Custom Made Drain Hole Light.

B

Bassdeer

New Member
Jul 6, 2015
8
The Colony TX
Boat Info
Boatless
Engines
Boatless
So I made a custom drain hole light, everything is tight with teflon tape and filled with hot glue, do you think I will have any problems with it? I know if I hit something and it breaks out of the hull I could sink, but besides that. boat is a 1998 Sea-Ray 310.


 
Not sure, but I would be more concerned about the Chinese metal corroding and leaving you a hole in the hull.
 
What's it for?
 
Can you plug it into the Honda generator?


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I'll give you credit for the effort. I would have a few concerns though... 1) It's huge and you run a huge risk of it getting caught on something and getting ripped out. Your anchor line, a line for a tube, weeds... so many things can get fouled on that thing and sink your boat, 2) The metal you're using could interfere with the metal on your drives and cause corrosion on the drives, 3) As mentioned above, the metal you're using to construct that thing could just corrode and sink your boat, 4) The glue you're using might lose it's water tightness and start leaking.

You can buy garboard plug lights fairly cheap but very few people use them because...they're cheap.
 
Not to pile on here but that set up looks a little scary. Do you trailer your boat? At least if you do maybe you can keep an eye on it while reducing the corrosion factor as well.

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Are those lights suitable for under water use?
Are you comfortable with teflon tape in a below waterline application?
If this is a wet-slipped boat, are you comfortable with the corrosion resistance of those components?
With the possible leverage in a strike, that setup could rip the garboard out.
Im guessing you do not have a need to remove the drain plug.
 
I applaud your ingenuity and determination however many legitimate concerns have been raised.

Make sure you remove that thing before the insurance adjuster arrives on the scene.
 
Yea my concern is electrolysis corrosion, for now I'm going to scrap the idea. I will do some tests by hanging off the boat when it's in the slip.
 
IF the OP boats in his homeport there should not be an electrolysis problem. He's on a lake 30 or so miles NNW of Dallas.
 
I like the idea. I don't think you need the extension on the middle light, however. Can you remove that and screw the light directly into the "T" connector? That will make the unit smaller, lighter, and you don't want that middle light pointing up anyway.

Your idea is very similar to this:
https://boatpluglight.myshopify.com...roducts/brass-typhon-double-head-center-drain

I've bought from those guys before and quality is very good, and customer service is top notch. But I'd try your idea first, just keep an eye on it.

The other option is to do something like this so you can keep your current drain plug and you won't have as big of a hole going through the transom (all you need is a small hole big enough for wires to fit through):
https://boatpluglight.myshopify.com/collections/accessories/products/1-2-npt-garboard-drain-assembly
 
Last edited:
Irrespective of the risks mentioned or poo-poo'd above, the garboard drain fitting is mounted to the hull with 2- #8 screws and a machine screw (for bonding purposes). It is not designed to support any weight hung from the fitting or for any external forces applied from an obstruction or even a kid putting his foot on the light.
 
If you use brass for the close nipple and pot the rest of it with epoxy you could make the rest out of threaded PVC it will be lighter plus if you did hit something it would break but not leak . Neat idea
 
Good effort...but PLEASE DO NOT USE THAT LIGHT ON YOUR BOAT. I've bee making under water led's for my boat for a few years now. It took me may prototypes to get it right. I see a few things wrong. The types of metal you are using. I would not trust that one bit. The amount it is sticking out of the boat. Your just asking for it to be broken off if you hit something and sinking your boat. Teflon tape!!! NO! Please re-design and post back. Use an epoxy that is made for the application. If you have any questions let me know.
 
I would be concerned with the loads that the assembly puts on the garboard connection at speed.

If its a straight linear load (water flowing politely around the assembly) it will still be a huge increase over what that (garboard) hardware was ever designed to see
.
Now for something out of my neck of the woods - sound and (most important in this case) vibration.
If this assembly ever gets into a mode of oscillation and then God forbid, goes in to resonance my guess is the forces trying to crank that thing up and down will be huge.

I'm not trying to crap in your co-co puffs by any means, just being cautionary.
Have plugs and wire cutters at the ready if you go forward!
 
If that gets impacted, or corrodes, it could turn into a scutteling valve.
 
Very creative! However I must agree with everyone here. First your insurance company will walk away from you if your boat sinks. The boat plug is bronze and your mixing materials that won't agree with each other. Aluminum drives will hate you for this. And when on plane it will drag on the surface. Hit a big wave and the pressure will certainly rip it from the threads.

Good luck and keep up the cool creativity!
 
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