Eliminate The Bailer?

M

mhirte

New Member
I'm restoring a 77 fish and am wondering about the need for the self bailer. Of course, it is broken and will cost $42.00 to replace. I have only been sailing a couple years, but it seems like it is more trouble than (and cost) than it's worth. I carry a cutoff milk jug and a sponge which seem to handle most watery situations. The bailer seems to be a real weak spot, especially if the bottom is going to come into contact with a wooden platform before and after every sail. (This is a rack boat.) It is tempting to just fill in the hole and not worry about it. Opinions?
 
I'd fill it in. Mine is filled in on my boat from a previous owner. I have no real intentions of putting one back in.
 
If you sail in light wind and no waves you could get rid of it. If you sail when it is windy and choppy it's a mistake to get rid of it. BB
 
I've had my fish since 1977, and I've never had a bailer work right. Cover it over and carry a plastic can or something to bail out the cockpit when it fills.
 
mhirte said:
I have only been sailing a couple years, but it seems like it is more trouble than it's worth. I carry a cutoff milk jug and a sponge which seem to handle most watery situations. Opinions?
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Neither of my two Sunfish are going to get their presently-removed bailers replaced. When they worked, they were defeated by drawing in as little as a pine needle—or introduced water when the plug was dislodged by my foot :oops: .

That said, rainwater may seep into the hull's interior if your cockpit floor has small spider cracks.:( The bailer won't let rainwater drain out unless the hull is inclined at a perfect angle, anyway. :confused:
 
I am thinking about getting rid of the bailer on my Phantom. There was no plug when I got it and even when underway at a reasonable speed it lets water in, not out. I keep it pluged with an expandable plug that's hard to kick out with my foot (but not impossible). I only unplug it when the boat is in the driveway and it's raining

What's the recommended method for filling the hole?
 
Light and Variable Winds said:
That said, rainwater may seep into the hull's interior if your cockpit floor has small spider cracks.:( The bailer won't let rainwater drain out unless the hull is inclined at a perfect angle, anyway. :confused:
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Spider cracks in the gelcoat will not let water seep into the hull. If rainwater is getting into your hull more than likely you have got a bigger problem somewhere.
 
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