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I have a 1977 Outrage I'm restoring and was wondering if anyone knows if I can make it self bailing? It now has a low point just before the stern with a drain hole and bilge . Has anyone ever out there made any changes to this system so the water can flow out and down to the drain holes in the transom?.

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Joe King,

I am not familiar with your boat as I have never owned, nor have I ever been on one that was in the water.

However, most Outrage hulls that I know of are "Self Baling".
Here is a basic way to determine if your hull is self baling.
1. When you pull the drain plug in the rear sump, does enough water come into the boat to get on the floor and get your feet wet?
or
2. Does the water just come into the rear sump and no further?

If there is no water in the floor of the boat and your feet are dry, then your hull is already self bailing.

Of course, if you pull the drain plug and you have several inches of water covering the floor, then your hull in NOT self baling.

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Thanks for the reply. I don't feel that my Outrage is self bailing. I remember when the 1st owner of the boat cleaned up after fishing, he always stood on the left gunnel to completely empty the water into the bilge hole. This past summer when I had the boat in for painting the man at Bessette Marine Finishes asked me if I wanted him to make some holes from the inside floor wall to the stern and then the water would flow down pass by the rear bait well and out. We both thought it would work but I was not completely sure so I didn't do it. I was hoping may be someone out there had the same Idea and could let me know if it worked. My boat and pictures of the stern are on Whaler Central so If any one knows please let me know.

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Joe King,

It sounds like you just answered your own question.



If the boat was not self baling, he would have had water coming into the boat instead of draining out. From this observation, I say your boat is Self Baling.

If your boat takes on water from a wave or rain, then of course you will have water on the floor unless you do one of two things:
1. Remove the drain plug in the rear sump and let the water out.
2. Have a bilge pump in there to pump water out.

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No I don't think it is, because in that hole was the bilge pump and it was always running and pumping out water until there was about an inch of water left at the bottom.

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Joe King,

Where is the water coming from that the bilge pump has to keep pumping it out?

If you have a bilge pump in there, you should leave the drain plug IN ...... otherwise, yes, it will continue to pump what little water comes in.

My Outrage 18' is Self Baling...
However, if I leave my drain plug out, there will always be some water in the sump area but there will be no water above the level of the floor. Therefore, it is self baling.

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The water is coming form the dock hose ( fresh water) when we wash the boat down. The drain plug is always left in. If I take it out the float will activate and the bilge will just keep running.

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Joe King,

I guess we could go back and forth here as I can't find any documentation at this time on whether your boat is labeled Self Baling.

I can ask you do to this the next time you are at your boat.

1. Turn off the bilge pump... Automatic and Manual... Turn them both OFF.

2. Pull the drain plug....

3. Exit the boat and stand on the dock.

Does any water come into, and on top of the floor?
Yes, some water should probably enter the sump area but the water should not rise above the level of the floor.

If the water does not come on the top of the floor, then your boat is what they call, self baling.
This means you can leave the plug out and any water that gets in the boat will automatically self bail out the drain plug even when the boat isn't underway.

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Thanks again for your help. I'm looking forward to trying out your theory. I feel you may right and I do hope so. I will post what happens around May 1.