Boat Taking on Water Help Please (Is Flow-Rite Drain Plug the issue)

[BassCatKev]

I'm never going to be able to enjoy this boat for its purpose if I don't get this figured out. Driving me CRAZY!!

Boat: 2017 Cougar FTD Flow-Rite Remote Drain Plug. No visible holes or cracks on outside of hull.

When I use the remote plug turn handle from driver seat it goes in hole but with quarter inch to spare. So I have to get under boat to push it in the rest of the way. The very first time I took it out as the owner it took in a tremendous amount of water rather quickly. I happened to open up the bilge lid and noticed water already up to base of batteries before we even left idle zone. I just bilged it all day. After taking boat out I noticed for the first time that plug needed to be pushed in flush by hand. Even though that defeats the purpose of a remote drain plug, I figured I had issue resolved. But it's not. Now when I push plug all the way in and launch, I'm still taking in water but not AS BAD as before. But still something is not right. I manually bilged my boat the other night before going to bed while it floating on the water. 7 hours later the water was near the top of the lower bilge area and getting near bases of batteries (my automatic float switch does not work for some reason even though it raises like normal and I hear the thing moving around in it but that's another issue). So that day I manually bilged it and immediately got my body and head with flashlight as deep in the bilge area as possible and just watched. I can see water coming in but can't say for sure from where. It almost looks like an upwelling of water when the flashlight light hits a certain area. Once pushed all the way in before launching, the plug stays in the hole flush like it's supposed to while running lake etc. When I pull boat on trailer and immediately inspect I see water draining from only the left circular vent on lower back of boat (no water exiting the right if this is even relevant to issue). I see no water draining out of the drain plug area even though there was plenty of it in the bilge area.
So does that mean no water could be coming IN the drain hole from around the plug? I have inspected all hoses and clamps the best I can and see no water dropping off of anything.

I would just put a standard plug in drain hole to see if that fixes the issue. But I don't think I can get it around the Flow-Rite plug. And I don't want to just go tearing stuff up just yet. I don't want to badmouth the Flow-Rite drain plug but it already doesn't serve it's purpose but is a lot of hardware to just remove or do away with. It's possible I'm focusing in the wrong direction as far as the culprit for water intrusion but have to start someplace.
All comments and suggestions are welcomed. Thanks

[Phoenix 921]

I'm never going to be able to enjoy this boat for its purpose if I don't get this figured out. Driving me CRAZY!!

Boat: 2017 Cougar FTD Flow-Rite Remote Drain Plug. No visible holes or cracks on outside of hull.

When I use the remote plug turn handle from driver seat it goes in hole but with quarter inch to spare. So I have to get under boat to push it in the rest of the way. The very first time I took it out as the owner it took in a tremendous amount of water rather quickly. I happened to open up the bilge lid and noticed water already up to base of batteries before we even left idle zone. I just bilged it all day. After taking boat out I noticed for the first time that plug needed to be pushed in flush by hand. Even though that defeats the purpose of a remote drain plug, I figured I had issue resolved. But it's not. Now when I push plug all the way in and launch, I'm still taking in water but not AS BAD as before. But still something is not right. I manually bilged my boat the other night before going to bed while it floating on the water. 7 hours later the water was near the top of the lower bilge area and getting near bases of batteries (my automatic float switch does not work for some reason even though it raises like normal and I hear the thing moving around in it but that's another issue). So that day I manually bilged it and immediately got my body and head with flashlight as deep in the bilge area as possible and just watched. I can see water coming in but can't say for sure from where. It almost looks like an upwelling of water when the flashlight light hits a certain area. Once pushed all the way in before launching, the plug stays in the hole flush like it's supposed to while running lake etc. When I pull boat on trailer and immediately inspect I see water draining from only the left circular vent on lower back of boat (no water exiting the right if this is even relevant to issue). I see no water draining out of the drain plug area even though there was plenty of it in the bilge area.
So does that mean no water could be coming IN the drain hole from around the plug? I have inspected all hoses and clamps the best I can and see no water dropping off of anything.

I would just put a standard plug in drain hole to see if that fixes the issue. But I don't think I can get it around the Flow-Rite plug. And I don't want to just go tearing stuff up just yet. I don't want to badmouth the Flow-Rite drain plug but it already doesn't serve it's purpose but is a lot of hardware to just remove or do away with. It's possible I'm focusing in the wrong direction as far as the culprit for water intrusion but have to start someplace.
All comments and suggestions are welcomed. Thanks

You should be able to take boat on trailer to your house or some where and put a water hose in the back bottom and turn water on with the plug in and see if it leaks if it does you will know the problem. You could next fill live wells and do same thing till you fine the problem. This will not fine a hair line crack in hull but I really think you are ready know the problem which is back plug. this will just let you know for sure. just my .02

[mulligans]

Put the plug in jack the nose of the trailer up and use a garden hose to fill livewells and The builge till it covers the plug.that should find the leak. If not turn on the livewells and look inside the builge
Maybe ad some light grease to the plug oring

[TopgunZ521C]

I had the same problem with my Ranger and the plug would never seat all the way, I had to reroute the cable and clean the inside hole and outside plug and oring groove regreased now it works flawlessly every time, also when you get out of the ramp open the valve and drain your boat and pull it back in until your next trip dust and dirt will collect on the oring and scratch up the inside bore of the assembly, my boat don't have any water come out after a day on the water hope this is useful.

[BassCatKev]

What about water draining from the round vent at bottom outside of boat? Is this normal? There are 2 of them. Are these live well intakes?

[BassCatKev]

Just grease the entire plug and drain hole after cleaned?

[booter]

What about water draining from the round vent at bottom outside of boat? Is this normal? There are 2 of them. Are these live well intakes?

Kevin, the round holes at the bottom near the drain plug are your live-well intakes. It's normal for some water to drain out of them when your first pull your boat out of the water. As what some have suggested, put a garden hose in the livewells and make sure that is where the water is coming from and it drains from the hole/hose and not around the fitting. If water is still leaking into the bilge, then maybe you have a loose fitting on your livewell fill hose or have a loose fitting that needs retightened and resealed with silicon.

[BassCatKev]

Thank you Booter. The boat takes in water when I don't use livewell. I checked them and they were bone dry while I'm having water come in like it has been. The last trip I took I did use livewells but I'm certain tbis problem exists while wells are bone dry. I should have stated that on my original post.

[geobass]

I have found that the most common leak comes from livewell over flow hose of livewell fill hoses. Very hard to find. I found mine by exposing the bilge area and backing the boat (still on trailer) into the water.

[lamoon78]

Far as the auto bilge in my Caracal you have to turn it on auto and then it will work as it should. It’s basically not a forget about it auto bilge unless it’s turned on if that makes sense.

[Clove]

If you are having to push the plug in from outside before you launch the last little bit I would bet that when you are taking off it is making the plug loosen just enough from drag and water wash to start taking on water when you sit it back down to fish. Water will go from high to low pressure fairly easy.

[Phisherman]

2017, why are you even wasting YOUR TIME trying to figure this out. Take it to the dealer and then let them fix it. I just don't understand.

[BassCatKev]

I have my control panel set for auto (red dot lit showing on auto) and it still doesn't work. But thanks7

[Hollada]

I have my control panel set for auto (red dot lit showing on auto) and it still doesn't work. But thanks7

Doublecheck that the float has range of motion and that it’s not stuck. This can happen.

[BassCatKev]

Hollada it floats up and has space to do so. I've noticed it while dealing with this high water in bilge on Sunday. I hear the ball moving freely in there as well.

[Potan]

Yea man I hate every flow rite product I ever owned. I would pull that POS out and put a stainless drain plug in now whether that's the issue or not.

[BassCatKev]

I'm restarting this thread. Will back down ramp intp lake tomorrow if necessary. I filled up the livewell in the driveway and closed valve to 'Auto' which would hold water in livewell. I ran aerator and recirculate and all was well. There is a slow leak out the livewell transom drain hole. Nothing in bilge area. Is this relatively normal? I wonder if it would even leak out at all if boat was in water? I have NOT introduced any water to bilge yet so that's bone dry.

[CastingCall]

On the remote drain plug, when you move the lever to "In", it should have some resistance, but you should be able to turn the lever a bit more, the plug will seat fully and the lever will go a little further past "In".
As mentioned before, clean the plug area thoroughly, and lubricate the o-ring with a silicone grease... makes it much easier to get it to seat.

[BassCatKev]

Are most greases 'silicone greases?' I'm glad you mentioned the type grease because I was wondering.

Question: Is it POSSIBLE for water to NOT leak out around drain plug with bilge full of water when boat is out of water but WILL come into boat around plug when boat floating in water?

[CastingCall]

Are most greases 'silicone greases?' I'm glad you mentioned the type grease because I was wondering.

Question: Is it POSSIBLE for water to NOT leak out around drain plug with bilge full of water when boat is out of water but WILL come into boat around plug when boat floating in water?

Silicone based grease won't eat up rubber seals like oil based grease will.
At rest, lake water pressure will be pushing the drain plug in; It shouldn't leak if o-ring is clean and seated. As stated by someone previously, might be possible that when on plane, the plug is getting sucked out of the hole a bit and leaking when off plane...?