drain plug Noob Bass Boat Question, Why so many holes??

[nashrout]

I currently own a 2007 26' Rinker Captiva which only has 1 hole for the drain, plus bilge, and I used to own an old 17' fisher with 3 holes (live well inlet & outlet, and the main drain plug.) plus bilge.

  However, i recently purchased a side project for this upcoming fall & winter. Pictured below is a 1991 Nitro 185TF. Currently no main motor, just using it on a small local pond for this year with trolling motor.

Took it out the other night and i stuck the drain plug in, sealed a few old screw holes the previous owner left from his gps transducer and hit the lake with my wife. 10 minutes in we find water coming in quickly and lots of it!! Luckily the bilge worked great and started shooting out like a fountain and Of course, the jokes were made about making sure the drain plug was in, which it was.  

We get back to the trailer and yank the boat out, only to see water pouring out this 4th hole above the drain hole.  Its perfectly centered between the inlet and outlet holes for the single livewell, and directly above the hull drain.     Anyone know what the hell it goes too? I am pulling the batteries and what not out this weekend to verify all hoses and pumps are cracked or leaking. I have filled the livewell up and verified which is the drain hole (clearly inlet hole has black screen over it) and also made sure the recirculating pump works. I didnt have any water loss during that test.  When we pulled the boat out, this hole looked like a hose was turned on as well as the bilge hole on the top driver side shooting out like a fountain.  Lucky we didnt sink!! 

I know i need to seal the outlets/inlet up a little more, i was just eager to get out and see what it was like! 

ANY HELP  WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!  

[Bass Turd]

If no one else answers with a for sure answer stick a garden hose up the hole in question and turn it on. 

[Ratherbfishing]

Errr...don't know a lot about the plumbing on a boat but when my buddies boat filled up sorta like you described (came VERY close to sinking), it was because a hose clamp had rusted off a hose going to the live well.

[WIGuide]

I don't know for sure, but if I had to guess I'd say the overflow for the livewell? I know there's many to rig a livewell so I'm just speculating, but that'd be my guess. 

[fishnkamp]

WiGuide is probably right and in that case you should be able to run a hose into that hole, open the lid for the bilge area and see most likely a busted and seriously leaking hose leading to the livewell overflow.

[Catch 22]

4 holes on my Lund

hull drain

rear live well drain

rear live well intake to fill it

front live well intake to fill it

Both wells can recirculate or fill and overflow out the gunwales

The front well drains out  thru the hull right under it.

[nashrout]

Thanks for the updates! So after doing a little testing with an air hose and garden hose, we have confirmed that the top/center hole is Livewell Overflow. Left is Livewell intake, Right is Livewell drain (with a open/close switch by the throttle), and bottom is obviously the main drain.  

 

That at being said, there must be a huge leak in the overflow tube somewhere.  We have plugged everything seperately and together and found that the only time water comes into the boat hull, is when the overflow isn't plugged from the rear transom or when it is plugged and the Livewell reaches overflow level.       

 

Problem solved for now by plugging that hole and keeping the Livewell 3/4 full.  Hopefully we can replace the tube and fittings soon.  

 

Thanks again!!

-Nick 

[fishnkamp]

If you leave the boat on the trailer , back it in till the back of the boat is wet open the rear compartment and you should see the water leaking from a cracked fitting or hose.

[Scorchx1245]

I have a 1990 175tf the 3rd hole is your live well overfill hole...check to make sure the hoses on the back of the live wells are still connected, mine fell off and sat below the water line and started dumping water in. There's also a T where they combine, check those fittings as well. Also I have 2 switches for each live well,the 2 screened holes that identical are for each pump to fill, and recirculate.