solas appoved hull design

[Daniel TD5]

when out with the boys last saturday wayne asked why i had no drain plug
at the back of my boat i have a self bailer but no hull drain plug for the hull

when i got home i checked the vailant owners book and it said to drain the hull some times. i have no drain plug so i checked the sales booklet and the vailant 450v as a solas appoved hull design and can not sink with all the tubes
deflated is this right or would the engine pull the boat under seem good if it would stay afloat if so why don,t all makers fit solas appoved hulls

[Richard B]

All RIBs are supposed to be fully buoyant without tubes fitted. There's a fairly well known picture of a RIB with no tubes being powered along the sea - it looks a bit silly though. Unfortunately the picture possibly isn't as well known as I think because I can't find a copy of it...

[Alan]

IIRC its in Dag Pikes "Inflatables" book and is of a Flatacraft or Delta hull.

[simmons0]

Sounds odd not to have one. Mine did.

Is there anyway to get the water out of the hull without one?

[DGR]

If there is water in the hull and no way to get it out, then this will reduce your buoyancy. If the manual says to occasionally drain the hull, does it not say how you're expected to do it?

Sounds weird...

D...

[swginn]

You sure you don't have a draining plug Daniel?

My last rib a Valiant V490 (just slightly longer than yours but with the same standard spec) was SOLAS approved. It had a draining plug(actually more like a screw than a plug) just at the very bottom of the transom. I'll post a pic but the quality won't be very good as it a cropped image.

Anyway, before somebody didn't close the anchor hatch properly and the boat took in a fair amount of water as the anchor locker was not sealed from the rest of the hull (major design flaw!!). Top speed was reduced by 3-4 kts and it sat noticably lower in the water and took longer and more power to plane. Drained the boat and she was back on form again. If you definitely don't have one I suggest you have one fitted or keep your anchor locker closed!!

[Daniel TD5]

just checked no plug

owners book said

hull drain plug should be periodically removed to empty any water between deck and hull, in semi-rigid craft

but the owners book cover all models and my one is the only listed solas appoved hull in the sales book. when i got it it hand small self tapper srews
with it and the packet said for use with sealed hull only they were only 8mm
long so may be the hull is completey sealed

[Richard B]

Who fitted the corner feet thingies for the cool box?

[simmons0]

I should think that by now your lugging around a huge ammout of water in the hull. I'd give the dealer a call and ask if its meant to have a drain plug.

I have never found a boat hull that does not fill with water and with holes the the deck all over the place for console, seats, coolbox i expect your boat will be full of water by now.

[Daniel TD5]

the dealer fitted the cool box the rest came fitted from valiant it would seem
strange that vailant which is ISO9000 2002 would forget a drain plug
but the first service is due friday so i will ask them