Cover hull fittings?

[MHorn0817]

While being stored and winterized....do you tape, plug, cover all of the drains and thru hull fittings?

What do you do or use? Just curious if it made sense to do or not.

 

[Bill Curtis]

If it sits in the water all year, don't cover the bilge pump drain.

Mine sits on a trailer. so I plug them all with a plastic bag to keep the bugs and critters out. All except the bilge drain. I use a 1/2" NPT to PVC pipe connector and cover that with a screen so bilge can drain if rain water gets in and still keep bugs out.

 

[Lazy Daze]

I never do.

Horn, what's thought behind why you are asking? Is it about water entry? Water won't travel uphill

 

[MHorn0817]

It sits on a trailer. Just to keep any bugs, wind, etc from going inside the holes.

 

[Lazy Daze]

It sits on a trailer. Just to keep any bugs, wind, etc from going inside the holes.

Wind won't cause any issues.

I've never had an issue with bugs on any boat I've ever owned or the boats that sit on our lot. Not many bugs crawling around in the winter! But that's not to say that it can't happen, of course. If I was going to do it, I wouldn't do anything permanent like tape - you want it to breath - I would use a little bit of SS wool.

 

[Gofirstclass]

I have always used an Ortho product called Home Defense on the boat. I spray the dock, dock lines and cleats, etc. I sprayed two or three times a summer and never had a problem with bugs.

 

[MHorn0817]

Thanks for the tips. I guess I'll just leave it as it sits.