are a boat shop. If they remove a part that could have potential catastrophic consequences, they should be responsible for replacing it. It’s not a whoopsie or you should have done it thing. They took it out, they should put it back.
IMO
Years ago my wife and I bought a 28’ cruiser. We were going to keep the boat in the water so we had the bottom painted.
We met the guy at the ramp after having the bottom painted and he asked how it looked and I said “great”. He said “jump in and I’ll back you down”, so off we go. I backed the boat off the trailer and straight into our slip. I stepped off the back of the boat and noticed the bilge pumps running. I looked at the guy and asked " why are they running"? He slaps his pocket hitting the plug and hollers “back to the ramp”.
I laughed so hard and threw my hands up proclaiming “serenity now” and that’s how our boat got the name “Searenity Now!”
I felt then as I do now that it was totally my fault. I should have checked. It was my property and I am responsible.
If you wouldn’t have noticed it and your boat had sunk, when you found out the guy had the plug in his pocket would you have laughed so hard and blamed it on yourself? If there are any lawyers on here I sure wish they would chime in on this.
I have been around and worked on many boats and to leave a drain plug in is asking for problems.
Here some examples I have seen…
Rain water fills the boat. Battery goes dead because the bilge pump was running. You get some water damage here and there. The weight alone can break a hull. ( I have seen this happen to a boat in a lift ) Not to mention the trailer can be damaged becuse it was not built for the weight.
Now you get in the boat and it won’t start because the battery is dead. May even be bad and need to be replaced.
Water getting in two stroke oil tanks and there goes the motor!
Battery switchesand other wiring all gone.
Now we do not have to much really cold weather around here but I have seen water in a boat freeze and casue a lot of damage. I am talking about big time damage.
IMO a boat out of the water should be towed or stored with the plug out. It is the owner that should check the plug just as he or she should see how much gas is in the boat.
For you guys who want to point the finger of blame at the mechanic, put yourself in his place. He’s got who knows how many boats on the repair yard. If he leaves the drain plug in and it rains damage can occur, and of course it’s his fault for not taking the plug out so he does, but not every boat on the yard has the plug in it. Now he needs to keep up with the ones that had plugs in and the ones who had plugs out and report to all those people what they should do with their plugs when they eventually pick up their boats.
Standard procedure at the shops I worked at was to remove the plug when the boat arrived. Only once in a blue moon would anyone have a problem with that but then there’s always those looking for someone else to pay for their own mistake.
In the boating industry for over thirty years.
quote:
Originally posted by Open BarI’m not saying you shouldn’t check it, I’m saying if the shop took it out, the shop should be responsible for replacing it, especially if it were there when it went to the shop. They are a boat shop. If they remove a part that could have potential catastrophic consequences, they should be responsible for replacing it. It’s not a whoopsie or you should have done it thing. They took it out, they should put it back.
IMO
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“not saying you shouldn’t check it…the shop should be responsible”So… who pays for the damage if the boat is not insured? Is this a 50/50 or a 90/10? IYO
quote:
Originally posted by hanapaaScootin’
When I first read your post, I was hoping that you weren’t the one that was blaming the dealer.
I don’t see how anybody could honestly believe it’s the mechanic’s fault.
It sounds like the captain know’s he screwed up, but is looking for someone to help pay the costs.
The nerve…Happy boatin’ y’all!!
I am on the side of the mechanic here. He is a good friend of mine but that does not change my opinion. It is the Captain’s responsibility to ensure life jackets are on board, the plug is in, electronics operational, etc. 100% his responsibility. Now leaving some engine component out or off could be argued but the plug is the captain’s responsibility period!
Keep in mind though, you don’t need a license to buy a boat. This same buddy told me a story about test driving a boat when the customer asked
customer: “Why did the boat not stop?”
Buddy: “Uh?”
Customer “I hit this switch that says Navigation/Anchor, that should drop the anchor and stops the boat, but the boat did not stop when I hit it?” “Why?”
He has tons of stories like this as I am sure many of you guys in the industry do.
Behind this helm stands a sickness that not even a women can cure.
Maybe I’m wrong. I just know I never check my plug as I never take it out, so I assume its always in. If someone took mine out and didn’t replace it I wouldn’t have a clue. I’m just looking at it from my point of view I guess. It just seems the shop has the responsibility, other than the repairs made, to return the boat to the owner the way it was. If it was water tight and sea worthy, then it should be returned in the same fashion
I have never put the big boat in without checking the plug but, I have slid the jon boat in a couple time without the plug in. [:I]
Wait a minute. The guy who sold me the jon boat never told be about the plug. Do you think I have a case?
Yes, the plug should be out, if the boat is out of the water and the captain should check the plug EVERY time before he puts it back in the water.
quote:I certainly see your point. If I was a boat owner like, you are describing, I would not think about the plug. It's a good thing to start doing it, though. That "sinking feeling" is nothing you want to experience.
Originally posted by Open BarMaybe I’m wrong. I just know I never check my plug as I never take it out, so I assume its always in. If someone took mine out and didn’t replace it I wouldn’t have a clue. I’m just looking at it from my point of view I guess. It just seems the shop has the responsibility, other than the repairs made, to return the boat to the owner the way it was. If it was water tight and sea worthy, then it should be returned in the same fashion