[berkshirepresident]

Fellas....and Ladies: I just pulled my brand new Fishhawk 1750 out from storage and am getting it ready for the upcoming season. This is my first "real" boat and I have some basic questions that I wanted to run by the Forum. (In other words, assume I don't know anything about "real" boats....and do not worry about offending me.)

In the attached picture, there are three "holes". One is the drain and has the drain plug attached to it. Another is covered by a screen and is, IIRC, the input for water going into my live wells.

So, what is the "hole" that is in the ten o'clock position relative to my drain? It appears to have a rubber grommet looking device on it.

Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Decoy hound]

My guess would be the drain for the live well, but like I said only a guess. Should be a valve you open to drain the live well.

 

[ezbite]

yep for the live well. my drain plug had the little cable missing when I got my new boat and I mistakenly put the plug in that black plastic hole.. backed the boat down into the water for the first time, I'm looking at the fenders, waiting for the boat to float off the trailer and all of a sudden, my bilge pump comes on. I stop backing figuring I had some rain water in it, pump keeps running, I get out and go look inside the boat and she filling fast pulled back up on dry ground, walked around and saw I had the plug in the wrong hole it only took a few minutes to drain, but I learned what hole was what FAST!

 

[Meerkat]

yep for the live well. my drain plug had the little cable missing when I got my new boat and I mistakenly put the plug in that black plastic hole.. backed the boat down into the water for the first time, I'm looking at the fenders, waiting for the boat to float off the trailer and all of a sudden, my bilge pump comes on. I stop backing figuring I had some rain water in it, pump keeps running, I get out and go look inside the boat and she filling fast pulled back up on dry ground, walked around and saw I had the plug in the wrong hole it only took a few minutes to drain, but I learned what hole was what FAST!

I have my drain plug attached to my ignition key so that I dont forget to put it in. You dont want to know why I do that. Long story
Good luck on the new boat!

 

[Gottagofishn]

I've heard it's not if you forget to put in the drain plug, it's when.....

 

[Meerkat]

I've heard it's not if you forget to put in the drain plug, it's when.....

And when you are dumb you forget more than once.

 

[Gottagofishn]

I have my drain plug attached to my ignition key so that I dont forget to put it in. You dont want to know why I do that. Long story
Good luck on the new boat!

Sounds like we would love to hear the story...

 

[berkshirepresident]

I think everyone does indeed forget the drain plug at least once. I did so the first summer I had my Tracker 1648T. And when you're battery power only, you wonder if you can get back to the shore fast enough....at 3.5 MPH....before your batteries start getting wet/covered.
The other thing I think we all forget at least once is removing one or both back straps while trying to get the boat off the trailer.
We're not dumb.....we're just very excitable and really want to get on the water ASAP some days.
Or....your ex-wife is on shore.....and you don't want to be.

 

[Meerkat]

Oh my wife was in the boat the first time I did it. I was already in the outer harbor at Lorain when she sweetly asks me if there is supposed to be water sloshing around on the deck at the back.

Made it back to the ramp at full throttle (about 4 mph) and beached the boat. Luckily it was summer so I was able to jump overboard and stuff the plug in the hole.

She was good about it but she as a long memory......

 

[ohiojmj]

And when you are dumb you forget more than once.

Been there, done that a "few" times. Also, do mistake the drain plug hole from the livewell drain hole. On Lake Erie, these mistakes can be troubling....

Sincerely Ohiomj (The Dumb and Dumber Drain Plug Expert)

 

[EnonEye]

wow, great boat, congrads, enjoy

 

[fastwater]

FWIW, you may want to purchase a spare drain plug and put it someplace in your boat as well.
And, it's not a bad idea to carry a plug for any factory hole in the hull that sets under water line. You never know when a clamped hose may work loose or a hose may get a hole rubbed in it.

 

[Cajunsaugeye]

FWIW, you may want to purchase a spare drain plug and put it someplace in your boat as well.
And, it's not a bad idea to carry a plug for any factory hole in the hull that sets under water line. You never know when a clamped hose may work loose or a hose may get a hole rubbed in it.

Very good advice there. I was with my dad at Dale hollow. Had his 89' hydra sport down there and was camping. Pulled boat right up to camp site and nosed it on bank. Went to bed and got up the next morning to the rear end just short of submerged. The plastic that the hose goes on to one livewell has somehow completely broken off and just flooded. Had the motor been up she'd have been under in the rear. Plugged the holes,FIXED HIS BILGE PUMPS and fished rest of the week.

 

[27482]

I have my drain plug attached to my ignition key so that I dont forget to put it in. You dont want to know why I do that. Long story
Good luck on the new boat!

Oh sure! Of all places to say 'we don't want to know why you done that.' C'mon now . . . spill it.

 

[Dovans]

Drain plug never gets unscrewed. Never take it out. I have had the live well hose disconnect once and even though I dont use it, the boat still filled up with water quite fast. It was after that, an auto bilge was installed. Auto Bilge will always be mandatory on any future boats as well.

 

[firemanmike2127]

In my 18' Alumacraft I never pull the drain plug. I've gotten in the habit of kicking on the smaller manually operated bilge pump when I'm on the ramp before pulling the boat out of the water. Once I'm home & put the boat back in the garage I'll open up the front battery compartment lid & also the one in the rear of the boat to allow the battery fumes to dissapate while the boat is parked with the battery maintainer plugged in. The small amount of residual water left in the back of the hull will eventually evaporate & doesn't bother me. This works for me since the boat stays in the garage unless we're on a trip. Mike

 

[Perry789]

Its the livewell drain. I have a new fishhawk as well and learned it was the drain from storing boat in garage after fishing late one night. Reached in to grab fishys to fillet and found buddy forgot to pull drain inside live well. Pulled inside plug and water drained out of the hole in question and into 5 gallon buckets i placed under it.

 

[chardoncrestliner]

Ever forget to take the ties downs off at the rear of the boat and can't figure out why the boat isn't coming off the trailer? I did that once when I was being rushed at the dock. Nice boat. I have an 1800 Super Hawk.

 

[berkshirepresident]

Ever forget to take the ties downs off at the rear of the boat and can't figure out why the boat isn't coming off the trailer? I did that once when I was being rushed at the dock. Nice boat. I have an 1800 Super Hawk.

I'm from Chesterland, ChardonCrestliner.
Hope to get the boat out at East Branch in a few weeks. Would be happy to meet up some time.

 

[chardoncrestliner]

I'm from Chesterland, ChardonCrestliner.
Hope to get the boat out at East Branch in a few weeks. Would be happy to meet up some time.

Me too. I'd like to see your boat. I'm from Chardon.