Drain plug law.

[Farfrumbehavin]

Is it state law that the drain plug needs to be removed from the boat when it is being transported on the trailer ? A friend told me it is a new law. However, I have not read it or heard any notice on the news and was not informed of this when I registered my boat. Has this been a law all along and I just never knew and have been lucky I didn't get a fine? My boat and trailer have been inspected by people at the ramp but I have never been told to pull the plug.

[Kamper]

It was never mentioned when I took the safety class. I have never heard of it or seen it referenced anywhere either. I think it's a good idea though. Water is heavy and having more than a few gallons sloshing around could effect your driving.

[feb]

There is a new 'Clean Dry and Drain' law that went into effect 1/1/2017.

This was my first google hit:
http://lakewinonanh.org/2017/clean-drain-law/

[Knomad]

Below is the link to the RSA related to this topic:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/...7/487-16-d.htm

[Kamper]

Thank you feb and Knomad.

[Descant]

And please move away from the lake before you pull the plug. Put your bilge pump on manual or off. We don't want your dirty (Contaminated?) bilge water draining back into the lake. Same with fish tanks, etc. It is all part of the effort to prevent the spread of invasive species, plants and animals.

[MikeF-NH]

A lake host at Sheps informed me of the new law this weekend. He also reminded me to move away from the lake (up the hill) before pulling the plug.

[Biggd]

So what is the difference in the water that your pump pumps out of the hull and into the lake and the water that you drain out of the hull

[SAB1]

They are trying limit water from one source into another. If you dump your bilge by pulling the plug when coming out of one lake it's empty before you hit the next one and you won't be pumping the prior into the next body of water.

[kawishiwi]

Originally Posted by Biggd

So what is the difference in the water that your pump pumps out of the hull and into the lake and the water that you drain out of the hull

You are right on. If your bilge pump is cycling water into the lake there is no logical reason to make people pull away from the lake to keep draining water out of the lake you just came out of. This is especially true of live wells. That water came from the lake in the first place and holds fish from the lake. I totally get the goal of not transporting water from one lake to another. Whats the goal of not putting lake water back into the lake it came from?

[Farfrumbehavin]

Originally Posted by Biggd

So what is the difference in the water that your pump pumps out of the hull and into the lake and the water that you drain out of the hull

Thank You, I'm glad someone else asked. I have no problem with moving away from the shore before pulling the plug, but yes, if the boat was clean and the bilge was empty and dry when I got to the lake, and immediately before launching I put the plug in, then how does water from a different lake than the one my boat is in get into my bilge ? Ok I know it's a wise guy question. It's a just in case the plug was in the boat when I got to the lake and I dunked the boat with water in the bilge. mmm. Sometime when I pull my boat up a steep ramp, water in the bottom of the boat flows back to the transom where the bilge pump and the float switch are. The pump kicks on and wala! Just like me to complicate matters. Don't you wish you had an eye roll button?

[Orion]

What is in your bilge may not just be lake water. It could be some rainwater or lake water mixed with engine fluids that the bilge pump is too high to pump out, and the drain will be at the lowest point and thereby allow the now polluted water/fluids to exit.

[Dave M]

Can the drain plug be used inside or outside the boat, does it matter. I've had mechanics work on by boat to get it spring ready and had it both ways. I've always put on the inside but harder to reach. I was always leery of it popping out if on the outside.

Dave M

[Orion]

Can go either way, just make sure it's snug, and if a lever-type, the make sure the lever is not protruding below the hull line when installed outside. Outside is much easier for trailered boats. Many boats just have an outside-accessed screw-in plug now.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by Orion

What is in your bilge may not just be lake water. It could be some rainwater or lake water mixed with engine fluids that the bilge pump is too high to pump out, and the drain will be at the lowest point and thereby allow the now polluted water/fluids to exit.

Most fluids from your engine are lighter than water and are at the top. Your pump will eventually pump this into the lake. I can understand pulling away to drain your hull so you don't tie up the ramp but we are only fooling our selves to think that what's in our hull is not ending up in the lake anyway. It's up to boat owners to be aware of what's in your hull and repair any problems because those hull fluids will end up in the lake. I always drain my hull every time I take the boat back to my house just to see if anything other than water comes out.

[Farfrumbehavin]

Originally Posted by Biggd

Most fluids from your engine are lighter than water and are at the top. Your pump will eventually pump this into the lake. I can understand pulling away to drain your hull so you don't tie up the ramp but we are only fooling our selves to think that what's in our hull is not ending up in the lake anyway. It's up to boat owners to be aware of what's in your hull and repair any problems because those hull fluids will end up in the lake. I always drain my hull every time I take the boat back to my house just to see if anything other than water comes out.

I appreciate your input and again I fully acknowledge and respect the intent of the law. Fact is, there is never anything in my bilge. I'm usually in salt water but when we boat on the lake, there will never be enough fluid of any kind to start the bilge pump. My outboard motor does not leak fluid anywhere, let alone into the bilge. My old 2-stroke engine only had 400 hrs on it but we repowered to a 4-stroke for a number of reasons. the most important being environmental concerns. It pleases us to know that the oil that was in the engine when we got to the lake all comes home with us.