Anybody use a Bail-R-Matic self draining boat plug?

Does it really work as advertised? I keep my boat on a lift all summer and dont have a canopy so i’d like to avoid the added weight rainwater adds to the boat until I can flip the bilge switch on…

Bail-R-Matic Plug

looks like the one I had, worked good and it says 100% warranty…

I have used that same brand for many years on two different boats with no problems.

I’ve never had the need for one, but have heard they can get clogged with junk and not reseal fully when back in the water. Just something to be aware of.

I had issues with mine, plugging , not sealing,I have gone to bilge pump on automatic switch, no issues with dead battery . Been doing it for 4 years no problem

JoeMX1825 wrote:

I keep my boat on a lift all summer

Does the lift sit above the water line? Couldn’t you just take the plug out to drain any rain?

Most plugs are installed from the outside so that would be a total PITA.

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
I keep my boat on a lift all summer

Does the lift sit above the water line? Couldn’t you just take the plug out to drain any rain?

My Skeeter plug screws in from the outside of the boat, the back of the boat sits above 6′ of water depth on the lift, so I would need to go swimming or float on a tube every time I put the plug back in, trying to avoid that….

CaptainMusky wrote:

Most plugs are installed from the outside so that would be a total PITA.

Seems a lot easier to do than dinking around with auto bilges and bait o matics. But then again I’m taller with longer arms than the average bear.

cheers wrote:

I had issues with mine, plugging , not sealing,I have gone to bilge pump on automatic switch, no issues with dead battery . Been doing it for 4 years no problem

yep, my auto-bilge isn’t working right now, just looking for a quick workable solution until I have time over the winter months to climb inside the boat to fix/replace it…

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>CaptainMusky wrote:</div>
Most plugs are installed from the outside so that would be a total PITA.

Seems a lot easier to do than dinking around with auto bilges and bait o matics. But then again I’m taller with longer arms than the average bear.

There’s ZERO chance I could remove the plug leaning over the back of the boat or reaching from the dock…only option is to jump in the lake or get on one of my kids tubes and float over to it…

munchy wrote:

I’ve never had the need for one, but have heard they can get clogged with junk and not reseal fully when back in the water. Just something to be aware of.

yep,that’s my worry and wanted to get owner input to confirm that…sounded too good to be true…

I also sprayed some 303 Fabric guard on sections of the cover to help some of the rain water slide off and not soak through to inside the boat, we’ll see…

gim wrote:

Seems a lot easier to do than dinking around with auto bilges and bait o matics. But then again I’m taller with longer arms than the average bear.

Well I am 6’3″ and have a nearly 7 foot wingspan and there is NO CHANCE I could reach the plug from inside the boat when on a lift. I have a really deep transom and laying on my stomach with my head near the water doesnt interest me in the least.

I had one and I had some leaks, but I think that was “operator error” because I could not really get enough angle on it from the inside to get it really tight.

In your particular situation I’d try it. If it’s on a lift you’d be able to tell if it’s leaking and change out plugs if it ever does before anything goes sideways.

If you were to be docking it at a marina in the water id have a different opinion.

i’m gonna try it for $35, i’ll report back my experiences with it…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>munchy wrote:</div>
I’ve never had the need for one, but have heard they can get clogged with junk and not reseal fully when back in the water. Just something to be aware of.

yep,that’s my worry and wanted to get owner input to confirm that…sounded too good to be true…

I’m definitely not saying they are bad at all, I’ve heard many people love them. If I had a bigger boat I’d likely get one. However I’d give the bilge a good rinse and make sure there isn’t any small junk that could get sucked into the outlet. Have heard sunflower shells are a big issue.

BTW, for anyone thinking this would work well for a boat sitting at the dock, you’d be wrong. The water level in the boat would need to get higher than the water level outside in order for it to open, which would force equilibrium between the two. These work great for boats stored on a lift or trailer, not sitting in the water. While in the water, once you get up on plane they open allowing drainage of whatever is in the bilge. A full bilge would make it quite difficult to get up on plane. They are great for those older boats with minor leaks that are difficult to find/fix.

How’s the nut prevented from backing off and jiggling loose over time ? Just looks like a nylon nut ?

isu22andy wrote:

How’s the nut prevented from backing off and jiggling loose over time ? Just looks like a nylon nut ?

Friction fit just like livewell pumps. Elbow grease. Tighten and let be.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Well I am 6’3″ and have a nearly 7 foot wingspan and there is NO CHANCE I could reach the plug from inside the boat when on a lift. I have a really deep transom and laying on my stomach with my head near the water doesnt interest me in the least.

Haha. I’ve got a 10 foot wingspan.

I can reach the plug on a fiberglass warrior with wackers on the back. Did it more than once in my Grandfather’s previous boat when he forgot the plug. Nearly ended up in the drink though.

One thing I learned is that my auto bilge isn’t as auto as I thought. It won’t come on unless the master power is on which I thought was weird. I thought it used to.

isu22andy wrote:

How’s the nut prevented from backing off and jiggling loose over time ? Just looks like a nylon nut ?

If you look close on the bottom of the nylon nut there is a black o ring that would keep pressure on the assembly. But I’d put a little bit of silicone on it as well to help secure everything.

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CaptainMusky wrote:

One thing I learned is that my auto bilge isn’t as auto as I thought. It won’t come on unless the master power is on which I thought was weird. I thought it used to.

most (including mine) are directly wired to the main battery

CaptainMusky wrote:

One thing I learned is that my auto bilge isn’t as auto as I thought. It won’t come on unless the master power is on which I thought was weird. I thought it used to.

There may be a jumper somewhere that got mixed up during a reassembly at one time. However not all boats have the bilge hardwired to the battery.

That could be the case because I had my boat re-rigged last year dealing with a different issue and he may not have hooked it up right. I know the pump, both actually do work however.

CaptainMusky wrote:

That could be the case because I had my boat re-rigged last year dealing with a different issue and he may not have hooked it up right. I know the pump, both actually do work however.

Look on the backside of the main switch, if there is a smaller secondary wire coming off the switched/load lug, move it to the line/battery lug. If it’s not there it may have been removed.

Thanks Munchy!