Ar240 concerns

[MrMoose]

Regarding plugs, I've seen opinions from both sides. Close them to compartmentalize (like the Titanic didn't do). Open them to allow water to get to the bilge pump and get pumped out.
There is an interesting ACR "survivor" story that was posted on their website (https://www.acrartex.com/survivors/). Guys were out fishing and were taking the odd splash into the boat, but weren't worried. Without warning, more waves were coming in, but the seas did not seem to be getting worse. Turns out that their floor locker near the bow of the boat was collecting the splashes and eventually got heavy enough to weigh the front of the boat down so that it was vulnerable, without conditions worsening. The plug was closed in the locker, and they say that it is the reason that their boat sank.
Now all that said, I know that some folks are going to want to reference the fact that Yamahas have an effective deck drain system. When I took a wave into my open bow area during last year's Bimini crossing, it seemed to collect at the deck drain. I could tell that the deck drain was working, but I can also tell you that my bilge pump was also pumping water at the same time.

 

[Zeus2013]

I have noticed that the ski locker plug left open will close once water gets in there slowing the drainage. I noticed this last season, so I was debating about removing it and mounting it in the ski locker with a strap as not to let it disappear.

 

[OperationROL]

@OperationROL - help me out with this sytstem. I thought that the water that drains from the wet locker (mid ship) only drained into the haul of the boat. The one from the fuel cell drains into the engine compartment and the engine compartment drains into the haul.
But the only bilge was the one in the engine compartment. So basically keep the fuel cell drain open and the engine compartment closed so that the bilge pump can do its job.

Am I right?

Not sure where everything drains, but I am sure I don't want to trap any water. Even if the ski locker does not drain to the bilge and drains beneath to the drain plug, I still want to make sure the water can get there and thus will not use the drain plug.

 

[swatski]

I have noticed that the ski locker plug left open will close once water gets in there slowing the drainage. I noticed this last season, so I was debating about removing it and mounting it in the ski locker with a strap as not to let it disappear.

Yep. I just pulled the darned thing and keep it in a bag.
I am still on the fence about the plug-in-or-out issue.

 

[Jay Petzold]

I had that static noise once when my boat was brand new. It sounded like it was coming from one of the tachometers. It went away on its own. My FM reception sucks too. @Jay Petzold let us know if you find something wrong with your antenna hook up... I don't want to squeeze into the helm compartment unless it's absolutely necessary.

I did some looking around under the dash found the FM antenna ( black wire travels from top of door around the dash) but signal still needs to get through the hull so I saw some light shining through between the dash and hull pulled the wire through seemed to improve the signal, going to look into a different antenna as it looks like just a standard plug coming off the radio

 

[Jay Petzold]

So lots opinions about the plugs I think underway all plugs open would be best, but my concerns are when the boat is sitting in its wet slip, I always check floor locker and engine compartment for water and make sure the float switch on my secondary bilge is working, so when I'm away from the boat keeping the plugs closed and compartmentalizing the boat seems like the best option since any rain water getting through the cover should drain out

 

[Zeus2013]

Yep. I just pulled the darned thing and keep it in a bag.
I am still on the fence about the plug-in-or-out issue.

I leave it open at all times for drainage. Too many times have had some water accumulate.

 

[McMark]

I don't think the boats float nose high enough for the scupper to let the deck water drain enough. This lets the locker gutter overflow into the locker, so plug out even in a slip. I leave all internal plugs open.